paksuuntuessa

Paksuuntuessa is a Finnish adverbial participle form derived from the verb paksuuntua, meaning to thicken. It is used to indicate that thickening occurs in connection with another action or state, roughly translating to “as it thickens” or “upon thickening” in English. The construction is common in descriptive or instructional text, such as cooking guides, scientific writing, and prose that outlines a process.

Grammatically, paksuuntuessa is a present adverbial participle that signals simultaneity with the main clause. It does not form a standalone sentence; rather, it links to the main clause to describe a concurrent development in the subject’s state. The form is more frequent in written Finnish or technical contexts and can appear before or after the main clause, depending on emphasis.

Usage notes include that the subject of paksuuntuessa tends to be the same as the subject of the main clause, and the form helps convey gradual change over time. It is one of several participial constructions used to describe processes in Finnish, alongside other -essa/-essä forms and the -malla/-mällä constructions in different contexts.

Example: Kastike paksuuntuu kuumentamisen myötä; paksuuntuessa koostumus muuttuu kermaisemmaksi. This illustrates how the adverbial participle introduces the concurrent thickening while the main clause states the resulting change in texture. In English, the sense is closest to “as it thickens” or “upon thickening.”