Perustaessa

Perustaessa is a Finnish adverbial participle form of the verb perustaa, meaning to establish or to found. It corresponds to the English expression “while establishing” or “in establishing” and is used to introduce a non-finite clause that describes circumstances concurrent with the action of the main clause. The form is created with the suffix -essa/-essä attached to the verb stem (perust-), signaling an ongoing or accompanying action.

Usage and nuances:

Perustaessa is typically found in formal or written Finnish, including academic, legal, or historical prose. It expresses temporal or conditional nuance, indicating what occurs in the course of establishing something, rather than stating the action as a finite member of the sentence. The clause remains non-finite and its subject is not explicitly marked, as with other adverbial participles.

Examples:

- Perustaessa uutta koulutuskeskusta, kaupungin on huolehdittava infrasta. (In establishing a new training center, the city must take care of infrastructure.)

- Perustaessa yritystä on tärkeää laatia liiketoimintasuunnitelma. (In establishing a company, it is important to draft a business plan.)

Related forms:

Perustaessa is part of a broader family formed from perustaa, including perustaminen (the act of establishing) and perustamaan (to found, to establish, to infinitive). Other adverbial participles with -essa/-essä express simultaneous or conditional actions, such as kirjoittaessa (while writing) or kuulleessaan (while listening).

See also:

Perusta (foundation), perustaminen (establishment), perustaa (to found).