Tähistades

Tähistades is a non-finite verb form derived from the Finnish verb tähistää, meaning to celebrate or to mark/commemorate. It functions as an adverbial participle (converb) that expresses a circumstance accompanying the action of the main clause, roughly translating to “in celebrating” or “while celebrating” in English.

In use, tähistades typically shares the subject with the main clause; the participial phrase can occur at the beginning or after the main clause. It is common in written Finnish, especially in descriptive or formal prose, such as journalism, essays, and historical accounts, but it can appear in fiction as well. The form conveys simultaneity rather than sequence and provides a concise way to add context to a sentence without creating a separate clause.

Examples include sentences like: Tähistades itsenäisyyspäivää, kaupungin torit olivat täynnä juhlijoita. Here the action of celebrating is happening at the same time as the main clause’s moment. The construction is typically more frequent in written Finnish and may sound formal or literary in everyday speech.

Etymologically, tähistades is linked to tähistää, and the form is part of Finnish non-finite verb constructions that express circumstances without requiring a new finite verb. It should be distinguished from more everyday expressions such as participial or adverbial phrases formed with other verbs, which can convey similar ideas with different nuance or emphasis.