ajettaessa

Ajettaessa is a Finnish adverbial participle meaning “when driving” or “while driving.” It is formed from the verb ajattaa (to drive or operate a vehicle) and is used to introduce a subordinate clause that describes the circumstances under which another action occurs. The construction expresses simultaneous or background action and is common in written Finnish, particularly in manuals, safety texts, and formal prose.

In terms of grammar, ajettaessa functions as an adverbial participle (toiminta-partisiippi) and typically aligns the action of the subordinate clause with the main clause in time. It often replaces a conjunction like kun (when) in more formal or technical contexts. The form is most recognizable in its characteristic -ttaessa ending, which results from combining the causative stem with the present adverbial participle suffix.

Usage considerations include its slightly formal tone and its tendency to appear in instructional or descriptive passages. The subject of the ajettaessa clause is usually the same as the subject of the main clause, though Finnish allows some flexibility with context and punctuation.

Example:

Ajattaessa autoa, on tärkeää noudattaa nopeusrajoituksia.

Translation: When driving a car, it is important to observe speed limits.

Related forms include other adverbial participles such as -essa/-issä constructions with active verbs, which serve similar purposes for indicating concurrent actions in different lexical families.