Päättäessään

Päättäessään is a Finnish grammatical construct that functions as a temporal subordinate clause. It is formed by combining the past participle of the verb "päättää" (to decide, to end) with the translative case ending "-essään" or "-essään". This ending, "-essään," indicates that the action of the subordinate clause happens concurrently with or immediately before the action of the main clause.

The literal translation of "päättäessään" often involves phrases like "when deciding" or "upon deciding." However, its exact English equivalent depends heavily on the context of the sentence. It signifies a point in time when a decision is being made or has just been finalized. For example, "Hän lähti talosta päättäessään jättää kaiken taakseen" translates to "He left the house, deciding to leave everything behind." Here, "päättäessään" conveys the simultaneous nature of leaving and the decision to do so.

This grammatical form is common in Finnish and allows for a concise way to express cause and effect or sequential actions related to decision-making. It adds a nuance of immediacy or direct consequence to the main verb. Understanding "päättäessään" is crucial for grasping the temporal relationships within Finnish sentences, particularly when dealing with actions that are a direct result of a preceding decision.