käydessäni

Käydessäni is a Finnish non-finite verb form used as an adverbial participle (converb). It is formed from the verb käydä (to go, to visit) and expresses that the action of the subordinate clause happens at the same time as the action of the main clause. It is commonly translated as “while I was visiting” or “during my visit.” The form carries the subject of the main clause and is typically used in narrative or descriptive writing to provide background or context.

grammar and formation

Käydessäni belongs to the group of inessive/essive adverbial participles in Finnish. The base -essa/-essä part indicates ongoing or simultaneous action, and a possessive suffix marks the person of the subject (for example, -ni for I, -si for you, -nsä/-sä for he/she/they). This means the verb form agrees with the subject of the main clause. The form is most commonly seen with first-person singular, but parallel forms exist for other persons, such as käydessäsi (while you were visiting) or käydessään (while he/she/they were visiting).

examples

Käydessäni kaupungissa tapasin vanhan ystäväni. (While I was in the city, I met my old friend.)

Käydessään viikonloppuna maaseudulla hän tapasi vanhan koulukaverinsa. (While he/she was visiting the countryside over the weekend, they met an old schoolmate.)

usage notes

Käydessäni is typically used in written Finnish or formal narration and is less common in casual spoken language, where parallel constructions using forms like “kun olin käynyt” or simple past clauses might be preferred. The form cannot have a different subject from the main clause without altering the sentence or using a different construction.

See also: Finnish grammar, verb forms, adverbial participles, converbs.