Tekemättä

Tekemättä is a Finnish adverbial participle formed from the verb tehdä (to do). It represents the negative converb, meaning “without doing” or “not having done.” The form is used to describe a circumstance in which the action expressed by the main clause occurs without the action of the participle being performed. In practice, it often connects to a main clause to indicate that something is left undone or occurs without a preceding action.

Grammatical role and usage. Tekemättä functions as a non-finite clause that modifies or accompanies the main action. It is common in written Finnish and can appear in formal or literary contexts; it is less frequent in everyday spoken language, though widely understood. The construction conveys omission, hesitation, or a deliberate choice to refrain from a stated action, and it can add nuance about plans, outcomes, or conditions around the main clause.

Usage notes. The negative converb with mättä is paired with verbs or actions to express what did not happen or what was avoided. It can align with different degrees of formality and often appears where the writer wishes to emphasize that a step was skipped or not performed.

Examples.

- Hän lähti kotiin tekemättä ruokaa. (He left home without cooking.)

- Heidän sopimuksessaan sovittujen toimenpiteiden toteuttaminen tehtiin tekemättä mitään lisätoimia. (The agreed actions were to be carried out, without undertaking any additional steps.)

See also. Finnish grammar, negative converb, participles, mättä suffix.