Where Are You Going?

Imagine you're leaving work in Tallinn.

A colleague asks where you're going.

You want to say you're going home.

Later, a friend asks where you are.

You want to explain that you're at home.

The next morning, someone asks where you're coming from.

You answer that you're coming from home.

In English, you can communicate these differences using words like at, to, and from.

In Estonian, the ending of a word often changes instead.

That might sound difficult, but you've already used several of these forms without realizing it.

Today you'll learn how they fit together.

Today's mission: Describe where you are, where you're going, and where you're coming from in five familiar everyday situations.

What You'll Learn

By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to:

• Distinguish between kus, kuhu, and kust.
• Say where you are.
• Say where you're going.
• Say where you're coming from.
• Use common location forms for home, work, school, and cities.
• Recognize important patterns in Estonian place names.
• Ask about someone else's destination.
• Understand simple travel and movement conversations.
• Write short sentences about your daily movements.
• Combine public transport, directions, and location vocabulary.

A1 learning goal: Exchange simple information about familiar locations and destinations using common place forms and short present-tense sentences.

1. Three Questions That Change Everything

Let's begin with three essential questions.

Where?

Kus?

Where To?

Kuhu?

From Where?

Kust?

These three words help you understand many everyday Estonian conversations.

Compare the Questions

Kus sa oled?

Meaning: Where are you?

Kuhu sa lähed?

Meaning: Where are you going?

Kust sa tuled?

Meaning: Where are you coming from?

The Key Difference

Question	Meaning	Information requested
Kus?	Where?	Current location
Kuhu?	Where to?	Destination
Kust?	From where?	Starting point or origin

Listen and Repeat

Your First Challenge

Identify the correct question word.

1. You want to know where your friend is right now.
2. You want to know where your colleague is going.
3. You want to know where your neighbor is coming from.

Answers

1. Kus?
2. Kuhu?
3. Kust?

Remember these three questions. We'll reuse them throughout the lesson.

2. The Most Important Example: Home

Home is one of the best places to begin because its Estonian forms are extremely common.

At Home

Kodus.

Meaning: At home.

Going Home

Koju.

Meaning: Home / To home.

From Home

Kodust.

Meaning: From home.

Compare

Question	Answer
Kus?	kodus
Kuhu?	koju
Kust?	kodust

Example 1 — Where Are You?

Meaning:

Where are you?

I'm at home.

Example 2 — Where Are You Going?

Meaning:

Where are you going?

I'm going home.

Example 3 — Where Are You Coming From?

Meaning:

Where are you coming from?

I'm coming from home.

A Useful Grammar Discovery

Notice that kodu has different forms:

• kodus
• koju
• kodust

The changes communicate location or movement.

You don't need to memorize the names of all Estonian cases now.

You need to remember these three common expressions.

Practice

Complete aloud:

1. Ma olen ...
2. Ma lähen ...
3. Ma tulen ...

Answers

Ma olen kodus.

Ma lähen koju.

Ma tulen kodust.

3. At Work, To Work, From Work

Let's repeat the same idea using work.

At Work

Tööl.

Meaning: At work.

To Work

Tööle.

Meaning: To work.

From Work

Töölt.

Meaning: From work.

Compare

Question	Answer
Kus?	tööl
Kuhu?	tööle
Kust?	töölt

Where Are You?

Ma olen tööl.

I'm at work.

Where Are You Going?

Ma lähen tööle.

I'm going to work.

Where Are You Coming From?

Ma tulen töölt.

I'm coming from work.

Listen to the Complete Pattern

Notice Something Important

Compare the forms for home and work.

Meaning	Home	Work
At	kodus	tööl
To	koju	tööle
From	kodust	töölt

The endings aren't identical.

This is because Estonian uses different groups of location forms.

For now, remember that tööl, tööle, and töölt are useful everyday expressions.

We'll examine the broader pattern shortly.

4. At School, To School, From School

Now let's use a third familiar place.

School

Kool.

Meaning: School.

At School

Koolis.

Meaning: At school.

To School

Kooli.

Meaning: To school.

From School

Koolist.

Meaning: From school.

Example Sentences

Ma olen koolis.

I'm at school.

Ma lähen kooli.

I'm going to school.

