katsottaessa

Katsottaessa is a Finnish adverbial participle derived from the verb katsoa, meaning to look or to watch. It expresses a simultaneous or circumstantial action and is typically translated into English as “while watching” or “upon looking.” The form is used to link a subordinate clause to the main clause, indicating time, condition, or circumstance of the action in the main clause.

Form and use: Katsottaessa is built from the verb stem with the suffix -tta- plus -essa, yielding a non-finite clause that can describe how something is done or what is happening at the same time as the main verb. The subject of the adverbial participle is usually the same as the subject of the main clause, but context can allow implied or understood subjects from the discourse.

Examples:

- Katsottaessa ohjelmaa televisiosta, näimme uutiset. (While watching the program on television, we saw the news.)

- Katsottaessa tilannettaan, johtaja teki päätöksen. (Upon examining the situation, the manager made a decision.)

Relation to other forms: Katsottaessa is part of a broader set of adverbial participles formed with -tta- in Finnish, such as kirjoittaessa (“while writing”). These forms are common in written and formal Finnish and are used to vary sentence structure and convey concomitant actions or conditions. In everyday spoken Finnish, speakers may opt for finite clauses or simpler constructions like kun katsottiin or katsoessa, depending on region and register.

See also: Finnish grammar, adverbial participles, -ttaessa forms.