kadottaessa

Kadottaessa is a Finnish adverbial participle form derived from the verb kadottaa, meaning to lose. The word expresses a temporal or conditional relation between two actions, roughly translating to “while losing” or “upon losing” in English. It is used to connect a subordinate clause to the main clause without a conjunction, giving a concise or somewhat formal tone.

As a form of the Finnish converb system, kadottaessa indicates that the action of losing occurs in relation to the action of the main clause. It is typically used when the subject of both clauses is the same. The particle can appear in different nuances depending on the verb form; for example, kadottaessa emphasises the simultaneous action, while other related forms such as kadottaessaan can emphasise the subject performing the action.

Usage considerations include that kadottaessa is more common in written or formal Finnish. In everyday speech, speakers often prefer finite clauses introduced by conjunctions like kun or jos, or rephrase the sentence to clearly express the temporal relation with a finite verb. Kadottaessa provides a compact way to convey a time-related condition without adding extra clauses.

Example (illustrative): Kadottaessa avaimensa, hän ei päässyt sisään. This sentence demonstrates the converb form linking the act of losing the keys to the outcome in the main clause. The form can be used with other verbs that express loss or a similar action, maintaining the same-subject requirement.