kohtus

Kohtus is an Estonian expression used to indicate that a person is at or in the court, typically in the context of legal proceedings or judicial settings. It functions as a locational phrase and is commonly found in news reports, court notices, and everyday speech discussing trials or hearings.

Etymology and form: The term is rooted in the noun koht, meaning court or place of law. Kohtus represents a fixed inflected form used to express presence at the court, and it often appears in combination with verbs such as olema (to be) or participate in a procedural event. In practice it is most often heard in sentences describing where a person is or where an event is taking place.

Usage: In ordinary usage, kohtus can appear in statements like “Ta oli kohtus täna” (He was at court today) or “Kohtuistungitel kuulati tunnistusi” (During the court sessions testimonies were heard). It is frequently used in media reporting on trials, arraignments, or other legal actions to convey the participant’s location or involvement in the judicial process.

Relation to related terms: Kohtus is related to other court-related terms in Estonian, such as koht (court), kohtukäsitus (court handling), kohtutäide (bailiff), and kohtuotsus (court judgment). While each term serves a distinct function, kohtus is primarily a locational phrase used within the broader legal vocabulary.

See also: Court in Estonian language; Koht, Kohtuotsus, Kohtuistung. The usage of kohtus may vary with register, being more common in formal or journalistic contexts than in informal conversation.