When you start learning a new language, it's really helpful to know some basic words about the human body. One of the first words you'll encounter in Estonian at the A1 level is silm. This word means 'eye' in English. It's a fundamental noun that will help you describe people and talk about basic health or appearance. You'll hear it often in simple sentences. Learning words like silm early on builds a strong foundation for your vocabulary.
When you're at a B2 level in Estonian, you'll find that 'silm' (eye) is used in many idiomatic expressions beyond its literal meaning. It's not just about seeing anymore; 'silm' often implies attention, observation, or even care. For example, 'silma peal hoidma' means 'to keep an eye on' or 'to look after something/someone'. This shows a deeper level of engagement than just physical sight.
Another common idiom is 'silmaring' which translates to 'horizon of eyes', but actually means one's 'outlook' or 'perspective'. Expanding your 'silmaring' means broadening your horizons. You might also hear 'silmamoondus', literally 'eye-trickery', used to describe an illusion or a deception. These examples demonstrate how 'silm' contributes to nuanced meanings in Estonian, reflecting how Estonians perceive and interact with the world around them.
§ Basic Meaning: What is "silm"?
The word silm (pronounced like sill-m) is a fundamental Estonian noun. It directly translates to 'eye' in English. This is a CEFR A1 level word, meaning it's one of the first words you'll encounter and definitely one you need to know. It refers to the organ of sight, just like in English.
- DEFINITION
- The organ of sight, the eye
Tal on ilusad sinised silmad.
Translation hint: He/She has beautiful blue eyes.
§ "Silm" in Everyday Estonian
You'll hear silm used in many common phrases and situations, not just when talking about anatomy. Estonians often use it metaphorically, just like English speakers use 'eye' in expressions.
- Talking about appearance: This is the most straightforward use.
Lapsel olid suured rohelised silmad.
Translation hint: The child had big green eyes.
- Paying attention / Seeing something: Often used in imperative forms.
Hoidke silmad lahti!
Translation hint: Keep your eyes open! (Literally: Hold eyes open!)
- Figurative use: Similar to English, you can 'keep an eye on' something.
Palun hoia lastel silm peal.
Translation hint: Please keep an eye on the children.
§ "Silm" in Work and School
In a work or school environment, silm might come up when discussing focus, observation, or even health. You won't hear it constantly, but when you do, it will often be in a practical context.
- Focus and observation: When attention to detail is required.
Peate hoidma teravat silma detailide peal.
Translation hint: You need to keep a sharp eye on the details.
- Health discussions: Less common in daily work/school talk, but relevant in a medical context.
Mul on silm valus.
Translation hint: My eye hurts.
§ "Silm" in the News
News reports might use silm when describing eyewitness accounts, observations by authorities, or even metaphorical 'eyes' of the public or media. It's often part of a larger phrase.
- Eyewitnesses: When reporting on events.
Politsei otsib sündmuse pealtnägijate silmi.
Translation hint: Police are looking for eyewitnesses (literally: the eyes of eyewitnesses).
- Monitoring/Oversight: When talking about surveillance or observation.
Avalikkuse silm on valitsusel.
Translation hint: The eye of the public is on the government.
发音指南
- pronouncing the 'i' too long
- not rolling the 'r' slightly if you're aiming for a very authentic sound (though not strictly necessary for understanding)
需要掌握的语法
Nouns in Estonian have 14 cases. The nominative case (nimetav käänd) is the basic form of the word, as found in a dictionary. For 'silm', the nominative singular is 'silm' and the nominative plural is 'silmad'.
Mu silm valutab. (My eye hurts.) Tal on ilusad silmad. (She has beautiful eyes.)
The genitive case (omastav käänd) is often used to show possession or as the object of postpositions. For 'silm', the genitive singular is 'silma' and the genitive plural is 'silmade'.
Silma värv. (The color of the eye.) Silmade all on tumedad ringid. (There are dark circles under the eyes.)
The partitive case (osastav käänd) is used to indicate an indefinite or partial quantity, or as the object of certain verbs. For 'silm', the partitive singular is 'silma' and the partitive plural is 'silmi'.
Ma nägin silma. (I saw an eye / part of an eye.) Ma nägin palju silmi. (I saw many eyes.)
Compound words are common in Estonian. 'Silm' can be combined with other words to form new nouns, often without a hyphen. For example, 'silmapilk' (blink of an eye, moment) or 'silmalau' (eyelid).
