Bedeutung
To pretend not to see a mistake.
Kultureller Hintergrund
In Croatia, 'gledati kroz prste' is often linked to the 'kava' (coffee) culture. Many deals and instances of leniency are negotiated over a long coffee. There is a high tolerance for 'informal' solutions. Rules are often seen as flexible if you have a good relationship with the person in charge. Croatian professors are known to be strict, but they will 'gledati kroz prste' if a student is active in class and shows effort. The phrase is frequently used in media to describe 'nepotizam' (nepotism). It carries a negative weight when applied to the law.
Use the Dative
Always remember to put the person you are forgiving in the Dative case (meni, tebi, njemu, njoj, nama, vama, njima).
Don't use for big things
If you use this for a murder or a huge theft, people will think you are talking about corruption, not kindness.
Bedeutung
To pretend not to see a mistake.
Use the Dative
Always remember to put the person you are forgiving in the Dative case (meni, tebi, njemu, njoj, nama, vama, njima).
Don't use for big things
If you use this for a murder or a huge theft, people will think you are talking about corruption, not kindness.
Perfective vs Imperfective
Use 'progledati' when you are actually doing the favor right now. Use 'gledati' to describe someone's personality.
Teste dich selbst
Fill in the correct form of the verb 'gledati' or 'progledati'.
Ovaj put ću ti ________ kroz prste, ali nemoj to više raditi.
We use the perfective 'progledati' for a specific, one-time instance of forgiveness.
Which case follows the preposition 'kroz' in this idiom?
Gledati kroz _______.
The preposition 'kroz' always takes the Accusative case.
Match the situation to the most likely use of the phrase.
A student is 2 minutes late for a test.
Leniency for a minor mistake is the core meaning of the idiom.
Complete the dialogue.
A: 'Zaboravila sam novčanik, mogu li platiti sutra?' B: 'Inače ne može, ali vama ću ________.'
This is the standard idiom for making an exception.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Aufgabensammlung
4 AufgabenOvaj put ću ti ________ kroz prste, ali nemoj to više raditi.
We use the perfective 'progledati' for a specific, one-time instance of forgiveness.
Gledati kroz _______.
The preposition 'kroz' always takes the Accusative case.
A student is 2 minutes late for a test.
Leniency for a minor mistake is the core meaning of the idiom.
A: 'Zaboravila sam novčanik, mogu li platiti sutra?' B: 'Inače ne može, ali vama ću ________.'
This is the standard idiom for making an exception.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
10 FragenNo, it's quite neutral. It can be very kind or slightly critical depending on the tone.
No, 'gledati kroz oči' is not an idiom in Croatian. Stick to 'prste'.
Yes, very often when discussing deadlines or minor contract deviations.
The opposite is 'držati se slova zakona' (to stick to the letter of the law).
No, it must be plural 'prste' because you need the gaps between multiple fingers.
Not necessarily, but in political contexts, it often hints at it.
The best translation is 'Progledat ću ti kroz prste'.
Yes, many Croatian pop songs use it to talk about forgiving a lover.
Yes, it's a very common phrase for children to use with parents.
Yes, 'progledati' is for a specific event, 'gledati' is for a habit.
Verwandte Redewendungen
Zažmiriti na jedno oko
synonymTo close one eye.
Progledati
builds onTo start seeing (after being blind).
Držati kao kap vode na dlanu
similarTo treat someone with extreme care.
Ići niz dlaku
similarTo stroke someone the right way / to please them.
