menettääkseen

Menettääkseen is a Finnish grammatical form. It is the third infinitive form of the verb menettää, which means "to lose". The ending "-kseen" indicates a purposive or consequential meaning. Therefore, "menettääkseen" translates to phrases like "in order to lose," "so as to lose," or "by losing." This form is used to express the purpose or result of an action. For example, one might say "Hän juoksi nopeasti menettääkseen aikaa," meaning "He ran quickly in order to lose time" or "He ran quickly so as to waste time." The structure often implies that the action taken is intended to achieve the state of losing something. It is a common construction in Finnish, especially in more formal or literary contexts, though its use can also be found in everyday speech. The verb menettää itself can refer to losing physical objects, abstract concepts like one's temper or health, or even opportunities. The "-kseen" ending attaches to the verb stem, creating this specific infinitive form.