Ma tulen koolist.

I'm coming from school.

A Simple Dialogue

English Translation

Person A: Where are you going?

Person B: I'm going to school.

Person A: When are you coming?

Person B: In the evening.

What Have You Learned?

You can now describe movement involving three highly familiar places.

Home

• kodus
• koju
• kodust

Work

• tööl
• tööle
• töölt

School

• koolis
• kooli
• koolist

These expressions are useful in everyday conversations.

5. Cities: Tallinn and Tartu

Let's extend the pattern to cities.

You've already learned how to say where you live.

Ma elan Tallinnas.

Meaning: I live in Tallinn.

Now let's learn how to describe movement.

Tallinn

Meaning	Estonian
In Tallinn	Tallinnas
To Tallinn	Tallinnasse
From Tallinn	Tallinnast

Examples

Ma olen Tallinnas.

I'm in Tallinn.

Ma lähen Tallinnasse.

I'm going to Tallinn.

Ma tulen Tallinnast.

I'm coming from Tallinn.

Tartu

Meaning	Estonian
In Tartu	Tartus
To Tartu	Tartusse
From Tartu	Tartust

Examples

Ma olen Tartus.

I'm in Tartu.

Ma lähen Tartusse.

I'm going to Tartu.

Ma tulen Tartust.

I'm coming from Tartu.

Listen and Compare

Important Pattern

Many place names use forms corresponding to:

• -s — in
• -sse — into / to
• -st — out of / from

But you cannot simply attach these endings to every place name without considering its stem and established usage.

Some destinations use different patterns.

You'll learn the most useful examples as complete expressions.

6. Estonia: In, To, and From

Now let's apply the same idea to the country where you're learning the language.

In Estonia

Eestis.

To Estonia

Eestisse.

From Estonia

Eestist.

Practical Sentences

Ma elan Eestis.

I live in Estonia.

Ma lähen Eestisse.

I'm going to Estonia.

Ma tulen Eestist.

I'm coming from Estonia.

Important Difference

You learned this earlier:

Ma olen Eestist.

Meaning: I'm from Estonia.

Compare:

Ma tulen Eestist.

Meaning: I'm coming from Estonia.

Both use Eestist, but the sentences express different information.

The first talks about origin.

The second describes coming from a place.

Quick Challenge

Translate:

1. I live in Estonia.
2. I'm going to Estonia.
3. I'm from Estonia.

Answers

Ma elan Eestis.

Ma lähen Eestisse.

Ma olen Eestist.

7. Why Some Places Use Different Endings

You've already noticed two kinds of location patterns.

Let's organize them.

Pattern A — Inside / Into / Out Of

Consider Tallinn:

Meaning	Form
In	Tallinnas
To	Tallinnasse
From	Tallinnast

These correspond to location cases traditionally called:

• Inessive
• Illative
• Elative

Pattern B — At / To / From

Consider work:

Meaning	Form
At	tööl
To	tööle
From	töölt

These correspond to another group:

• Adessive
• Allative
• Ablative

Simple Comparison

Function	Internal location pattern	External location pattern
Where?	-s	-l
Where to?	-sse or a short illative form	-le
From where?	-st	-lt

Important

This table is a recognition aid, not a complete rule for forming every noun or place name.

Estonian often uses different word stems and short destination forms.

For example:

• kodu → koju
• kool → kooli
• pood → poodi

You must also learn which location pattern a particular place normally uses.

What Matters at A1?

You should recognize that location and movement can change the noun form.

You don't need to master the entire Estonian case system at this stage.

Focus on using common forms accurately.

8. At the Shop, To the Shop, From the Shop

Let's use a familiar everyday destination.

Shop

Pood.

Meaning: Shop.

In the Shop

Poes.

Meaning: In the shop.

To the Shop

Poodi.

Meaning: To the shop.

From the Shop

Poest.

Meaning: From the shop.

Example Sentences

Ma olen poes.

I'm at the shop.

Ma lähen poodi.

I'm going to the shop.

Ma tulen poest.

I'm coming from the shop.

A Natural Conversation

English Translation

Person A: Where are you?

Person B: I'm at the shop.

Person A: What are you buying?

Person B: I'm buying milk and bread.

