Kirjoittaessaan
Kirjoittaessaan is a Finnish adverbial participle form derived from the verb kirjoittaa (to write). It expresses a simultaneous action, roughly translating to “while writing” or “in writing,” and is used to add background information about the circumstances of the main clause.
Grammatically, kirjoittaessaan belongs to the class of adverbial participles (also called participial subordinate clauses). The form
Usage notes include that the participle clause is typically separated from the main clause by a comma.
- Hän kirjoittaessaan tarinaa kuunteli musiikkia. (While he was writing the story, he listened to music.)
- Kirjoittaessani esseetä löysin vanhoja lähteitä. (While I was writing the essay, I found old sources.)
A key consideration is that the subject of the participle clause should generally align with the subject