kulkemalla

Kulkemalla is the gerund form of the Finnish verb kulkea, meaning to move or walk. It functions as an adverbial participle (a non-finite verb form) and is used to express manner or means of an action, roughly translating to “by walking” or “by moving” in English.

Grammatically, kulkemalla is formed by adding the suffix -malla to the short infinitive of kulkea. It does not require a new subject; the subject is usually the same as that of the main verb, and the form indicates how the action is performed or the method by which it is accomplished. The construction is common in descriptive and narrative prose, and it can connect smoothly with the main clause to show concurrent or accompanying action.

Examples illustrate its use: Kulkemalla pitkin polkuja he löysivät kauniin näköalan, meaning they found a beautiful view by walking along paths. Hän oppi tuntemaan kaupungin kulkemalla sen halki, meaning he learned the city by traversing it. In Finnish, kulkemalla is typically used with verbs of movement or exploration and is especially common in travel writing and descriptive narration to convey method rather than result.

Relation to other forms: kulkemalla is related to other -malla/-mma forms that express means or manner, such as kuuntelemalla (by listening) or katsomalla (by looking). It is distinct from progressive or finite clauses and should be used where the speaker intends to emphasize the instrument or manner of the action.