lühen

Lähen is an Estonian verb form meaning “I go” or “I am going.” It is the first-person singular present indicative form of the verb minna (to go). The infinitive of the verb is minema, and lähen functions as the 1sg present. Other present-tense forms built on the same stem include lähed (you go), läheb (he/she goes), lähme (we go), lähete (you all go), and lähevad (they go).

Usage and meaning

Lähen is used to describe the speaker’s current action or a near-future intention to move to a destination. In Estonian, movement toward a place is often expressed with the illative case for the destination, for example kooli (to school). Examples: Ma lähen kooli. Ta läheb koju. These sentences can express routine actions, on-the-spot decisions, or near-future plans depending on context and time expressions such as täna, homme, kohe.

Grammatical notes

Lähen is intransitive and does not take a direct object. It commonly appears with time or context that clarifies to where the speaker is going. The present tense often conveys near-future meaning when combined with appropriate time adverbs or adverbial phrases.

Related forms and derivations

The verb family centers on minema, with lähen being one of several present-tense forms derived from the same stem. The past tense of the same verb appears as lõksin or läksin for “I went,” and future or conditional meanings are expressed through additional constructions or modal expressions.

See also

Minema; Estonian verb conjugation; Illative case.