Bedeutung
Closing one eye as a signal.
Kultureller Hintergrund
In Estonia, direct eye contact is valued, but excessive gesturing is rare. A wink is a significant 'break' in the standard reserved behavior. Very similar to Estonia. Winking is seen as a friendly, slightly old-fashioned way of showing solidarity or humor. Winking can sometimes be seen as 'cheesy' or overly forward if done to a stranger, whereas in Estonia it's often just seen as playful. The 😉 emoji has universalized the 'silma tegema' concept, making it a staple of Estonian texting culture.
The 'Mulle' Rule
Always remember to say WHO you are winking at using the -le ending (mulle, sulle, talle).
Don't Overdo It
In Estonia, one wink is a secret; ten winks is a medical emergency. Keep it subtle!
Bedeutung
Closing one eye as a signal.
The 'Mulle' Rule
Always remember to say WHO you are winking at using the -le ending (mulle, sulle, talle).
Don't Overdo It
In Estonia, one wink is a secret; ten winks is a medical emergency. Keep it subtle!
The Smile Follow-up
A wink in Estonia is almost always followed by a small, knowing smile. If you don't smile, it might look like you have a twitch.
Teste dich selbst
Täida lünk õige sõnaga (Fill the blank with the correct word).
Poiss tahtis tüdrukuga flirtida ja tegi talle ______.
The idiom 'silma tegema' always uses the partitive form 'silma'.
Vali lause, mis tähendab 'He winked at me'.
Kuidas öelda 'He winked at me'?
The person receiving the wink takes the allative case (-le), so 'mina' becomes 'mulle'.
Lõpeta dialoog (Complete the dialogue).
A: Miks sa naerad? B: Sest vanaisa ______ mulle ______.
This is the most natural way to describe a playful wink from a grandparent.
Millises olukorras on 'silma tegema' sobiv?
Vali sobiv olukord:
'Silma tegema' is for social signals and secrets, not medical or formal contexts.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Tegema vs Pilgutama
Aufgabensammlung
4 AufgabenPoiss tahtis tüdrukuga flirtida ja tegi talle ______.
The idiom 'silma tegema' always uses the partitive form 'silma'.
Kuidas öelda 'He winked at me'?
The person receiving the wink takes the allative case (-le), so 'mina' becomes 'mulle'.
A: Miks sa naerad? B: Sest vanaisa ______ mulle ______.
This is the most natural way to describe a playful wink from a grandparent.
Vali sobiv olukord:
'Silma tegema' is for social signals and secrets, not medical or formal contexts.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
10 FragenNo, it's generally playful and friendly. However, like any flirting gesture, it depends on the comfort level of the other person.
Technically no. That would be 'silmi pilgutama' (blinking). 'Silma tegema' is strictly one eye.
Yes! From children sharing secrets to elderly couples flirting, it's a universal Estonian gesture.
The noun is 'silmapilgutus', but we often just describe the action using the verb phrase.
Only if you are very close with the colleague and using a 😉 emoji. Otherwise, it's too informal.
Not always. It can also mean 'I'm joking' or 'This is our little secret'.
Ta tegi mulle silma.
Yes, 'silma viskama' is similar but more about looking at someone attractively.
They will probably laugh and understand you mean 'blink', but it's better to use 'pilgutama'.
It's used equally by both genders in Estonia.
Verwandte Redewendungen
silma pilgutama
similarTo blink or wink
silma viskama
specialized formTo check someone out / To have an eye on someone
silma jääma
builds onTo catch someone's eye / To be noticed
kavala pilguga vaatama
similarTo look with a sly glance
