Bedeutung
Literal: to make an eye. To signal with an eye.
Kultureller Hintergrund
In Estonia, direct eye contact can sometimes be seen as intense. 'Silma tegema' is a way to break that intensity with a brief, playful gesture. Similar to Estonians, Finns use 'iskeä silmää'. Both cultures value these small, non-verbal cues in social settings. The wink is a universal symbol of flirting, but in Estonia, using the idiom 'silma tegema' makes the description feel more native and less like a translation. Ancient Estonians believed the eye had power. While 'silma tegema' is modern, it stems from the idea that looking at someone is an active 'doing'.
Use the Allative
Always remember the -le ending for the person you are winking at. It's the most common mistake for learners!
Subtlety is Key
In Estonia, a very small wink is often more effective than a big, dramatic one.
Bedeutung
Literal: to make an eye. To signal with an eye.
Use the Allative
Always remember the -le ending for the person you are winking at. It's the most common mistake for learners!
Subtlety is Key
In Estonia, a very small wink is often more effective than a big, dramatic one.
Don't overdo it
Doing it too much can make you look like you have a nervous tic rather than being charming.
Teste dich selbst
Fill in the correct form of the verb 'tegema'.
Eile ta ______ mulle silma.
The sentence starts with 'Eile' (yesterday), so we need the past tense third-person singular form 'tegi'.
Which sentence is grammatically correct?
How do you say 'He winks at the girl'?
The recipient of the wink must be in the allative case (-le).
Match the meaning to the context.
Vanaisa tegi lapselapsele silma ja andis talle salaja šokolaadi.
In this family context with 'salaja' (secretly), it implies a shared secret.
🎉 Ergebnis: /3
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Aufgabensammlung
3 AufgabenEile ta ______ mulle silma.
The sentence starts with 'Eile' (yesterday), so we need the past tense third-person singular form 'tegi'.
How do you say 'He winks at the girl'?
The recipient of the wink must be in the allative case (-le).
Vanaisa tegi lapselapsele silma ja andis talle salaja šokolaadi.
In this family context with 'salaja' (secretly), it implies a shared secret.
🎉 Ergebnis: /3
Häufig gestellte Fragen
10 FragenMostly, but it can also be used for shared secrets or jokes between friends and family.
Yes, it is completely gender-neutral.
'Pilgutama' is the physical act of blinking/winking, while 'silma tegema' is the idiomatic expression for the social gesture.
Generally no, it's too informal and could be misinterpreted.
Ta tegi mulle silma.
99% of the time, yes, but it can metaphorically mean showing interest.
Yes, it's one of the most common idioms for social interaction.
No, that sounds like you are creating multiple eyes. Stick to the singular 'silma'.
It is the partitive singular case of 'silm'.
Yes, 'silma viskama' is a bit more casual/slangy.
Verwandte Redewendungen
silma pilgutama
similarTo wink (literally)
silma viskama
similarTo check someone out
silma jääma
relatedTo be noticed
külma kõhtu tegema
contrastTo keep a cool head
silmi pööritama
contrastTo roll one's eyes
