Lisäämällä

Lisäämällä is a Finnish non-finite verb form derived from the verb lisätä, meaning “to add.” It belongs to the class of -malla/-mällä forms, commonly referred to as gerunds or adverbial participles, and is used to express means or the manner by which an action is performed. In English, it corresponds roughly to “by adding.”

Function and usage: lisäämällä functions as an adverbial part of a clause, indicating how something is achieved or altered. It connects a main clause to a subsequent consequence or description by showing the instrument or method used. It is frequent in instructional, analytical, and explanatory text, such as recipes, manuals, and scientific writing, where steps and procedures are described.

Grammar: as a non-finite form, lisäämällä does not denote a specific subject. The subject is often implicit or shared with the main clause, and the form remains unchanged regardless of gender or number. It can be used at the beginning of a sentence to set the means, or within a sentence to tie the action to the resulting state.

Examples:

- Lisäämällä sokeria juoma tulee makeammaksi. (By adding sugar, the drink becomes sweeter.)

- Lisäämällä vettä seoksesta saa ohentuvan koostumuksen. (By adding water, the mixture becomes thinner.)

- Lisäämällä mausteita voi korostaa makua. (By adding spices, you can enhance the flavor.)

Relation to other forms: lisäämällä is distinct from the finite or infinitive forms of lisätä. It is one of several -malla/-mällä forms used to convey means, alongside similar constructions with other verbs.

See also: lisätä, Finnish gerunds, adverbial participles.