Vocab: tasakaalustama
to balance, to equilibrate
Building blocks
tasa- - flat, even
-kaalu- - weight, scale
-sta- - causative (“make something be X”)
-ma - infinitive ending
Therefore, "tasakaalustama" literally means "to cause something to be in balance."
Origin of the word
"Tasakaal" comes from two words:
tasa: flat, even, level
kaal: weight, scale
So, "tasakaal" originally meant "flat scale" or "even weight," and "tasakaalustama" referred to the action of making something have equal weight on both sides.
How to use it
Physical balance:
Balancing objects:
“Ta tasakaalustas enda keha ja kõndis üle kitsa köie.” (He balanced his body and walked across a narrow rope.)
Metaphorical balance:
Balancing different aspects of life:
"Töö ja eraelu tuleb tasakaalustada" (You have to balance work and private life)
Achieving emotional stability:
"Meditatsioon tasakaalustab mind." (Meditation balances me.)
Examples
Ma tasakaalustasin erinevate toitainete tarbimise
Literally: “I balanced different nutrients consumption”
Idiomatically: “I balanced the intake of different nutrients”
Ma - Pronoun - Nom Sg, "I"
tasakaalustasin - Verb - 1P Past Sg, "balanced"
erinevate - Adjective - Genitive Pl, "different"
toitainete - Noun - Genitive Pl, "nutrients"
tarbimise - Noun - Genitive Sg, "consumption"