뜻
To ignore something bad on purpose.
문화적 배경
In Ukraine, this phrase is often linked to the concept of 'людяність' (humanity). Sometimes, following rules too strictly is seen as 'soul-less,' so looking through fingers is a way to show you are a 'real human' who understands life's difficulties. In older business cultures in the region, 'looking through fingers' was a common way to handle minor bureaucratic errors to keep things moving. However, younger generations now view this as a barrier to professional transparency. There is a common stereotype of the 'kind grandmother' teacher who looks through her fingers at students whispering, contrasting with the 'strict' teacher who notices everything. In the context of Ukrainian IT companies, this phrase is often used when discussing 'technical debt'—developers might look through their fingers at messy code to meet a deadline.
Use it for 'Soft' Power
If you want to sound like a wise leader, use this phrase to describe why you aren't punishing someone. It sounds much more empathetic than just saying 'I don't care.'
Don't over-conjugate
While 'дивитися' conjugates, 'крізь пальці' stays exactly the same. Never say 'крізь палець' (singular) or 'крізь пальцями'.
뜻
To ignore something bad on purpose.
Use it for 'Soft' Power
If you want to sound like a wise leader, use this phrase to describe why you aren't punishing someone. It sounds much more empathetic than just saying 'I don't care.'
Don't over-conjugate
While 'дивитися' conjugates, 'крізь пальці' stays exactly the same. Never say 'крізь палець' (singular) or 'крізь пальцями'.
The 'Kuma' factor
In Ukraine, this phrase is often used when talking about 'kumivstvo' (favoritism among friends/family). It's a key word for understanding local social dynamics.
셀프 테스트
Заповніть пропуски правильним прийменником та іменником.
Вчитель вирішив подивитися _____ _____ на те, що учень забув зошит.
The correct idiom is 'дивитися крізь пальці'.
Виберіть правильне значення фрази.
Що означає 'дивитися крізь пальці'?
The idiom means to deliberately ignore a fault or mistake.
Доповніть діалог.
А: Ти знову не зробив домашнє завдання! Б: Будь ласка, пане вчителю, подивіться на це ...
The student is asking the teacher to overlook the missing homework.
У якій ситуації доречно використати цю фразу?
Ситуація: Ваш друг випадково розлив воду, і ви не хочете, щоб він засмутився.
This is a perfect situation for showing leniency towards a small accident.
🎉 점수: /4
시각 학습 자료
연습 문제 은행
4 연습 문제Вчитель вирішив подивитися _____ _____ на те, що учень забув зошит.
The correct idiom is 'дивитися крізь пальці'.
Що означає 'дивитися крізь пальці'?
The idiom means to deliberately ignore a fault or mistake.
А: Ти знову не зробив домашнє завдання! Б: Будь ласка, пане вчителю, подивіться на це ...
The student is asking the teacher to overlook the missing homework.
Ситуація: Ваш друг випадково розлив воду, і ви не хочете, щоб він засмутився.
This is a perfect situation for showing leniency towards a small accident.
🎉 점수: /4
자주 묻는 질문
10 질문No, it's neutral. However, if you say it about a judge or a doctor, it implies they aren't doing their job properly, which is a serious criticism.
Yes! You can say 'Я дивлюся крізь пальці на свої дієти' (I ignore my own diets). It sounds a bit humorous.
'Ігнорувати' is just a fact. 'Дивитися крізь пальці' is more descriptive—it suggests you see the thing but choose to let it slide.
Yes, it is very common in Ukrainian journalism and academic writing about social issues.
Usually, the thing being ignored is 'bad' (a mistake), but the act of ignoring it can be seen as 'good' (kindness) or 'bad' (negligence).
Він подивився крізь пальці на злочин.
Sometimes people just say 'пропустити крізь пальці' (to let slip through the fingers).
Because fingers have gaps! You can't see through a solid palm, but you can see through spread fingers.
Yes, Russian and Polish have almost identical versions, making it very useful for regional communication.
Not really. You wouldn't 'look through your fingers' at a beautiful sunset. It's specifically for faults.
관련 표현
Закривати очі
synonymTo close one's eyes to something.
Пропускати повз вуха
similarTo let something pass by one's ears.
Тримати вушка на маківці
contrastTo keep one's ears on the crown of the head (to be very alert).
Робити з мухи слона
contrastTo make an elephant out of a fly.
