yrittämällä

Yrittämällä is a Finnish adverbial participle formed from the verb yrittää, meaning “to try” or “to attempt.” The suffix -malla (in the form -malla/-mällä) creates a non-finite form that expresses manner or means, commonly translated into English as “by trying” or “through trying.” It is used to indicate how an action is performed or the method by which something is achieved.

Grammatical notes: Yrittämällä is a non-finite verb form belonging to the class of adverbial participles. In Finnish, adverbial participles generally share the subject with the main clause; if a different subject is intended, the sentence is typically rewritten to avoid ambiguity. The form tends to be found in both written and spoken Finnish, with a somewhat formal or literary tone in some contexts.

Usage: Yrittämällä oppii. By trying, one learns. Hän pääsi maaliin yrittämällä kovasti. He reached the finish by trying hard. Me voimme menestyä yrittämällä yhdessä. We can succeed by trying together. The -malla form is versatile for expressing means, method, or approach without introducing a separate subordinate clause.

Relation to yrittäminen: Yrittäminen is the noun form meaning “an attempt” or “the act of trying.” Yrittämällä, in contrast, is the adverbial participle that specifies how something is done, functioning as a modifier of the main clause rather than as a standalone noun.

See also: Adverbial participles in Finnish, Finnish grammar, yrittää.