välistäessa

Välistäessä (also spelled välistässä) is a Finnish verb form derived from the verb väistä, which means “to sneak, to slip away, or to skip for a few seconds.” The form välistäessä is the adverbial or participial form, corresponding to the English “while sneaking” or “while slipping away.” It is commonly used in informal speech and writing to describe an action performed concurrently with sneaking.

The morphological construction includes the infinitive väistä plus the -ttäessä suffix. This suffix is a typical adverbial or –e-ā forms that marks a continuous or simultaneous action, similar to -ing in English. Consequently, välistäessä can be translated as “while [one] is sneaking,” “as [one] sneaks,” or “during a sneak.”

Use cases appear in storytelling, playful commentary, or instructions. For example: “Hän leikkii komppariin välistäessä" (He plays hide and seek while sneaking). In competitive contexts, it might describe someone dashing past a divided line or gate: “Jäys välistäessä tiukasta rajoa" (Deer ran past a tight boundary).

In everyday Finnish, the verb väistä and its participle are usually confined to mild, non‑offensive scenarios. The word can appear in colloquialisms and in popular media, but it is less common in formal writing. Its use often conveys agility, stealth, or a brief interruption of a routine act.