ühingus

Ühing is a general Estonian term for a legal entity formed by two or more people or entities to pursue shared goals. It covers various organizational forms that can be profit-seeking or non-profit. In Estonian law, ühingud include business entities such as osaühing (private limited company) and aktsiaselts (joint-stock company), as well as non-profit associations known as mittetulundusühing (MTÜ). The common purpose across these forms is to operate as a coordinated group with its own legal status, rights, and obligations.

The word ühing is used in everyday language to refer both to the concept of an organization and to specific legal forms. When describing membership or activity within such an entity, the inessive form ühingus is used, meaning “in the association/organization.” For example, ta töötab ühingus means “he works in an association/at a company.” Other case forms relate to possession or direction, such as ühingu (genitive: of the association) or ühingusse (illative: into the association).

In practical terms, a person may be a member of an ühing, work for an ühing, or make decisions that affect an ühing. The exact internal structure, such as the role of a board or management, and the rights and duties of members, depend on the legal form and the association’s founding documents. The term’s broad use reflects its function as a central category for organized groups in Estonian civil and commercial life.