jõudma

Jõudma is an Estonian verb that primarily means to reach or arrive at a destination, and it is also used in a figurative sense to indicate succeeding in achieving a goal or completing a task. The core idea is movement toward a point in space or in time, or the attainment of a planned outcome.

In everyday usage, jõudma commonly appears with places or targets, often in phrases such as kohale jõudma (to arrive at a place) or jõuda kooli/linna (to reach a school, a city). It can denote physical arrival as in Ma jõuan kooli varsti (I’ll reach school soon) or Ma jõudsin koju kell kaks (I got home at two). It is also used to describe reaching the completion of something, for example Lepingu sõlmimine jõudis lõpule (The signing of the contract reached completion). In temporal or logistical sense, it expresses being able to do something within a timeframe, as in Ma ei jõua täna trenni (I can’t make it to the gym today).

Conjugation and tense usage are similar to other Estonian -ma verbs. Present tense forms include ma jõuan, sa jõuad, ta jõuab, me jõuame, te jõuate, nad jõuavad. Past tense forms are ma jõudsin, sa jõudsid, ta jõudis, me jõudsime, te jõudsite, nad jõudsid. Future meaning is typically expressed with the present tense accompanied by a time reference, e.g., Ma jõuan homme (I will arrive tomorrow). The phrase jõudma kohale or jõudma lõpule is common in both spoken and written Estonian.

Jõudma remains a versatile verb, used for physical reach, arrival, and figurative attainment, with nuances clarified by context and accompanying time or destination expressions.