# tullessaan



## Extra Virgin Olive Oil

I am not familiar with the ending "-ssaan" as in

Esko Aho sanoo ajatelleensa jo Nokian tullessaan, että pysyy yhtiössä niin kauan kuin pystyy matkustamaan paljon. (kuvateksti from Helsingin Sanomat dated 19.8.2012)

My understanding here is Esko Aho will work for Nokia, as long as he's able to travel much. Have I understood it correct?


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## akana

I googled the first four words and confirmed that it should be _Nokiaan tullessaan.
_
"Tullessaan" means "when/as Aho came/joined Nokia." So:

"Esko Aho says that when he signed on with Nokia, he had thought that he would stay with the firm as long as he is able to travel a lot."

...allowing for adjustments depending on context.


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## Marsario

Well, the sentence could have been more linear in Finnish too... 
ANyway, if Extra Virgin Olive Oil you want to know what the word tullessaan is, I can add a grammatical explanation to what akana said.
Tul-l-e-ssa-an
The verb is tulla.
It is a second infinitive (second infinitives are formed changing the first infinitive ending -a into -e-: tulla --> tulle-
-ssa is the inessive declination, meaning meanwhile.
-an is the third person possessive suffix (tullessani, tullessasi, tullessaan, tullessamme, tullessanne, tullessaan)
In other words,"while he was coming", literally.
Cheers,


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## Hakro

It's really amazing to see how clearly many foreigners understand the complicated Finnish grammar. Akana and Marsario (among others), you don't really need us Finns here.


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