Person A: Very good!

New Question

Mida sa ostad?

Meaning: What are you buying?

You already know the verb ostma from earlier shopping lessons.

Now you're using it in a simple conversation.

9. At the Café, To the Café, From the Café

You spent an entire module learning café and restaurant expressions.

Let's connect that vocabulary to location.

Café

Kohvik.

At the Café

Kohvikus.

To the Café

Kohvikusse.

From the Café

Kohvikust.

Useful Sentences

Ma olen kohvikus.

I'm at the café.

Ma lähen kohvikusse.

I'm going to the café.

Ma tulen kohvikust.

I'm coming from the café.

Another Useful Place: Restaurant

Ma olen restoranis.

I'm at the restaurant.

Ma lähen restorani.

I'm going to the restaurant.

Ma tulen restoranist.

I'm coming from the restaurant.

Practice

Imagine you're leaving home to meet a friend at a café.

Say:

Ma lähen kohvikusse.

Now imagine you're sitting inside the café.

Say:

Ma olen kohvikus.

Finally, imagine you're returning from the café.

Say:

Ma tulen kohvikust.

10. One Important Exception: Mustamäe

Place names don't always follow the same pattern.

Let's look at Mustamäe, a district of Tallinn.

In Mustamäe

Mustamäel.

To Mustamäe

Mustamäele.

From Mustamäe

Mustamäelt.

Examples

Ma elan Mustamäel.

I live in Mustamäe.

Ma lähen Mustamäele.

I'm going to Mustamäe.

Ma tulen Mustamäelt.

I'm coming from Mustamäe.

Compare

Place	Where?	Where to?	From where?
Tallinn	Tallinnas	Tallinnasse	Tallinnast
Tartu	Tartus	Tartusse	Tartust
Mustamäe	Mustamäel	Mustamäele	Mustamäelt

Key Lesson

Don't assume every Estonian place uses the same location endings.

Learn common place names with their correct forms.

This is especially helpful when discussing districts and destinations around Estonia.

11. The Three Essential Verbs

So far, you've practiced three important verbs.

Let's examine them together.

To Be

olema

To Go

minema

To Come

tulema

Useful First-Person Forms

Infinitive	I-form	English
olema	olen	I am
minema	lähen	I go / I'm going
tulema	tulen	I come / I'm coming

Example

Ma olen kodus.

I am at home.

Ma lähen tööle.

I'm going to work.

Ma tulen koolist.

I'm coming from school.

Grammar Discovery

Notice that minema has the first-person form lähen.

You cannot form it by simply adding -n to the infinitive.

This is a common verb worth memorizing early.

Second-Person Informal Forms

I	You
olen	oled
lähen	lähed
tulen	tuled

Example Questions

Kus sa oled?

Where are you?

Kuhu sa lähed?

Where are you going?

Kust sa tuled?

Where are you coming from?

Polite Forms

Kus te olete?

Where are you? (polite)

Kuhu te lähete?

Where are you going? (polite)

Kust te tulete?

Where are you coming from? (polite)

These forms follow the familiar sa/te distinction introduced in Module 1.

12. A Real Conversation: After Work

Imagine you're speaking to a colleague at the end of the day.

Listen to the conversation.

English Translation

Person A: Hello!

Person B: Hello!

Person A: Where are you going?

Person B: I'm going home.

Person A: Are you coming from work?

Person B: Yes, I'm coming from work.

Person A: Are you going by bus?

Person B: Yes, I'm going by bus.

Person A: Very good!

Person B: Goodbye!

Person A: Goodbye!

New Expression: By Bus

Bussiga.

Meaning: By bus.

You already learned the ending -ga in expressions such as:

• piimaga — with milk
• kaardiga — by card

Now you see it expressing a means of transport.

More Examples

Ma lähen bussiga.

I'm going by bus.

Ma lähen rongiga.

I'm going by train.

Ma lähen trammiga.

I'm going by tram.

Ma lähen jalgsi.

I'm going on foot.

Your Turn

Imagine you're going home by tram.

Say:

Ma lähen koju trammiga.

Now imagine you're walking home.

Say:

Ma lähen jalgsi koju.

13. Combining Places and Transport

Now let's connect location forms to transport vocabulary from Lesson 1.

