esittäessään

Esittäessään is a Finnish verbal noun construction that translates to "when presenting," "while presenting," or "upon presenting." It is formed by taking the present active participle of a verb and adding the possessive suffix -nsä, which refers back to the subject of the main clause. This construction is commonly used to express a simultaneous action or a subordinate clause indicating the circumstances under which the main action takes place.

For example, in the sentence "Hän lauloi esittäessään kappaletta," the word "esittäessään" means "while he/she was presenting the song." The verb is "esittää" (to present), the present active participle is "esittäen" (presenting), and the possessive suffix "-nsä" refers to the subject "hän" (he/she). The phrase "esittäessään kappaletta" functions as an adverbial clause modifying the main verb "lauloi" (sang).

This grammatical structure allows for a concise and elegant way to convey simultaneous or closely related actions in Finnish. It is a versatile construction that can be found in various contexts, from everyday conversation to formal writing. Understanding "esittäessään" is crucial for comprehending the nuances of Finnish sentence structure and expressing complex temporal relationships between actions.