oppimalla

Oppimalla is a Finnish adverbial participle derived from the verb oppia (to learn). It functions to express means or manner, translating roughly to “by learning” or “through learning.” The form is created with the suffix -malla, which in Finnish forms adverbial participles that indicate how an action is performed.

Linguisticly, oppimalla sits with other -malla/-mallla constructions such as syömällä (by eating) or kirjoittamalla (by writing). Like those examples, oppimalla can be used to show that learning is the method or process behind an outcome rather than a direct action itself.

In usage, oppimalla is common in educational and pedagogical contexts, where the role of learning as a developmental process is emphasized. Example: Oppimalla ja harjoittelemalla opiskelija kehittää osaamistaan. Translation: By learning and practicing, a student develops their skills. The form can appear alongside other expressions of means, such as oppimisen kautta (through learning) or oppiessaan (as they learn), depending on the desired nuance.

Notes and considerations: oppimalla is a formal or literary-leaning construction that may sound stylistically deliberate in everyday speech. It is part of the broader Finnish system for expressing means, including noun- and verb-based alternatives like oppiminen (the act of learning) and oppimisen kautta. In discussions of lifelong learning and education, oppimalla is a concise way to foreground learning as the mechanism behind desired outcomes.