Signification
To ignore something intentionally.
Contexte culturel
The phrase reflects the 'human factor' in Russian bureaucracy, where personal relationships often trump strict rules. During the Soviet period, this phrase was often used in satirical magazines like 'Krokodil' to criticize lazy managers. Classic authors like Dostoevsky and Gogol used this phrase to describe the moral ambiguity of their characters. In modern Russian IT companies, 'looking through fingers' is becoming less common as they adopt international standards of compliance.
Use with 'на'
Always remember to use the preposition 'на' before the thing you are ignoring. Example: смотреть сквозь пальцы НА (что-то).
Don't use for crimes
If someone robs a bank, don't say the police 'looked through their fingers.' Use 'проигнорировали' or 'допустили халатность' for serious matters.
Signification
To ignore something intentionally.
Use with 'на'
Always remember to use the preposition 'на' before the thing you are ignoring. Example: смотреть сквозь пальцы НА (что-то).
Don't use for crimes
If someone robs a bank, don't say the police 'looked through their fingers.' Use 'проигнорировали' or 'допустили халатность' for serious matters.
Perfect for 'Cool Boss' stories
This is the #1 phrase Russians use to describe a boss who is relaxed and doesn't care about bureaucracy.
Teste-toi
Fill in the missing preposition and noun in the correct case.
Начальник всегда смотрит ______ ______ на наши мелкие ошибки.
The idiom uses 'сквозь' + Accusative 'пальцы'.
Match the situation to the correct idiom.
Which idiom fits best? 'A teacher sees a student using a phone but says nothing.'
'Умывать руки' means to wash one's hands of a situation, and 'бить баклуши' means to idle. 'Смотреть сквозь пальцы' means to ignore a minor rule-breaking.
Choose the correct sentence.
Which sentence is grammatically and contextually correct?
The idiom is used for ignoring faults or mistakes, not for looking at objects or through windows literally.
Complete the dialogue.
- Ты слышал, что Антон опять не сдал отчет вовремя? - Да, но директор на это...
This is the most natural way to say the director is letting it slide.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Banque d exercices
4 exercicesНачальник всегда смотрит ______ ______ на наши мелкие ошибки.
The idiom uses 'сквозь' + Accusative 'пальцы'.
Which idiom fits best? 'A teacher sees a student using a phone but says nothing.'
'Умывать руки' means to wash one's hands of a situation, and 'бить баклуши' means to idle. 'Смотреть сквозь пальцы' means to ignore a minor rule-breaking.
Which sentence is grammatically and contextually correct?
The idiom is used for ignoring faults or mistakes, not for looking at objects or through windows literally.
- Ты слышал, что Антон опять не сдал отчет вовремя? - Да, но директор на это...
This is the most natural way to say the director is letting it slide.
🎉 Score : /4
Questions fréquentes
4 questionsNo, it's neutral. However, if you say a government is looking through its fingers at a problem, it sounds like a criticism.
Yes, 'Он смотрел сквозь пальцы' is very common for describing past leniency.
'Смотреть сквозь пальцы' feels more like a choice to be lenient, while 'закрывать глаза' can feel like a refusal to face the truth.
No, it must always be plural: 'пальцы'.
Expressions liées
Закрывать глаза на что-либо
synonymTo close one's eyes to something.
Спускать на тормозах
similarTo let something slide/hush something up.
Глядеть во все глаза
contrastTo look with both eyes wide open.
Утекать сквозь пальцы
confusingTo slip through one's fingers.
