minema + Illative

Going to (Minema + Illative)

Level 1

Use minema for going somewhere, and put the destination in a "to" case: Ma lähen kooli. (I am going to school.)

How It Works

The forms of minema

minema is irregular. Its present tense uses lähe-, not min-:

  • ma lähen, sa lähed, ta läheb
  • me läheme, te lähete, nad lähevad

The negative is ma ei lähe for every person. The command is Mine! (Go!), and to more than one person Minge!. After verbs like tahtma the da-infinitive is minna: Ma tahan koju minna. (I want to go home.) The past is irregular too, ma läksin; see Irregular Past Forms.

Where to: kuhu?

A destination answers kuhu and takes a "to" case:

  • the illative -sse for towns, countries and many other places: Tallinnasse, Tartusse, Eestisse
  • a short illative for many everyday words: kooli (to school), linna (to town), poodi (to the shop)
  • the allative -le for places that take -l: tööle (to work), turule (to the market), Saaremaale
  • the special word koju for going home: Lähme koju!

To go to a person or to someone's place, use juurde: Ma lähen arsti juurde. (I am going to the doctor.) See To Someone's Place.

Real movement only. minema always means actually going. It is not a future tense like English "going to". For plans, Estonian simply uses the present tense: Homme läheme Tartusse. (Tomorrow we are going to Tartu.) To go somewhere to do something, add a ma-infinitive: Ma lähen sööma. (I am going to eat.) See Going to Do Something.

By car, bus or train. For a trip in a vehicle, Estonians often use sõitma (to ride, to drive): Ma sõidan Tartusse. minema is also fine.

In everyday speech. Next to läheme you will hear the short spoken form lähme. It is also the usual way to say let's go: Lähme! In writing, use läheme for "we go". See Let's.

Examples (6)

  1. Ma lähen kooli.

    I am going to school.

    kool becomes kooli, a short illative.

  2. Ta läheb tööle.

    She is going to work.

    töö uses the -l cases, so "to work" is tööle.

  3. Lähme koju!

    Let's go home!

    koju is the special form for going home. lähme is the spoken we-form, used here as let's.

  4. Kuhu sa lähed?

    Where are you going?

  5. Homme läheme Tartusse.

    Tomorrow we are going to Tartu.

    Tartu becomes Tartusse with -sse. The present tense also covers the future.

  6. Ma ei lähe täna linna.

    I am not going to town today.

    The negative is ei lähe for every person. linn becomes linna, a short illative.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the "in" case for the destination.

    Ma lähen koolis.
    Ma lähen kooli.

    koolis means in school and answers kus. With minema the place answers kuhu, so it needs a "to" form such as kooli.

  • Building the present tense from min-.

    Ma minen poodi.
    Ma lähen poodi.

    The present tense of minema uses lähe-: lähen, lähed, läheb. Only forms such as mine and minna keep min-.

  • Using the "at" form of an -l place.

    Ma lähen tööl.
    Ma lähen tööle.

    töö takes the -l cases. tööl means at work, and tööle means to work. Going needs the "to" form.

How It Connects

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minema + IllativeLevel 1Going to (Minema + Illative)

Learn This First

minema takes the illative or allative for the destination.

Words in This Pattern