kontoris

Kontoris is an Estonian linguistic term describing the inessive form of the noun kontor, meaning “office.” It denotes location and translates roughly to “in the office.” The form is used in everyday speech to indicate that someone or something is located inside an office, or is working there.

Etymology and grammar: kontor is a loanword in Estonian, derived from German Kontor, meaning a counting house or office. The inessive singular ending -s yields kontoris. As a general rule in Estonian, kontoris marks location without a preposition, and can appear with possessive modifiers, for example, minu kontoris (in my office). Related forms include kontori (genitive, “of the office”) and kontorites (inessive plural, “in the offices”). Other related cases describe movement or origin, such as kontorisse (illative, “into the office”) or kontoritest (elative, “from the offices”).

Usage notes: Kontoris is a standard, neutral term in both formal and informal Estonian. It is not a proper noun and does not refer to a specific building unless context specifies which office. It is commonly used in workplace language, scheduling, and everyday conversation about location or presence at work. In phrases like “Ma olen kontoris” or “Ta töötab kontoris,” it functions as a locative marker indicating position.

See also: Estonian language, Kontor, Inessive case (Estonian grammar). Cross-linguistically, similar concepts exist in Finnic languages, with equivalent terms describing “in the office” formed with respective locative cases.