ohjatessaan

Ohjatessaan is a Finnish word that functions as an adverbial participle. It literally translates to "while steering" or "while guiding." It is derived from the verb "ohjata," which means to steer, guide, or control.

In Finnish grammar, participial constructions often convey a sense of simultaneous action or a condition under which another action occurs. "Ohjatessaan" specifically indicates that the subject of the main verb is performing the action of steering or guiding at the same time as the main verb's action. For example, "Hän ajoi autoa ohjatessaan puhelinta" would mean "He drove the car while steering the phone," which is a rather nonsensical example but illustrates the grammatical structure. A more practical example might be "Opettaja selitti asiaa ohjatessaan oppilaita pöytiinsä," meaning "The teacher explained the matter while guiding the students to their desks."

The word is in the essive case, indicating a state or manner. It can also be understood as "in the capacity of steering" or "in the act of steering." The possessive suffix "-an" indicates that the subject of the main clause is the one performing the steering. This is a common construction in Finnish for expressing concurrent actions, especially when the subject is the same in both actions. The specific nuance of "ohjatessaan" is tied to the act of direct guidance or control, rather than a more passive or general state of being.