Comitative (-ga)

Level 1

The comitative (kaasaütlev) adds -ga and means "with": Ma lähen sõbraga kinno (I am going to the cinema with a friend).

How It Works

1. Form
Add -ga to the genitive stem:

  • sõber → sõbra → sõbraga (with a friend)
  • kahvel → kahvli → kahvliga (with a fork)
  • buss → bussi → bussiga (by bus)
  • piim → piima → piimaga (with milk)

Pronouns: minuga, sinuga, temaga, meiega, teiega, nendega. Short forms such as muga and taga exist in quick, unstressed speech, but the long forms are the usual choice, especially in writing.

2. Uses

  • Company: Ma lähen sõbraga kinno. You can add koos (together): koos sõbraga. See koos + comitative.
  • A tool: Ta sööb kahvliga.
  • Transport: Me sõidame bussiga. English says "by bus".
  • Something added: Ma joon kohvi piimaga.
  • With certain verbs: Ma räägin emaga. (I am talking to Mom.) See verbs that take -ga.

3. Only the last word takes -ga
The comitative is one of the last four cases (-ni, -na, -ta, -ga). With these endings, the describing words before the noun stay in the genitive: uue autoga (with a new car), not *uuega autoga. See adjectives in the last four cases. Its opposite is the abessive -ta (without): piimata (without milk).

Examples (6)

  1. Ma lähen sõbraga kinno.

    I am going to the cinema with a friend.

    Word by Word: I go with-friend into-cinema.

  2. Ta sööb kahvliga.

    She eats with a fork.

    Word by Word: She eats with-fork.

    kahvel → kahvli → kahvliga.

  3. Me sõidame bussiga.

    We are going by bus.

    Word by Word: We ride with-bus.

    Transport takes -ga.

  4. Ma joon kohvi piimaga.

    I drink coffee with milk.

    Word by Word: I drink coffee with-milk.

  5. Ma räägin emaga.

    I am talking to Mom.

    Word by Word: I talk with-mother.

  6. Ta tuli uue autoga.

    He came in a new car.

    Word by Word: He came new-GEN with-car.

    Only the noun takes -ga; uus stays in the genitive uue.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding -ga to the adjective as well.

    Ma tulin uuega autoga.
    Ma tulin uue autoga.

    With -ga, only the last word takes the ending. The adjective stays in the genitive: uue autoga.

  • Leaving the vehicle without an ending.

    Ma sõidan buss tööle.
    Ma sõidan bussiga tööle.

    Estonian has no word for "by". Transport takes the comitative: bussiga, rongiga.

  • Using koos without the -ga ending.

    Ma lähen koos sõber kinno.
    Ma lähen koos sõbraga kinno.

    koos only adds "together". The noun still needs -ga.

How It Connects

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Comitative (-ga)Level 1

Learn This First

The comitative adds -ga to the genitive stem.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

-ga