Bedeutung
Leaving quickly or escaping a situation.
Kultureller Hintergrund
The 'Estonian Goodbye' is a real phenomenon where people leave social gatherings without saying goodbye to everyone to avoid long social rituals. 'Jalga laskma' is the verb for this. Similar to Finns, Estonians value silence and efficiency. Bolting from a situation is often seen as more polite than staying and being visibly bored. In Estonian gaming communities, 'jalga laskma' is used when a player leaves a match early (rage-quitting). The phrase has roots in the 'Forest Brothers' (metsavennad) era, where escaping into the woods was a common necessity.
The 'Lase jalga!' Command
Be careful! Saying 'Lase jalga!' to someone is like saying 'Get lost!' It can be rude if you don't know the person well.
Not for Doctors
If you are at the doctor's office talking about your leg, use 'jalg' or 'jalaga', not the idiom 'jalga laskma'.
Bedeutung
Leaving quickly or escaping a situation.
The 'Lase jalga!' Command
Be careful! Saying 'Lase jalga!' to someone is like saying 'Get lost!' It can be rude if you don't know the person well.
Not for Doctors
If you are at the doctor's office talking about your leg, use 'jalg' or 'jalaga', not the idiom 'jalga laskma'.
The Perfect Exit
Use this phrase when you want to sound like a local who knows how to handle social situations with typical Estonian brevity.
Teste dich selbst
Fill in the correct form of 'jalga laskma'.
Pidu oli igav, nii et ma ______ ______.
The sentence is in the past tense ('oli'), so you need the past tense form 'lasksin'.
Which situation is best for using 'jalga laskma'?
Where would you say this?
It is an informal idiom perfect for social settings with friends.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Kas sa jääd lõpuni? B: Ei, ma ______ ______ juba kümne minuti pärast.
The speaker is talking about a future action ('kümne minuti pärast'), so the present tense 'lasen' is used.
Match the phrase to the meaning.
Match 'Lase jalga!' to its English equivalent.
In the imperative form, 'Lase jalga!' is a command for someone else to leave.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Aufgabensammlung
4 AufgabenPidu oli igav, nii et ma ______ ______.
The sentence is in the past tense ('oli'), so you need the past tense form 'lasksin'.
Where would you say this?
It is an informal idiom perfect for social settings with friends.
A: Kas sa jääd lõpuni? B: Ei, ma ______ ______ juba kümne minuti pärast.
The speaker is talking about a future action ('kümne minuti pärast'), so the present tense 'lasen' is used.
Match 'Lase jalga!' to its English equivalent.
In the imperative form, 'Lase jalga!' is a command for someone else to leave.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
10 FragenIt depends. About yourself ('Ma lasen jalga'), it's just casual. To someone else ('Lase jalga!'), it can be quite rude.
Yes! If your dog runs away in the park, you can say 'Koer laskis jalga'.
'Lahkuma' is formal and neutral. 'Jalga laskma' is informal and implies speed or escape.
Use 'Ma lasksin jalga'.
No, even if a group leaves, we say 'Me lasksime jalga' (not 'jalgu').
Only with close colleagues. Don't say it to your boss!
Literally yes, but no one uses it that way. It's 100% an idiom for leaving.
It's a more modern, slangy version of the same idiom.
Very! You'll hear it in almost every Estonian action or comedy film.
Yes, if you are leaving suddenly or 'escaping' the weather.
Verwandte Redewendungen
varvast laskma
similarTo bolt (literally: to let the toe go)
säärt tegema
synonymTo run away
lesta tõmbama
slangTo bolt (literally: to pull a fin)
plehku panema
synonymTo escape / run away
leebet tõmbama
slangTo make a smooth exit
