Kantamassa

Kantamassa is the present active participle of the Finnish verb kantaa, meaning to carry or bear. It is used to express that the subject is currently performing the act of carrying or is in the process of carrying something. As a participle, kantamassa can function as a verbal adjective, describing a person or thing that carries something, or it can appear in predicative constructions with auxiliary verbs such as olla to indicate ongoing action.

Morphology and usage notes:

The form is built from the verb stem kant- plus the suffix -massa, producing kantamassa. It can describe a wide range of carrying actions, from physical objects to metaphorical burdens, and it often appears in phrases that convey simultaneity or immediacy, such as when the subject is carrying something while performing another action. The participle can also combine with various objects in a sentence, for example, kantamassa raskasta kassia (carrying a heavy bag). In addition to strictly physical carrying, kantamassa can be used with nouns that denote responsibilities or burdens, as in kantamassa vastuuta (carrying responsibility).

Examples:

Hän on kantamassa raskasta kassia. (He is carrying a heavy bag.)

Kantamassa ruokaa pöydälle, hän vilkaisi ulos. (Carrying food to the table, he glanced outside.)

Kantamassa vastuuta, hän tekee parhaansa. (Carrying responsibility, he does his best.)

Translations and equivalents:

The core meaning is “carrying” or “bearing” in the sense of the ongoing action. In English, kantamassa is typically rendered as “carrying” in a present progressive sense, and can also convey the idea of carrying a burden or responsibility depending on the context.

See also:

kantaa, kantaminen, Finnish present participles.