Going to Tartu by Train

Ma lähen rongiga Tartusse.

Meaning: I'm going to Tartu by train.

Going to the City Center by Bus

Ma lähen bussiga kesklinna.

Meaning: I'm going to the city center by bus.

Going to Work by Tram

Ma lähen trammiga tööle.

Meaning: I'm going to work by tram.

Walking to School

Ma lähen jalgsi kooli.

Meaning: I'm walking to school.

The Pattern

Ma lähen + transport + destination

Examples:

Practice

Create three sentences about realistic journeys you might make.

Include:

1. One journey by public transport.
2. One journey on foot.
3. One journey to another city or district.

Use familiar locations and transport words.

14. Location Words You Can Use Immediately

You don't always need a city or building name.

Sometimes a simple word is enough.

Here

Siin.

There

Seal.

To Here

Siia.

To There

Sinna.

From Here

Siit.

From There

Sealt.

Compare

Meaning	Here	There
Location	siin	seal
Destination	siia	sinna
Origin	siit	sealt

Examples

Ma olen siin.

I'm here.

Ma lähen sinna.

I'm going there.

Ma tulen sealt.

I'm coming from there.

Tule siia!

Come here! (informal)

Important

These words are particularly useful when giving directions or pointing to places.

Learning all six makes your basic Estonian much more flexible.

15. Listening Practice: Where, Where To, or From Where?

Listen to each sentence.

Identify whether it describes:

A. Current location

B. Destination

C. Starting point

Try listening without reading the written text first.

Listening 1

Ma olen kodus.

Listening 2

Ma lähen tööle.

Listening 3

Ma tulen koolist.

Listening 4

Ma olen Tallinnas.

Listening 5

Ma lähen Tartusse.

Listening 6

Ma tulen poest.

Answers

1. A — Current location.
2. B — Destination.
3. C — Starting point.
4. A — Current location.
5. B — Destination.
6. C — Starting point.

Extra Listening Challenge

Listen again.

For each sentence, identify the place.

For example:

Ma lähen tööle.

Place: Work.

Function: Destination.

16. Reading Practice: Three Short Messages

Read these short messages.

Message A

Message B

Message C

Comprehension Questions

Message A

1. Where is the person now?
2. Where are they going in the evening?

Message B

3. Which city are they in now?
4. Which city will they go to tomorrow?

Message C

5. Where is the person?
6. What are they buying?
7. Where will they go afterward?

Answers

1. At work.
2. Home.
3. Tartu.
4. Tallinn.
5. At the shop.
6. Milk and bread.
7. Home.

Reading Strategy

Look for the verbs:

• olen
• lähen
• tulen

Then identify the place form.

This gives you the main meaning of many simple location sentences.

17. Writing Practice: Choose the Correct Form

Complete the sentences.

Exercise A — Home

1. Ma olen _____.
2. Ma lähen _____.
3. Ma tulen _____.

Options: kodus, koju, kodust

Exercise B — Work

4. Ma olen _____.
5. Ma lähen _____.
6. Ma tulen _____.

Options: tööl, tööle, töölt

Exercise C — Tartu

7. Ma olen _____.
8. Ma lähen _____.
9. Ma tulen _____.

Options: Tartus, Tartusse, Tartust

Answers

1. kodus
2. koju
3. kodust
4. tööl
5. tööle
6. töölt
7. Tartus
8. Tartusse
9. Tartust

18. Writing Practice: Translate into Estonian

Write the following sentences.

1. I'm at home.
2. I'm going to work.
3. I'm coming from school.
4. I'm in Tallinn.
5. I'm going to Tartu.
6. I'm coming from the shop.
7. I'm going home by bus.
8. Where are you going?

Suggested Answers

Ma olen kodus.

Ma lähen tööle.

Ma tulen koolist.

Ma olen Tallinnas.

Ma lähen Tartusse.

Ma tulen poest.

Ma lähen bussiga koju.

Kuhu sa lähed?

Extra Challenge

Write three new sentences about your own routine.

For example:

• Where you are in the morning.
• Where you go during the day.
• Where you come from in the evening.

Use places you actually visit.

19. Speaking Practice: Your Daily Movements

Imagine someone asks you about your day.

