Kuivaamalla

Kuivaamalla is a Finnish grammatical form, specifically the adverbial (instrumental) participle of the verb kuivata, meaning to dry. It expresses the means or method by which an action is performed, and is roughly equivalent to the English phrase “by drying.” The form is used to connect clauses and to indicate how something is done.

Formation and function: Kuivaamalla is created by adding the suffix -malla to the verb stem, producing a phrase that can function as an adverbial modifier. In a sentence, the kuivaamalla phrase describes the method and can appear at the beginning or in the middle, linking the action to the main clause. This construction is part of Finnish participial grammar and is common in descriptive, instructional, and technical writing.

Usage: The gerund is frequently employed in contexts where the method matters, such as cooking, farming, or material processing. It allows a concise way to specify how an action is carried out without using a separate subordinate clause. Example: “Kuivaamalla vaatteet ulkona, ne kuivuvat nopeasti.” This illustrates the means by which the clothes dry.

Style and register: The kuivaamalla form can carry a formal or technical tone, and may sound wordier or more literary in everyday speech. In casual conversation, speakers may opt for simpler constructions that specify method without using the gerund.

See also: Finnish grammar, gerund, adverbial participles.