"To go"?

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zeme
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"To go"?

Postby zeme » 2012-09-18, 21:27

What are the differences between tulema, minema, sõitma, käia and lähenema?

Please correct my confused assumptions:
- tulema (to go from an indefinite location to another indefinite location)
- minema (to go from indefinite location to a definite location, so to come)
- sõitma (to go, like tulema, but with the help of some sort of vehicule, so to travel or to ride)
- käia (to go, to visit?)
- lähenema (to approach?)

If there are other words for "to go" (movement between two locations), you know what to do.
The fellow who thinks he knows it all is especially annoying to those of us who do.

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ainurakne
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Re: "To go"?

Postby ainurakne » 2012-09-19, 0:09

OK, I'll try to explain them using some examples. I hope this will help.

tulema / tulla - to come:
  • to move towards the speaker, or to a place where the speaker was or will be at the time of arrival: Tule siia! (come here!), Sa tulid siia (you came here), Kas sa tuled sinna? (Will you come there? (to the place where I will be when you arrive)), etc...
  • to move towards the one the speaker is talking to: Ma tulen sinu juurde (I'll come (am coming) to you / to your place), Ma tulin sulle külla (I came to (visit) you (to your place)), etc...
  • to move away from some place where the speaker was (or the one the speaker is talking to was) and now the speaker has arrived to the current location (or is moving towards the one (s)he is talking to or to a place where the one will be): Ma tulin kodust (I came from home), Ma tulin kodust ära (I left home (and now I'm here)), Ma tulen töölt (I am coming from work), Kust sa tuled? (Where are you coming from?), etc...

minema / minna: ma lähen, ma läksin, ... - to go:
  • to move towards some place: ma läksin koju (I went home), Kuhu sa lähed? (where are you going? / where will you go?), etc...
  • to leave a place (and the destination is not important) = lahkuma: ma läksin ära = ma lahkusin (I went away, I left), ma lähen ära = ma lahkun (I will go away / I am going away, I will leave / I am leaving), etc...

sõitma / sõita:
  • minema: sõidan koju (I am going home, by using somekind of vehicle)
  • tulema: sõidan sulle külla (I am coming to you / your place / to visit you, by using somekind of vehicle)
  • just to ride or cruise around: sõidan autoga, sõidan (jalg)rattaga (I am riding a bike), ma sõidan (I am in/on a moving vehicle / in the middle of my journey, during which I use a vehicle(s))

käima / käia:
  • This includes going to a place and then coming back or going to a place and then leaving the place, so I guess to visit is good enough translation: käisin välismaal (I went abroad, but now I'm back), käisin vannis (I took a bath, but now I'm out), ma käin ruttu kodus ära (I'll go home and then quickly come back)
  • To visit some place regularly: käin koolis (I attend school, I am visiting school regularly), ma käin tööl (~ I'm working, I am visiting my workplace regularly)
  • = kõndima (to walk, to move on foot)


Some other words:

lähenema, liginema - to approach
kaugenema, eemalduma - to move away (opposite of approaching); taanduma, taganema - retreat, back away, fall back

Following words can be used the same way as sõitma: kõndima (to walk), jooksma (to run), lendama (to fly), ujuma (to swim), etc...

jõudma - to get somewhere, to reach some place: koju jõudma (to get home, to reach home); also töölt koju jõudma (to get home from work, to reach home from work)

lahkuma = ära minema (/ ära tulema) - to leave, to depart (from some place)
saabuma = kohale jõudma, pärale jõudma - to arrive
Eesti keel (et) native, English (en) I can manage, Suomi (fi) trying to learn, Pусский (ru)&Deutsch (de) unfortunately, slowly fading away

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zeme
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Re: "To go"?

Postby zeme » 2012-09-19, 1:37

This is the most helpful answer I have read in months.
Wonderful work, ainurakne.
The fellow who thinks he knows it all is especially annoying to those of us who do.

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ainurakne
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Re: "To go"?

Postby ainurakne » 2012-09-19, 11:14

zeme wrote:This is the most helpful answer I have read in months.
Wonderful work, ainurakne.
Thank you very much! :D
Eesti keel (et) native, English (en) I can manage, Suomi (fi) trying to learn, Pусский (ru)&Deutsch (de) unfortunately, slowly fading away

kloie
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Re: "To go"?

Postby kloie » 2021-04-05, 12:34

Can I use saama in place of jõudma? Where Finnish uses päästä

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ainurakne
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Re: "To go"?

Postby ainurakne » 2021-04-06, 14:17

kloie wrote:Can I use saama in place of jõudma? Where Finnish uses päästä
Sometimes.

For example, let's take the Finnish examples from Wiktionary:
Kuinka pääsen lentokentälle?
I think all three are possible here, but they all have slight variations in their meaning:
  • Kuidas ma lennujaama saan? - This is probably the most generic.
  • Kuidas ma lennujaama pääsen? - Similar to the previous one, but could indicate that there is some visible blockage or some other circumstances that make it difficult for you to get to the airport, and you are wondering how to get past them.
  • Kuidas ma lennujaama jõuan? - I think this focuses the most on the temporal aspect - how can you make it to the airport in time.
En päässyt aivan huipulle, koska puhkesi lumimyrsky.
I would use jõudma here. Maybe also pääsema. But saama sounds weird here.
Eesti keel (et) native, English (en) I can manage, Suomi (fi) trying to learn, Pусский (ru)&Deutsch (de) unfortunately, slowly fading away


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