Oota silmapilk! (Wait a moment!) Silmalaud on paistes. (The eyelids are swollen.)
Verbs like 'näha' (to see) or 'vaatama' (to look) frequently combine with 'silm'. The case of 'silm' will depend on the context and the verb.
Ta vaatas mulle silma. (He looked me in the eye.) Ma ei suutnud oma silmi uskuda. (I couldn't believe my eyes.)
按水平分级的例句
Mul on sinised silmad.
I have blue eyes.
Kassil on rohelised silmad.
The cat has green eyes.
Ta sulgeb silmad.
He/She closes their eyes.
Ava oma silmad.
Open your eyes.
Ma näen oma silmadega.
I see with my eyes.
Lapsel on suured silmad.
The child has big eyes.
Tema silmad on väsinud.
Their eyes are tired.
Ma pesen oma silmi.
I wash my eyes.
Mul on sinised silmad.
I have blue eyes.
Ta vaatab mind suurte silmadega.
She looks at me with big eyes.
Silmad on hinge peegel.
Eyes are the mirror of the soul.
Palun sulge oma silmad ja kuula.
Please close your eyes and listen.
Tal oli silmis pisarad.
She had tears in her eyes.
Ma nägin seda oma silmaga.
I saw it with my own eyes.
Kas sul on valus silm?
Do you have a sore eye?
Kassil on rohelised silmad.
The cat has green eyes.
Ta vaatas mulle sügavalt silma.
He looked deeply into my eye.
Here 'silma' is in the illative case, indicating 'into the eye'.
Lapsel on ilusad sinised silmad.
The child has beautiful blue eyes.
'Silmad' is the plural nominative form of 'silm'.
Pisarad voolasid tal üle põskede, aga silmad jäid kuivaks.
Tears flowed down her cheeks, but her eyes remained dry.
'Silmad' again in the plural nominative, acting as the subject.
Hoia silm peal, et keegi ei varastaks.
Keep an eye on it so no one steals.
'Hoia silm peal' is an idiom meaning 'keep an eye on' or 'watch out'.
Tal on terav silm detailide märkamiseks.
He has a keen eye for noticing details.
'Silm' is in the nominative case, acting as the subject of the clause.
Ma ei usu oma silmi, see on uskumatu!
I don't believe my eyes, this is incredible!
'Silmi' is the plural partitive case, used here with 'ei usu' (don't believe).
Sul on alati silmad lahti uute võimaluste jaoks.
You always have your eyes open for new opportunities.
'Silmad' in the plural nominative, 'lahti' means 'open'.
Eile õhtul ei saanud ma silmatäitki magada.
Last night I couldn't get a wink of sleep (literally: even an eye-full of sleep).
'Silmatäitki' combines 'silm' with 'täis' (full) and the emphatic particle '-ki'.
常见搭配
常用短语
tal on ilusad silmad
he/she has beautiful eyes
silmad kinni
eyes closed
silmad lahti
eyes open
silma pilgutama
to blink an eye
silma vaatama
to look in the eye
silmast silma
eye to eye
pane silm peale
keep an eye on it
see torkab silma
it stands out (literally, 'it pokes the eye')
nagu silmatera
like the apple of one's eye
silmad märjad
eyes wet (with tears)
容易混淆的词
Refers to a glance or a look (the action), not the eye itself.
Refers to sight or vision (the sense), not the physical eye.
This is the verb 'to look' or 'to watch', an action, not the noun 'eye'.
语法模式
容易混淆
This is straightforward, but Estonians often use 'silmad' (plural) even when talking about a single eye, particularly in idiomatic expressions or when referring to a person's eyes in general.
'Silm' is singular, 'silmad' is plural. While 'silm' is grammatically correct for one eye, 'silmad' is very common.
Tal on ilusad silmad. (She has beautiful eyes.) / Üks silm on kinni. (One eye is closed.)
Often confused with 'silm' because both relate to looking. However, 'pilk' refers to a glance or a look, an action, not the organ itself.
'Silm' is the physical eye. 'Pilk' is the act of looking or a specific look/glance.
Ta heitis pilgu uksele. (He cast a glance at the door.)
This verb means 'to look' or 'to watch', and learners might connect it directly to 'silm' as 'doing something with the eye'. However, it's a verb describing the action, not the noun for the eye.
'Silm' is a noun (the eye). 'Vaatama' is a verb (to look/watch).
