Käigus

Käigus is an Estonian time expression used to indicate that an action or event occurs during the course of another event or period. It functions as a postpositional, adverbial phrase that translates roughly to “during” or “in the course of” in English.

In usage, käigus combines with a noun in the genitive case to specify the event whose duration is being referred to. Common constructions include õnnetuse käigus (during the accident), töö käigus (during the work), or negotsiate käigus (during the negotiations). It can also appear with plural nouns, as in kohtuistungite käigus (during the court hearings). The phrase is frequent in formal writing, journalism, and legal or administrative texts, where precise temporal framing is required.

Etymology and status: Käigus derives from the noun käik, meaning a course, process, or sequence, with the suffix -us forming a nominal expression. It has been part of standard Estonian for many centuries and remains a productive way to express temporal duration in relation to another event.

Usage notes: Käigus emphasizes the temporal scope rather than a position in time alone. It is typically used without additional prepositions and is not interchangeable with all other time expressions such as ajal (in the time of) or while clauses in every context. In some registers, a more idiomatic alternative might be found, but käigus remains the preferred formal construction for indicating duration tied to a specific event.

See also: ajal, jooksul, seetõttu käik (related time expressions emphasizing duration).