Kohdatessa

Kohdatessa is a Finnish non-finite verb form that functions as an adverbial participle of the verb kohdata, meaning to encounter or meet. It expresses a circumstantial time relation and is used to form a subordinate clause that indicates what happens at the moment of or during the main action. In English, kohdatessa is commonly rendered as “upon meeting” or “when meeting.”

Usage and distribution: Kohdatessa is primarily found in written Finnish, including literary prose, journalism, and formal or academic texts. It is less common in everyday spoken language, where speakers more often use conjunctions such as kun or silloin kun. The form can add compactness and stylistic variety by reducing the need for a separate subordinate clause.

Grammar and function: As a non-finite adverbial participle, kohdatessa does not carry its own finite subject. The implied subject is normally the same as the subject of the main clause, though the form can refer to a different noun when the surrounding sentence provides an explicit subject. It is used to express events that occur in relation to the main clause, either simultaneously or prior to it, depending on context.

See also: Finnish grammar; participles; non-finite clauses.