to admire, to consider someone or something as extraordinary
Building blocks
ime- - miracle or wonder
-tle- - frequentative (expressing repeated, frequent action)
-ma - infinitive ending
The root word here is "ime" (miracle, wonder), capturing the essence of something that inspires awe and admiration.
How to use it
Admiring things that are impressive or beautiful:
Turistid imetlevad vana katedraali arhitektuuri.
Translation: The tourists admire the architecture of the old cathedral.
Admiring Achievements:
Me kõik imetleme tema saavutusi teaduses.
Translation: We all admire his achievements in science.
Admiring someone's skills or talents
Ma imetlen tema julgust ja otsusekindlust.
Translation: I admire her/his courage and determination.
What to remember when using the compound verb “imetlema”:
Whom or What you admire is in the Parititive case (third base form)
See this in use ⬇️
Examples
Jalutajad imetlesid linna uut parki
Literally: “Walkers admired city's new park”
Idiomatically: “Strollers admired the city's new park”
Jalutajad - Noun - Nominative Pl, "Walkers"
imetlesid - Verb - 3P Past Pl, "admired"
linna - Noun - Genitive Sg, "city's"
uut - Adjective - Partitive Sg, "new"
parki - Noun - Partitive Sg, "park"