Laskien

Laskien is the present active participle of the Finnish verb laskea, meaning to count or to calculate. In Finnish, laskien translates roughly as “counting” or “calculating” and is used mainly in written, formal, or literary contexts. The form is created from the verb stem lask- with the participial ending -ien, and it functions as a descriptive modifier or as part of an adverbial participle phrase.

Usage and function:

Laskien is typically used to indicate that counting or calculation is happening simultaneously with the main action, similar to how English uses a participle phrase. It can modify a noun or occur in a sentence to add supplementary information about the manner in which something is done. In practice, laskien appears in prose as a stylistic device rather than in everyday spoken Finnish. It is less common in ordinary speech, where finite verbs or simpler subordinate clauses are preferred.

Examples:

- Hän luki talouden tilastoja, laskien luvut huolellisesti. (He read the economic statistics, counting the numbers carefully.)

- Raportin laatimisen yhteydessä he laativat yhteenvetoa laskien pienimmätkin erot. (While preparing the report, they compiled a summary by calculating even the smallest differences.)

Relation to other forms:

Laskien is distinct from simple present forms of laskea used in ordinary speech. It is part of a broader set of present active participles in Finnish, which also includes forms such as -va/-vä. The act of counting as a nominal concept is more commonly expressed with laskenta or laskeminen.

See also:

Finnish grammar, present active participles, laskea, laskenta, laskeminen.