Uimassa

Uimassa is a Finnish grammatical form derived from the verb uida, meaning to swim. In contemporary Finnish, it is used with the auxiliary verb olla to express ongoing swimming. The most common translation is “being swimming,” or more naturally in English, “to be swimming.” The form appears in sentences describing someone currently engaged in swimming or in descriptions of ongoing aquatic activity.

Grammatically, uimassa is the present active participle form that combines with olla to indicate continuous action. The participle itself does not change for person; the person and number are determined by the conjugation of olla. For example: "Hän on uimassa" (He/She is swimming), "Olen uimassa" (I am swimming), "Olimme uimassa" (We were swimming). Negative and other tenses use the appropriate form of olla plus uimassa, such as "En ole uimassa" (I am not swimming) and "Olin uimassa" (I was swimming).

Usage and nuance: uimassa is commonly used in everyday speech to describe current activities, such as leisure swimming, training, or safety-related actions near water. It is not a standalone finite verb; it functions as part of a predicate with olla. The construction is versatile for rapid description and is often found in sports reporting, travel writing, and casual conversation.

Related forms and notes: uimassa is specifically tied to the verb uida. Similar progressive constructions exist with other verbs by using the corresponding present active participle form (for example, kirjoittamassa from kirjoittaa). In Finnish grammar, this pattern helps express ongoing actions without forming a fully finite verb of the main action.