kodus / koju / kodust

Special Home Words

Level 1

Where? kodus (at home). Where to? koju (home). Where from? kodust (from home).

How It Works

The word kodu (home) has three forms you will use every day. Each answers one of the three 'where' questions:

  • kus? (where?) → kodus 'at home': Ma olen kodus.
  • kuhu? (where to?) → koju 'home, to home': Ma lähen koju.
  • kust? (where from?) → kodust 'from home': Ma tulen kodust.

Kodus and kodust are the regular inessive and elative. Koju is a short illative. A long form kodusse exists, but for going home Estonians say koju.

English often uses the bare word home for both 'at home' and 'to home'. Estonian always shows the difference: Ma olen kodus (I am at home), but Ma tulen koju (I am coming home).

Verbs of movement take koju: minema, tulema, sõitma, jõudma. So does jääma: Ma jään koju means 'I am staying home'. Verbs of leaving, such as lahkuma, take kodust.

In relaxed speech you may hear kodu used for 'at home' or 'to home', and kottu for 'from home'. These are colloquial, so write kodus, koju and kodust.

Examples (6)

  1. Ma olen täna terve päeva kodus.

    I am at home all day today.

    Kodus answers kus? (where?).

  2. Lähme koju!

    Let's go home!

    Koju answers kuhu? (where to?).

  3. Isa sõidab töölt koju.

    Dad is driving home from work.

    Sõitma is a verb of movement, so it takes koju.

  4. Ta lahkus kodust kell kaheksa.

    She left home at eight o'clock.

    Kodust answers kust? (where from?).

  5. Kas Sirli on kodus?

    Is Sirli at home?

  6. Ma jään täna koju.

    I am staying home today.

    Jääma also takes koju.

Common Mistakes

  • Using koju for being at home.

    Ma olen koju.
    Ma olen kodus.

    Olema describes where you are, so it needs kodus. Koju is only for moving towards home.

  • Using kodus with a verb of movement.

    Ma lähen kodus.
    Ma lähen koju.

    Minema means going somewhere, so the destination form koju is needed.

  • Using kodust after jõudma.

    Ma jõudsin kodust hilja.
    Ma jõudsin koju hilja.

    Jõudma (to arrive, to get to) names a destination, so it takes koju. Kodust would mean 'from home'.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

kodus / koju / kodustLevel 1Special Home Words

Learn This First

Home has special forms beside the regular inner cases.

Words in This Pattern

kodu