lõppmomendil

Lõppmomendil is an Estonian adverbial expression that means “at the final moment” or “in the last moment.” It is used to describe actions, decisions, or events that occur very close to a deadline, end of a period, or conclusion rather than earlier in the process. The phrase often conveys a sense of urgency, surprise, or a last-minute turn.

In usage, lõppmomendil appears in both spoken and written Estonian. It can describe actions in sports, politics, law, journalism, or storytelling, where something happens just before the end. For example, a decision made lõppmomendil or a goal scored lõppmomendil would emphasize that the outcome was decided or achieved near the end of the allotted time. The expression is flexible in tone, ranging from neutral reportage to more dramatic narration, depending on context.

Etymologically, lõppmomendil is formed from lõpp (end) and moment (moment), with the Estonian adessive suffix -il, yielding a construction that literally means “at the end moment.” As a fixed compound, it functions as a single locational/time expression in sentences.

Variants and related phrases include forms such as viimasel hetkel, which also denotes happening at the last moment but uses a more everyday synonym for moment (hetk). Lõppmomendil tends to carry a slightly more formal or literary register and is common in written Estonian, including news, essays, and narrative prose.