Esta página no seu idioma

English

فارسی

العربية

Deutsch

Español

Français

日本語

한국어

中文

हिन्दी

A1 verb 2 min de leitura

kohtuma

Kohtuma is a fundamental Estonian verb used to express the action of meeting another person.

Pratique Notas e dicas

kohtuma em 30 segundos

meet up
encounter
get together

Hello, language learners! Let's talk about a very useful Estonian verb today: kohtuma. This word is your go-to for saying 'to meet someone'. It's a fundamental verb you'll use often, whether you're talking about meeting friends, new people, or even deadlines (though less literally with deadlines!).

§ What does 'kohtuma' mean?

Definition: To meet someone or something. It implies coming together, either by arrangement or by chance.

The verb kohtuma is reflexive in nature, which is common for many verbs in Estonian that express interaction between two or more parties. This means it often takes the comitative case (with -ga) to indicate 'with whom' you are meeting. Don't worry too much about the grammatical terms right now; just focus on the examples.

Ma tahan sinuga kohtuda.

In the example above, sinuga means 'with you'. So, Ma tahan sinuga kohtuda translates to 'I want to meet with you'. The word kohtuda is the da-infinitive form of the verb, which is what you'll typically use after verbs like tahtma (to want).

§ When do people use 'kohtuma'?

You'll use kohtuma in a variety of situations. Here are some common scenarios:

Meeting friends or acquaintances: This is probably the most frequent use.
Meeting new people: For introductions or getting to know someone.
Meeting for an appointment or a scheduled event: Like a business meeting or a doctor's appointment.
Meeting by chance: When you unexpectedly run into someone.

Let's look at more examples to solidify your understanding:

Me kohtume

Translation hint: We will meet tomorrow in the cafe.

Ma kohtusin

Translation hint: I met an old friend yesterday.

Kas sa tahad temaga kohtuda?

Translation hint: Do you want to meet him/her?

Notice how the word for 'with' changes based on the pronoun. For 'him/her', it's temaga. For 'us', it's meiega, and so on. This is the comitative case in action. You'll pick this up naturally with practice.

So, to sum it up, kohtuma is an essential verb for discussing any kind of meeting in Estonian. Start using it in your practice sentences, and you'll be comfortable with it in no time!

§ Basic Usage of kohtuma

The verb kohtuma means 'to meet' in Estonian. It's a fundamental verb for expressing social interactions. Like many Estonian verbs, its form changes depending on who is doing the meeting and when the meeting is happening. For now, let's focus on its basic meaning.

Word: kohtuma

Type: Verb

CEFR Level: A1

Definition: To meet someone

§ Meeting Someone: The 'ga' Ending

When you want to say you are meeting *with* someone, you use the 'ga' ending with the person you are meeting. This 'ga' is short for 'koos' (together/with) and indicates companionship. This is super important to remember!

Ma kohtun sõbraga.

Hint: I meet with a friend. (sõbraga = with a friend)

Ta kohtub õpetajaga.

Hint: He/She meets with the teacher. (õpetajaga = with the teacher)

§ Saying Where You Meet

When you want to specify *where* you are meeting, you'll use locative cases. For A1 level, focus on these two common ones:

-s/-l for 'in/at' a place. Think of 's' for inside (park, building) and 'l' for on a surface or general location (street, station).
-sse/-le for 'to' a place, indicating movement towards it.

Let's look at examples:

Me kohtume kohvikus.

Hint: We meet in the cafe. (kohvikus = in the cafe)

Nad kohtuvad pargis.

Hint: They meet in the park. (pargis = in the park)

Ma tahan sinuga rannas kohtuda.

Hint: I want to meet with you at the beach. (rannas = at the beach)

§ Asking to Meet

You can also use kohtuma when proposing a meeting. The infinitive form of the verb (the 'to meet' form) is often used with verbs like 'tahan' (I want) or 'saame' (can we/we can).

Kas sa tahad minuga kohtuda?

Hint: Do you want to meet with me? (minuga = with me)

Saame homme kohtuda.

Hint: We can meet tomorrow.

