yhdistämällä

Yhdistämällä is a Finnish non-finite verb form derived from the verb yhdistää, meaning to combine or to unite. It functions as an adverbial participle and is used to express the manner or means by which something is done. In English, it is commonly translated as by combining or by uniting.

The form is created by adding the adverbial participle suffix -malla/-mällä to the verb stem, yielding yhdistämällä. This construction indicates that the action in the main clause is carried out through the act described by yhdistää. The subject of the main clause is typically the same as the subject implied by the participle.

Usage in sentences is common in formal or explanatory Finnish. It can link two ideas without using a conjunction, or emphasize the method by which an outcome is achieved. For example: Yhdistämällä nämä kaksi projektia, saavutamme suuremman vaikutuksen. By combining these two projects, we achieve a greater impact. Another example: Yhdistämällä tiedot saimme kattavan katsauksen. By combining the data, we obtained a comprehensive overview. The construction can appear with or without a comma, depending on emphasis and style, but the subject alignment rule—sharing the same subject as the main clause—remains.

Yhdistämällä is part of a broader set of Finnish non-finite verb forms, including the related present participle muodossa yhdistäen and the noun muodostuva yhdistäminen, which express related nuances such as ongoing action or the concept of combination.