laskiessa

Laskiessa is the adverbial participle form of the Finnish verb laskea, meaning to fall, to drop, or to calculate. In Finnish grammar, laskiessa represents a converb or adverbial participle, used to express a circumstance that occurs at the same time as the action in the main clause. It translates roughly to “as … fell” or “while … was falling,” and is often found in written or formal Finnish.

The form is created by combining the verb stem with the suffix -essa/-ossa, which marks the present adverbial participle. This construction allows a subordinate clause to describe background conditions or simultaneous actions without introducing a separate finite verb. The subject of the laskiessa clause does not have to be the same as the subject of the main clause, which is typical of Finnish adverbial participles.

Usage notes are important. Laskiessa is most common in written language, journalism, and literary style. In everyday speech, Finns may prefer explicit conjunctions such as kun or kun ... jolloin to convey the temporal relation. The laskiessa form can carry nuances of simultaneity and sometimes causality, depending on context.

Example: Hintojen laskiessa kuluttajat ostivat vähemmän. Translation: As prices fell, consumers bought less.

See also: Finnish grammar, adverbial participles, converbs, laskea.