The verb kohtuma is reflexive in nature, meaning it implies 'meeting oneself' or 'meeting *with* someone'. That's why you always need to consider who you are meeting *with* (the 'ga' ending) or where you are meeting. Don't try to use a direct object after kohtuma like you might in English ('I meet *him*'). Instead, think 'I meet *with him*'.

§ Summary for A1 Learners

For now, focus on these key points:

Use kohtuma to say 'to meet'.
To say who you are meeting, add the '-ga' ending to the person's noun or pronoun.
To say where you are meeting, use the appropriate locative case, most commonly '-s' or '-l'.
Practice forming simple sentences to get comfortable with the 'ga' ending.

Família de palavras

Substantivos

kohtumine meeting

koht place

Adjetivos

kohtuv meeting (present participle)

Perguntas frequentes

10 perguntas

You'll use the illative case for the person you're meeting. So, it would be 'Ma kohtun oma sõbraga.' (I meet with my friend.) The 'ga' ending is crucial here.

Not necessarily. It can be a planned meeting, like 'Me kohtume homme.' (We meet tomorrow.) Or it can be a chance encounter, like 'Ma kohtusin temaga poes.' (I met him at the store.)

'Kohtuma' specifically means 'to meet' someone, often for the first time or by appointment. 'Nägemast' is more about 'seeing' something or someone visually. For example, 'Ma näen sind.' (I see you.) but 'Ma kohtun sinuga.' (I meet with you.)

Yes, absolutely. You'd still use the illative case. For example, 'Ma kohtun oma perekonnaga.' (I meet with my family.) or 'Ma kohtun rühmaga.' (I meet with the group.)

When you're referring to the person or people you're meeting, you'll generally use the comitative case, which ends in -ga. So, 'kohtuma kellegagi' (to meet with someone).

You would ask, 'Millal me kohtume?' (When do we meet?)

The past tense of 'kohtuma' is 'kohtusin' (I met), 'kohtusid' (you met), 'kohtus' (he/she met), etc.

No, 'kohtuma' is primarily for meeting people. For deadlines or goals, you'd use a different verb like 'täitma' (to fulfill) or 'jõudma' (to reach).

The common phrase is 'Meeldiv teid kohata!' (Pleasant to meet you!). While it uses the root 'kohata' (to meet), 'kohtuma' is the infinitive verb form.

Not many direct idioms, but you'll often hear it in phrases like 'juhuslikult kohtuma' (to meet by chance) or 'kohtumist kokku leppima' (to arrange a meeting).

Teste-se 18 perguntas

sentence order A1

Toque nas palavras abaixo para montar a frase

Correto! Quase. Resposta certa: Me tahame kohtuda.

This means 'We want to meet.' A simple statement.

sentence order A1

Toque nas palavras abaixo para montar a frase

Correto! Quase. Resposta certa: Ma kohtun sinuga homme.

This translates to 'I will meet with you tomorrow.'

sentence order A1

Toque nas palavras abaixo para montar a frase

Correto! Quase. Resposta certa: Kas sa soovid kohtuda?

This is a question: 'Do you want to meet?'

sentence order C1

Toque nas palavras abaixo para montar a frase

Correto! Quase. Resposta certa: Ma peatusin hetkeks mõeldes, kust me oleme varem võinud kohtuda.

This sentence structure reflects a common Estonian way of expressing a momentary pause for thought about a past encounter.

sentence order C1

Toque nas palavras abaixo para montar a frase

Correto! Quase. Resposta certa: Kuigi meie vaated erinevad sageli, suutsime me lõpuks ühisel platvormil kohtuda.

This demonstrates the use of 'kohtuma' in a metaphorical sense, referring to finding common ground despite differing opinions.

sentence order C1

Toque nas palavras abaixo para montar a frase

Correto! Quase. Resposta certa: See on haruldane võimalus kohtuda oma ala tippspetsialistidega ja kogemusi vahetada.

This sentence uses 'kohtuda' in the context of meeting experts, highlighting an opportunity for professional interaction.

listening C2

We're meeting tomorrow in the Old Town at seven in the evening.

Correto! Quase. Resposta certa: Me kohtume homme vanalinnas kell seitse õhtul.