Answer aloud using familiar sentences.

Question 1

Kus sa oled?

Possible response:

Ma olen kodus.

Question 2

Kuhu sa lähed?

Possible response:

Ma lähen tööle.

Question 3

Kust sa tuled?

Possible response:

Ma tulen poest.

Question 4

Kas sa lähed bussiga?

Possible response:

Jah, ma lähen bussiga.

Question 5

Kas sa elad Tallinnas?

Possible response:

Jah, ma elan Tallinnas.

Your Goal

Answer the five questions using your own information.

Then practice asking the same questions to another person.

Try not to read from the examples.

20. Your First Full Movement Conversation

Now let's combine the entire lesson.

Imagine you're meeting a friend after work.

Listen to the conversation.

English Translation

Person A: Hello!

Person B: Hello!

Person A: Where are you?

Person B: I'm at work.

Person A: Where are you going?

Person B: I'm going home.

Person A: Are you going by bus?

Person B: No, I'm going by tram.

Person A: Where will you be coming from tomorrow?

Person B: I'll be coming from home.

Person A: Are you going to work tomorrow?

Person B: Yes, I am.

Person A: Very good!

Person B: Goodbye!

Person A: Goodbye!

An Important Observation

Estonian present-tense verbs can refer to planned future actions when a future time expression makes the meaning clear.

For example:

Ma lähen homme tööle.

Meaning: I'm going to work tomorrow.

You don't need a separate future-tense verb form here.

This is a useful feature of Estonian that makes early communication easier.

Practice

Read the conversation aloud.

Then change:

• trammiga → bussiga
• koju → poodi
• tööle → kooli

Make sure the resulting conversation still makes sense.

21. Knowledge Check

Choose the correct answer.

Question 1

What does Kus? mean?

A. Where?

B. Where to?

C. From where?

Question 2

Which expression means "I'm going home"?

A. Ma olen kodus.

B. Ma lähen koju.

C. Ma tulen kodust.

Question 3

What does töölt mean?

A. At work.

B. To work.

C. From work.

Question 4

Which expression means "I'm in Tartu"?

A. Ma olen Tartus.

B. Ma lähen Tartusse.

C. Ma tulen Tartust.

Question 5

Which form means "to Tallinn"?

A. Tallinnas

B. Tallinnasse

C. Tallinnast

Question 6

What does Ma tulen poest mean?

A. I'm going to the shop.

B. I'm at the shop.

C. I'm coming from the shop.

Question 7

Which question means "Where are you going?"

A. Kus sa oled?

B. Kuhu sa lähed?

C. Kust sa tuled?

Question 8

What does Mustamäele mean?

A. In Mustamäe.

B. From Mustamäe.

C. To Mustamäe.

Question 9

Which expression means "I'm going by train"?

A. Ma lähen rongiga.

B. Ma lähen rongis.

C. Ma tulen rongist.

Question 10

What does siit mean?

A. Here.

B. To here.

C. From here.

Answer Key

1. A
2. B
3. C
4. A
5. B
6. C
7. B
8. C
9. A
10. C

22. Real-World Mission

Your challenge is to describe your movements in Estonian during an ordinary day.

Mission A — Easy

Choose three places:

• Home
• Work or school
• Shop or café

Say where you are.

For example:

Ma olen kodus.

Ma olen tööl.

Ma olen poes.

Mission B — Intermediate

Say where you're going.

For example:

Ma lähen poodi.

Ma lähen tööle.

Ma lähen koju.

Mission C — Challenge

Describe a real journey using three sentences.

Include:

1. Where you start.
2. Where you go.
3. How you travel.

For example:

Mission D — Conversation Practice

Ask a friend or language partner:

Kus sa oled?

Kuhu sa lähed?

Kust sa tuled?

Try to understand their answers.

If necessary, ask:

Palun korrake.

Reflection

After the practice, think about:

1. Can I distinguish kus, kuhu, and kust?
2. Can I describe where I am?
3. Can I say where I'm going?
4. Can I describe where I'm coming from?
5. Which location forms do I need to practice again?

23. Module 4 Integrated Challenge

You've now learned three important everyday navigation skills.