Ma vaatan filmi. (I am watching a movie.)
This noun refers to 'sight' or 'vision', the sense itself. Learners might mistakenly use it when they mean 'an eye'.
'Silm' is the physical organ. 'Nägemine' is the sense of sight.
Minu nägemine on hea. (My eyesight is good.)
While not directly related to the eye, 'avaus' means an opening or a hole. In some contexts, like the 'eye of a needle' (nõela silm), 'silm' can take on a meaning similar to 'opening', which might lead to confusion if learners overgeneralize.
'Silm' as a body part, or an 'eye' in an idiomatic sense. 'Avaus' is a general term for any opening.
Särgis on väike avaus. (There is a small opening in the shirt.)
句型
Mul on (värvus) silmad.
Mul on sinised silmad. (I have blue eyes.)
Ma näen oma silmadega.
Ma näen oma silmadega. (I see with my eyes.)
(Omadussõna) silmad on (omadussõna).
Suured silmad on ilusad. (Big eyes are beautiful.)
Tal on (värvus) silmad.
Tal on pruunid silmad. (He/She has brown eyes.)
常见问题
10 个问题The most common way to say 'eye' in Estonian is silm.
You can say: Mul on sinised silmad. (I have blue eyes.) or Ta sulges silmad. (He/She closed their eyes.)
Yes, 'silm' can also refer to a loop, an eye of a needle, or even the eye of a storm. For example, nõelasilm (eye of a needle) or tormi silm (eye of the storm).
The plural form of silm is silmad. For example, suured silmad (big eyes).
Absolutely! A common one is silma peal hoidma, which means 'to keep an eye on' or 'to watch over'. For example, Hoia lapsel silma peal! (Keep an eye on the child!)
You would ask: Mis värvi su silmad on?
You can say: Ava oma silmad!
Estonian doesn't have grammatical gender for nouns, so you don't need to worry about 'silm' being masculine or feminine.
You would say: oma silmaga. For example, Ma nägin seda oma silmaga. (I saw it with my own eyes.)
Not really, silm is quite distinct. Just focus on its common meanings and you'll be fine.
自我测试 36 个问题
This sentence means 'My eyes are blue.' The word order in Estonian is similar to English for simple sentences.
This sentence means 'He/She has big eyes.' 'Tal on' means 'He/She has'.
This is a command meaning 'Open your eyes!'. 'Ava' is the imperative form of 'to open'.
Mul on sinised ___.
The sentence means 'I have blue eyes.' 'Silmad' is the plural form of 'silm' (eye).
Lapsel on suured ___ ja väike nina.
The sentence translates to 'The child has big eyes and a small nose.' 'Silmad' is the correct plural form for 'eyes'.
Ta vaatas mulle otse ___.
The sentence means 'He looked me directly in the eye.' 'Silma' is the singular partitive case of 'silm', used here to express 'into the eye'.
Pärast unetut ööd olid tema ___ väsinud.
The sentence means 'After a sleepless night, her eyes were tired.' 'Silmad' is the plural form of 'silm'.
Päike paistab mulle ___.
The sentence means 'The sun is shining in my eye.' 'Silma' is the singular partitive case of 'silm', indicating the direction 'into the eye'.
Tal on ilusad pruunid ___.
The sentence means 'She has beautiful brown eyes.' 'Silmad' is the plural form for 'eyes'.
Write two sentences describing a person's eyes. Use descriptive adjectives.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Tal on ilusad sinised silmad. Minu emal on suured pruunid silmad.
Imagine you are describing your favorite animal. Write two sentences about its eyes.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Kassil on rohelised silmad. Koeral on targad silmad.
Write a short sentence about what you see with your eyes.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Ma näen oma silmadega sinist taevast.
Millised silmad on Maril?
Read this passage:
Kati ja Mari on sõbrad. Katil on suured sinised silmad. Mari silmad on pruunid ja väiksemad. Mõlemad tüdrukud näevad oma silmadega hästi.
Millised silmad on Maril?
Passage states 'Mari silmad on pruunid ja väiksemad' which translates to 'Mari's eyes are brown and smaller'.
Passage states 'Mari silmad on pruunid ja väiksemad' which translates to 'Mari's eyes are brown and smaller'.
Mida Juku aknast näeb?
Read this passage:
Juku läheb poodi. Ta näeb aknast suuri kollaseid lilli. Juku silmad on rõõmsad, sest ta armastab lilli.
