Kuollessa

Kuollessa is a Finnish adverbial participle form derived from the verb kuolla, meaning to die. It expresses a temporal relation, typically translating roughly as “while dying” or “at the time of death.” The form is used to introduce subordinate clauses that describe events occurring concurrently with or during another action, most often in narrative or formal contexts.

In use, kuollessa appears in clauses that indicate what happens during the act of dying or at the moment of death. It is common in literary or historical texts and can carry a sense of immediacy or documentary tone. In everyday spoken Finnish, speakers more often use other constructions such as kun kuoli or related phrases, while kuollessa may appear in fixed expressions or stylistic writing.

Morphologically, kuollessa is formed from the verb kuolla with the suffix -ssa to indicate inessive or temporal relation. Related forms include kuollessaan (as/while he was dying or at the moment of death) and kuolleena (dead, in the state of being dead). These forms share a semantic link but differ in nuance and grammatical function within a sentence.

Examples:

- Hän kuollessaan kiitti hoitajia. — As he was dying, he thanked the nurses.

- Talo hiljeni hänen kuollessaan. — The house fell silent as he died.

See also: kuolla, kuollut, kuolleena, kuollessaan.