Viestitessäsi

Viestitessäsi is a Finnish non-finite verb form functioning as a present active participle with the second-person singular possessive suffix. It expresses a simultaneous or ongoing action by the person addressed, and is typically translated into English as “while you were messaging” or “as you were messaging.” The form is commonly used to link clauses in a concise, sometimes formal or literary, way.

Formation and usage notes: The form is derived from the verb viestiä, meaning “to message.” The present active participle takes the -essa/-essä ending, and the second-person singular possessive suffix -si is attached, yielding viestitessäsi. The resulting participial clause agrees with the subject of the main clause (in this case, you). There are corresponding forms for other persons, such as viestitessään (he/she was messaging) or viestitessämme (we were messaging), by using the appropriate possessive suffix.

Examples: Viestitessäsi minulle kerroit olevasi kiireinen. (While you were messaging me, you said you were busy.) Viestitessäsi työasioista unohdit mainita tärkeän yksityiskohdan. (While you were messaging about work, you forgot to mention an important detail.)

Style and alternatives: Viestitessäsi is typical in written Finnish and in formal or literary contexts. In everyday spoken Finnish, speakers more often use finite clauses, such as “kun viestit” or “kun viestitessäsi” with different constructions, depending on the intended nuance.