reagoidessaan

Reagoidessaan is a Finnish non-finite verb form derived from the verb reagoida ("to react"), composed of the stem reagoid- and the adverbial suffix -essaan. It functions as an adverbial participle that expresses a temporal or concomitant relationship and is commonly translated into English as "when/while reacting" or "upon reacting."

Morphology and inflection

The form follows regular Finnish patterns for the so-called -essa/-essä adverbial (also called the present adverbial participle). Personal variants are formed by adding personal endings: reagoidessani (while I react), reagoidessasi (while you react), reagoidessamme (while we react), reagoidessaan (while he/she/they react). Vowel harmony and stem alternations apply according to standard Finnish phonology.

Syntactic function and meaning

Reagoidessaan typically introduces a subordinate adverbial clause indicating simultaneous action, a condition, or a cause: it places the action of reacting in temporal relation to the action of the main clause. The subject of the participial clause is usually the same as the main clause subject; when subjects differ, ambiguity can occur and additional clarification is needed.

Usage and register

The construction is common in both written and spoken Finnish and is especially frequent in descriptive or narrative contexts and formal registers. English equivalents include "when he/she reacted," "as they reacted," or "upon reacting," depending on context.

Examples

Hän muuttui varovaiseksi reagoidessaan uutiseen. (He became cautious when he reacted to the news.)

Reagoidessamme tilanteeseen teimme muistiinpanot. (While we reacted to the situation, we took notes.)