parantaen

Parantaen is a Finnish non-finite verb form derived from the verb parantaa, meaning "to improve." It functions as an adverbial participle, indicating the manner, means, or cause of the action in the main clause. In English, it is often rendered as "by improving" or simply "improving." The form is most commonly found in written Finnish, including journalism and literary prose.

Formation and relation to other non-finite forms: Parantaen is formed by adding the suffix -en to the verb stem. It is one of several non-finite forms used to express accompany­ing action or circumstance. It differs from the present active participle parantava, which describes an agent or ongoing process, and from the gerund parantamalla, which also conveys a by-improving sense but functions more like a verbal noun within a sentence.

Usage and examples: Parantaen is used to connect a subordinate clause to the main clause without a finite verb, signaling how the main action is achieved or under what condition it occurs. Examples include: Parantaen tilannettaan, hän sai myönteisiä vastauksia. (By improving his situation, he received positive responses.) Parantaen terveyttään, hän pystyi osallistumaan kilpailuun. (By improving his health, he was able to participate in the competition.) The construction is relatively formal and more common in written Finnish than in everyday speech.

See also: Finnish grammar, participles, non-finite verb forms.