Tarjottaessa

Tarjottaessa is a Finnish verb-derived form known as a present adverbial participle (converb) from the verb tarjota, meaning “to offer.” It is used to express time or condition in a subordinate clause, indicating that the action of offering occurs simultaneously with or in relation to the action of the main clause. In English this is often rendered as “when offering,” “while offering,” or “upon offering.”

The form is used mainly in written Finnish, especially in formal, administrative, or legal texts. It allows concise sentence construction by linking events without a separate dependent clause. In everyday speech, speakers more commonly use conjunctions or other constructions, such as kun tarjotaan or tarjotessa, depending on nuance and register.

Formation and meaning: tarjota’s stem is extended with the -ssa suffix to yield tarjottaessa, which functions as an adverbial participle. It generally conveys simultaneous action or a conditional context associated with the main clause. Other verbs form similar converb constructions with the same pattern.

Examples:

- Tarjottaessa ruokaa on kiinnitettävä huomiota hygieniaan. (When offering food, attention must be paid to hygiene.)

- Tarjottaessa palveluita yritys noudattaa sovittuja ehtoja. (When offering services, the company adheres to the agreed terms.)

- Tarjottaessa tuotteita kuluttajille on noudatettava kauppalakia. (When offering products to consumers, consumer protection laws must be followed.)

See also: Finnish participles, converb, present adverbial participle, tarjota.