murtamalla

Murtamalla is a Finnish grammatical form that functions as an adverbial participle, commonly translated into English as “by breaking” or “through breaking.” It belongs to the group of -malla/-mällä forms in Finnish that express means or manner and can describe how an action is carried out.

Formation and meaning: The word is derived from a verb meaning “to break” and is inflected with the instrumental -malla/-mällä suffix to indicate the means by which something is done. As an adverbial participle, murtamalla modifies the main verb or clause, supplying the method rather than the actor. It is one of several similar forms in Finnish that describe action by describing the instrument or method used.

Usage: Murtamalla typically appears in procedural or descriptive text, where it clarifies the approach taken to achieve a result. It can occur within a sentence as a modifier of the action or as part of a larger clause that explains the method. In translation, Finnish -malla/-mällä forms are often rendered as “by [verb]-ing” in English, depending on context.

Relation to other forms: Besides murtamalla, Finnish uses other -malla/-mällä forms to express means, such as katselemalla (by looking) or kirjoittamalla (by writing). These forms share a common function of indicating method rather than the subject performing the action.

Notes: Murtamalla is primarily encountered in Finnish grammar and text and is not a standalone lexical item in other languages. Its exact usage may vary with register, appearing more often in instructional, technical, or descriptive contexts.

See also: Finnish grammar; -malla/-mällä participial forms; adverbial participles.