Nauttuaan

Nauttuaan is a non-finite verb form in Finnish, derived from the verb nauttia (to enjoy). It expresses an action that has been completed before the action of the main clause, functioning as an adverbial participle that indicates anteriority. The typical sense translation is "having enjoyed" or "after enjoying." The form is most common in written and formal Finnish, and the subject of the non-finite clause is usually the same as the subject of the main clause.

Formation and use. Nauttuaan belongs to the group of perfect or past adverbial participles in Finnish. It is used to link two clauses while showing the sequence of actions, where the enjoying action precedes the action in the main clause. This form often appears in narrative prose and formal writing. In everyday speech, speakers may prefer shorter or simpler constructions, such as using a present participle or a subordinate clause without the participial form.

Typical patterns. The form is versatile for expressing different nuances of anteriority and can appear with various predicates: for example, "Hän lähti nauttuaan kahvista" (He left having enjoyed the coffee) or "Hän meni ulos nauttuaan auringosta" (She went out after having enjoyed the sun). The non-finite clause generally shares the same subject as the main clause, though there are stylistic variants where the subject can be omitted or implied.

Notes. Nauttuaan is most natural in written Finnish and can convey a more formal or literary tone. In modern speech, alternative constructions using stated sequences of actions may be preferred.

See also: Finnish participles, non-finite verb forms, konjunktiivin partisiipit.