Valitsevana

Valitsevana is a Finnish grammatical form derived from the verb valita (to choose). It is the essive form of the present active participle valitseva, meaning roughly “in the role of choosing” or “as the chooser.” The form is primarily used in more formal, literary, or linguistic contexts to express a temporary state or role. In everyday language, speakers typically use simpler constructions, but valitsevana appears in grammars and descriptive texts to illustrate participial and essive morphology.

Formation and use: The base valitseva comes from valita with the present active participle suffix -va/-vä. To form the essive, the participle can take the essive ending -na/-nä, yielding valitsevana. This indicates a state or role during a particular time or situation, akin to “being the chooser” or “acting as the chooser.” The form can be used predicatively with the verb olla (to be): Hän on valitsevana, meaning “He is acting as the chooser,” or attributively in phrases that describe a role or ongoing action.

Usage notes: Valitsevana is relatively rare in ordinary conversation and is more characteristic of linguistic discussion, formal reports, or literary style. It contrasts with other participial forms such as valitseva (present active participle) used more generally to describe someone or something that is in the act of choosing.

Examples:

- Hän on valitsevana tässä tehtävässä. (He is in the role of the chooser in this task.)

- Kokouksessa hän toimi valitsevana tuomarina. (In the meeting, he acted as the selecting/deciding judge.)

See also: Finnish grammar, participles, essive case, valita.