Mida Juku aknast näeb?
Passage states 'Ta näeb aknast suuri kollaseid lilli' which translates to 'He sees large yellow flowers from the window'.
Passage states 'Ta näeb aknast suuri kollaseid lilli' which translates to 'He sees large yellow flowers from the window'.
Mida ema lapsele ütles?
Read this passage:
Ema ütles lapsele: 'Vaata mu silmadesse, kui sa minuga räägid.' Laps vaatas ema silmadesse ja naeratas.
Mida ema lapsele ütles?
Passage states 'Ema ütles lapsele: 'Vaata mu silmadesse, kui sa minuga räägid.'' which translates to 'Mother told the child: 'Look into my eyes when you talk to me.''.
Passage states 'Ema ütles lapsele: 'Vaata mu silmadesse, kui sa minuga räägid.'' which translates to 'Mother told the child: 'Look into my eyes when you talk to me.''.
Tema ___ on sinised nagu taevas. (Her ___ are blue like the sky.)
The sentence describes the color of someone's eyes, so 'silmad' (eyes) is the correct word.
Pärast pikka lugemist olid mu ___ väsinud. (After long reading, my ___ were tired.)
Reading makes eyes tired, so 'silmad' (eyes) is the appropriate word.
Ta vaatas mulle sügavalt ___ sisse. (He looked deeply into my ___.)
To look deeply into someone, one would look into their eye, so 'silma' (eye, in genitive case) is correct.
Hoia oma ___ lahti, seal on ohtlik. (Keep your ___ open, it's dangerous there.)
'Keeping your eyes open' is an idiom for being alert, which fits the context of danger.
Lapsel on suured ja imekaunid ___ . (The child has big and beautiful ___.)
Describing someone as having big and beautiful implies that their eyes are being referred to, so 'silmad' (eyes) is correct.
Päike paistis otse mulle ___ . (The sun shone directly into my ___.)
The sun shines into one's eye, so 'silma' (eye, in illative case) is the correct choice.
Miks on oluline hoida oma silmad terved?
Silmad on meie peamine meeleelund nägemiseks, seega on nende tervise hoidmine oluline, et saaksime jätkuvalt nautida ja tajuda ümbritsevat maailma.
Millist toitu soovitatakse silmade tervise parandamiseks?
Porgandites sisalduv A-vitamiin ja spinatis sisalduvad antioksüdandid on teadaolevalt kasulikud silmade tervisele.
Mida tuleks teha, kui silma satub midagi ärritavat?
Kui silma satub ärritav aine, on oluline see koheselt puhta veega välja loputada, et vältida edasisi kahjustusi.
Pikaajaline ekraani vaatamine ei mõjuta silmade tervist.
Pikaajaline ekraani vaatamine võib põhjustada silmade väsimust, kuivust ja isegi nägemise halvenemist. Oluline on teha pause ja pilgutada silmi regulaarselt.
Päikeseprillide kandmine on oluline ainult suvel.
Päikeseprillid kaitsevad silmi UV-kiirguse eest, mis on olemas ka pilves ilmaga ja talvel. Seega on oluline kanda päikeseprille aastaringselt, kui viibite õues.
Silmade regulaarne kontroll on oluline ainult vanemas eas.
Silmade regulaarne kontroll on oluline igas vanuses, et tuvastada ja ennetada võimalikke silmaprobleeme varajases staadiumis. Paljud silmahaigused võivad alata märkamatult.
Listen carefully to how I say the word 'silm'. It's the name for the organ of sight in Estonian.
She blinked her eyes quickly, as if something had gotten into her eye.
The child looked at me with big, curious eyes, waiting for an answer.
Read this aloud:
Ma nägin teda oma silmaga.
Focus: silmaga
你说的：
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Read this aloud:
Tal on rohelised silmad.
Focus: silmad
你说的：
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Read this aloud:
Hoia oma silmad lahti, et midagi olulist ei mööduks.
Focus: silmad lahti
你说的：
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/ 36 correct
Perfect score!
相关内容
更多health词汇
haige
A1Sick or ill
jalg
A1The foot or the whole leg
käsi
A1The hand or the whole arm
kõht
A1The stomach or belly area
kõrv
A1The organ of hearing, the ear
nina
A1The organ of smell, the nose
pea
A1The head of a person or animal
prillid
A1Eyeglasses to help vision
selg
A1The back of the body
suu
A1The opening through which one eats and speaks