Lesson 1 — Public Transport

You can ask about buses, trams, trains, tickets, and destinations.

Lesson 2 — Directions

You can ask how to reach a place and understand simple walking instructions.

Lesson 3 — Locations and Movement

You can describe where you are, where you're going, and where you're coming from.

Now let's combine them.

Scenario: Traveling to a Café

You're at home.

You want to go to a café in the city center.

You decide to travel by bus.

You need to find the bus stop, confirm the destination, and get off at the correct stop.

Your Task

Say the following in Estonian:

1. I'm at home.
2. I'm going to the city center by bus.
3. Where is the bus stop?
4. Does this bus go to the city center?
5. Where should I get off?
6. I'm going to the café.
7. Thank you!

Suggested Answers

Ma olen kodus.

Ma lähen bussiga kesklinna.

Kus on bussipeatus?

Kas see buss sõidab kesklinna?

Kus ma pean maha minema?

Ma lähen kohvikusse.

Aitäh!

Final Speaking Challenge

Create a short travel conversation using at least five of the expressions above.

Try speaking without looking at the model answers.

If you're practicing with another person, ask them to change one destination or question.

Your goal is to adapt rather than simply repeat a memorized script.

24. Lesson Summary

You've learned how to describe locations, destinations, and origins using common Estonian forms.

Essential Questions

Kus sa oled?

Where are you?

Kuhu sa lähed?

Where are you going?

Kust sa tuled?

Where are you coming from?

Essential Location Forms

Place	Where?	Where to?	From where?
Home	kodus	koju	kodust
Work	tööl	tööle	töölt
School	koolis	kooli	koolist
Shop	poes	poodi	poest
Café	kohvikus	kohvikusse	kohvikust
Restaurant	restoranis	restorani	restoranist
Tallinn	Tallinnas	Tallinnasse	Tallinnast
Tartu	Tartus	Tartusse	Tartust
Estonia	Eestis	Eestisse	Eestist
Mustamäe	Mustamäel	Mustamäele	Mustamäelt

Essential Movement Expressions

Ma lähen koju.

I'm going home.

Ma lähen tööle.

I'm going to work.

Ma tulen koolist.

I'm coming from school.

Ma lähen bussiga.

I'm going by bus.

Ma lähen rongiga Tartusse.

I'm going to Tartu by train.

Grammar You've Started Learning

This lesson introduced or reinforced:

• Kus, kuhu, and kust.
• Internal location cases.
• External location cases.
• Common short destination forms.
• Present-tense verbs olen, lähen, and tulen.
• Informal and polite question forms.
• Means of transport using -ga.
• Present tense with future time expressions.

You don't need to master every case rule now.

Your priority is using familiar location forms in meaningful sentences.

25. A1 Progress Check

This lesson develops practical A1 communication skills.

Listening

Recognize common questions about locations, destinations, and origins.

Speaking

Describe where you are, where you're going, and where you're coming from.

Interaction

Ask and answer simple movement-related questions.

Reading

Understand short messages about everyday locations and travel plans.

Writing

Write simple sentences describing familiar movements.

Grammar

Recognize and begin using internal and external Estonian location patterns.

Before Moving On

Check whether you can:

• Distinguish kus, kuhu, and kust.
• Say you're at home.
• Say you're going home.
• Say you're coming from home.
• Describe going to work.
• Describe coming from school.
• Say you're in Tallinn or Tartu.
• Say you're going to another city.
• Recognize common external location forms.
• Describe traveling by bus, tram, or train.
• Ask another person where they're going.
• Write at least five location-related sentences.
• Combine locations with familiar transport questions.

If you can complete most of these tasks, you've developed an important foundation for describing movement and navigating everyday situations in Estonia.

26. Module 4 Completion

You've completed Module 4 — Getting Around Estonia.

Across three lessons, you've learned to:

• Identify common public transport.
• Ask about routes and destinations.
• Recognize basic ticket and timetable information.
• Ask for and understand simple directions.
• Use left, right, straight, and landmark expressions.
• Distinguish locations, destinations, and starting points.
• Describe simple journeys using common transport vocabulary.

These are valuable early A1 navigation skills.

You'll continue strengthening them through later modules, especially when discussing time, daily routines, appointments, and travel plans.