Kirjoittaessani

Kirjoittaessani is a Finnish adverbial participle form of the verb kirjoittaa, meaning “to write.” It expresses that the action of writing takes place simultaneously with another action in the main clause, and is commonly translated as “while I was writing” or “as I wrote.” The form is a non-finite clause and is often used to add context or nuance to a sentence without a separate subordinate clause.

In its formation, the base is the verb kirjoittaa. The adverbial participle is built with the suffix -essa/-essä to mark ongoing action, and, when the subject of the participle is the same as the subject of the main clause, the possessive suffix -ni marks the first-person singular subject. Thus, kirjoittaessani literally signals “as I was writing.” This construction allows Finnish speakers to weave temporally linked actions into one sentence, especially in narrative or reflective prose.

Usage and tone: kirja kirjoittaa - style is more common in written Finnish, including literature, essays, and formal narration, than in casual spoken language. It can convey immediacy and a subjective perspective, connecting the writer’s activity with surrounding events. For contrast, other forms such as kirjoittaessa (present participle without the first-person possessive) or other person forms (kirjoittaessaan, etc.) exist to indicate different subjects.

Examples:

- Kirjoittaessani esseetä, muistin lähteeni. (While I was writing the essay, I remembered my sources.)

- Kirjoittaessani päiväkirjaa, tunsin oloni vapaaksi. (As I was writing the diary, I felt free.)

See also: lukiessani, kuunnellessani, which are analogous adverbial participles with different verb stems.