tekemällä

Tekemällä is a Finnish non-finite verb form derived from tehdä, meaning "to do" or "to make." It belongs to the family of gerunds formed with the suffix -malla/-mällä and is used to express means, method, or manner. The basic sense is "by doing" or "through doing," and it is commonly translated into English as such.

In usage, tekemällä introduces an adverbial idea that describes how an action is performed or states a general truth about learning, producing, or achieving results. It is frequent in instructional, educational, and self-help contexts. Examples include Tekemällä oppii and Tekemällä työtä oppii tuntemaan prosessin, both conveying that learning or understanding comes through performing the activity. It can also appear at the beginning of a sentence for a general statement, as in Tekemällä oppii, ei pelkästään lukemalla.

As a non-finite form, tekemällä does not convey tense or subject on its own; the finite verb in the main clause provides those grammatical aspects. It is distinct from related forms such as the present passive or present participles (for example, tekemässä or tekevä), which have different functions and nuance. Tekemällä is thus primarily a means-denoting form used to describe how something is achieved or learned through action.

In summary, tekemällä expresses the idea of doing something as a way to accomplish or understand something, and it is widely used in Finnish to articulate method, practice, and experiential learning. See also Finnish gerunds and related non-finite verb forms for broader context.