eläessä

eläessä is a Finnish verb form known as an adverbial participle. It derives from the verb elää (to live) and is used to express a time-related circumstance in a subordinate clause, roughly equivalent to “while living” or “in living.” The form is non-finite, and the subject of the participle clause is typically the same as the subject of the main clause.

Formation and usage

The adverbial participle is created by attaching the suffix -essa (or -ossa, depending on vowel harmony) to the verb stem: elää -> eläessä. To indicate a specific subject, possessive suffixes are used: eläessäni (while I was living), eläessäsi (while you were living), eläessään (while he/she was living), eläessänne (while you all were living), etc. The participle clause usually conditions or accompanies the action of the main clause and can express actions that occur during the same period.

Examples

Eläessäni Suomessa opin paljon. (While I was living in Finland, I learned a lot.)

Eläessäsi kaupungissa opit tuntemaan ihmisiä. (While you are living in the city, you learn to meet people.)

Eläessään vanhempien luona hän oppi itsenäisyyttä. (While he/she was living with his/her parents, he learned independence.)

Notes

eläessä is more common in written Finnish and in formal or literary styles. In everyday speech, Finns often use subordinate clauses introduced by conjunctions (for example, kun) or other constructions to express similar timing. The form provides a concise way to link actions occurring in the same lifetime or during a particular period.