välttämällää

Välttämällä is the adverbial participle form (gerund) of the Finnish verb välttää, meaning “to avoid.” It expresses the means or method by which an action is carried out, roughly translating to English as “by avoiding.” The form is built with the -malla suffix added to the verb stem, resulting in välttämällä.

In use, välttämällä introduces a non-finite clause that describes how something is done; the main clause states the resulting action or consequence. The object of the verb in the gerund clause is typically in the partitive case (for example, virheitä, riskejä, epäselvyyksiä). The subject of the gerund clause is often the same as the main clause subject, but this is not mandatory, as the construction functions as a means-expression.

Usage notes: the gerund is common in formal or instructional Finnish, such as manuals, guidelines, and analytic prose. It helps keep sentences concise by linking method and outcome without repeating finite verbs. It can often be replaced by a corresponding finite clause with vältä or by a dependent clause using että or jotta in more conversational style, depending on context and tone.

Examples:

- Välttämällä virheitä projektin onnistuminen paranee. (By avoiding mistakes, the project’s success improves.)

- Hän säästää aikaa välttämällä epäselviä ohjeita. (He saves time by avoiding unclear instructions.)

See also: Finnish adverbial participles, -malla/-mällä forms, and language usage in formal Finnish prose.