kõndida

Kõndida is an Estonian verb meaning "to walk" or "to go on foot." It describes moving on foot from one place to another and is commonly used for ordinary walking, travel on foot, or moving about in a place. The verb is typically intransitive and is often combined with adverbs or prepositional phrases indicating direction or location, for example kõnnib pargis (walks in the park) or kõndima kooli (to walk to school). It can also appear in figurative uses, such as describing a course of life or progress, though more explicit idioms are common.

Infinitive and basic conjugation. The infinitive is kõndida. In the present tense, standard forms are: ma kõnnin, sa kõnnid, ta kõnnib, me kõnnime, te kõnnite, nad kõnnivad. The simple past tense is formed as: ma kõndisin, sa kõndisid, ta kõndis, me kõndisime, te kõndisite, nad kõndisid. The past participle used with perfect tenses is kõndinud (as in olen kõndinud, I have walked). Negation is formed with ei, for example ma ei kõnni (I am not walking) or ma ei kõndinud (I did not walk).

Usage notes. Kõndida is a regular verb of the -ida class and is widely used in everyday Estonian. It is preferred for ordinary walking activities, while jalutama is often used for leisure strolling or going for a walk without a strong sense of destination. In sentences specifying direction, kõndima can take place-nominal phrases like pargis, kooli, tänaval, or läbi linna to indicate where the walking occurs.

See also: jalutama; liikumine; keel.