Simultaneous Action: "While doing"
To describe an action that happens at the exact same time as the main verb—like walking crying or drawing laughing—Finnish uses the second infinitive instructive.
To form it, replace the verb's final -a or -ä with -en. If the preceding vowel is an e, change it to an i (e.g., itkeä becomes itkien).
| Verb | English | "-en" Form | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| nauraa | to laugh | nauraen | laughing |
| kontata | to crawl | kontaten | crawling |
| itkeä | to cry | itkien | crying |
| potkia | to kick | potkien | kicking |
| hymyillä | to smile | hymyillen | smiling |
This structure is perfect for describing the chaotic, multitasking nature of a taapero (toddler).
| Why did the toddler come into the room crying? | Miksi taapero tuli huoneeseen itkien? |
| Oh no, the naughty boy drew on the wall laughing! | Voi ei, tuhma poika piirsi seinään nauraen! |
| I command the child smiling. | Komennan lasta hymyillen. |
You can string multiple verbs in the "-en" form together with ja (and) in the same sentence.
| The boy searched for the marker crawling. | Poika etsi tussia kontaten. |
| The child throws books kicking and shouting. | Lapsi heittää kirjoja potkien ja huutaen. |
| The toddler broke the plate kicking. | Taapero rikkoi lautasen potkien. |
Surviving the Terrible Twos
This phase of toddlerhood is famously called uhmaikä (the terrible twos, literally "defiance age"), known for sudden tantrums (raivokohtaus). Surviving it means you might have to stay awake (valvoa) and rely heavily on your patience (kärsivällisyys).
| The terrible twos mean many tantrums. | Uhmaikä tarkoittaa monia raivokohtauksia. |
| The terrible twos demand a lot of patience. | Uhmaikä vaatii paljon kärsivällisyyttä. |
| I must stay awake because the toddler is crying. | Minun pitää valvoa, koska taapero itkee. |
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