Kiihtyessä

Kiihtyessä is a Finnish non-finite verb form derived from the verb kiihtyä, meaning to intensify or accelerate. In grammar, it functions as an adverbial participle (a converb) that indicates a second action occurring simultaneously with the action of the main clause. Roughly, it can be translated into English as “as it intensifies” or “while it accelerates,” depending on the context.

Morphology and formation play a central role in using kiihtyessä. It is formed from the stem kiihty- of kiihtyä with the suffix -essä, producing a form that can introduce a dependent clause without a stated subject. The subject of kiihtyessä is typically the same as the subject of the main clause, or the subject may be left implicit in formal writing.

Usage of kiihtyessä is most common in written Finnish and in descriptive or narrative prose. It adds a sense of simultaneity and progression, allowing the writer to convey how one process unfolds in tandem with another. It is less common in everyday spoken language, where separate clauses or conjunctions are often preferred.

Examples:

- Kiihtyessä tilanne muuttui nopeasti. (As it intensified, the situation changed quickly.)

- Prosessi kiihtyessä nopeutui, ja tulokset valmistuivat aiemmin than expected. (As the process accelerated, it sped up and the results were completed sooner.)

Notes:

- Kiihtyessä should not be confused with noun-based forms like kiihtyminen (acceleration) or with finite tenses; it remains a non-finite, conjunctive construct.

- Related terms include kiihtyä (to accelerate) and kiihdyttää (to accelerate something).