Syntyessään

Syntyessään is a Finnish adverbial participle form derived from the verb syntyä, meaning “to be born.” It is used to indicate that a state, trait, or condition exists from birth, i.e., innate or congenital, rather than developing later in life. The expression is common in descriptive, biographical, and literary Finnish and highlights characteristics observed at or from birth.

In practice, syntyessään functions as an adverbial modifier of the main clause and can be placed before or after the verb. Examples: “Jo syntyessään hän osoitti lahjakkuutta” (Even from birth, he showed talent) or “Hänen kykynsä oli syntyessään selvä” (Her/his ability was evident from birth). The form emphasizes nativity of a quality rather than a skill acquired through experience.

Etymology and grammar: syntyessään comes from the verb syntyä (“to be born”) with the adverbial participle suffix -essään, which marks simultaneity with the act of birth. It is related to the noun/adjective pair syntyminen and synnynnäinen, the latter meaning “congenital” or “innate.”

See also: synnynnäinen, syntynyt, syntyminen.