Vocab: uhkustama

to boast

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to boast; to take pride in something in a way that involves displaying it or talking about it to others; to show off

Building blocks

• uhkus- - “pride”

• -ta- - causative (“make something be X”)

• -ma - infinitive ending

The verb "uhkustama" means "to boast," "to show off," or "to display pride." It describes the act of flaunting or making a show of something one is proud of, often in a way that draws attention to it.

The root word “uhke” is derived from Proto-Finnic uhkëda (proud or grand). There is also another verb in Estonian that can be used very similarly “uhkeldama” -

• "Uhkeldama": Refers to showing off or flaunting in a flashy or exaggerated manner.

• "Uhkustama": Means to boast or take pride in something. It involves expressing pride in one's achievements or qualities.

How to use it

1. Boasting About Achievements or Possessions:

   • Õpilased uhkustavad oma võidetud auhindadega.

   • Translation: The students boast about the awards they won.

2. Expressing Pride in Someone or Something:

   • Ema uhkustab alati oma laste saavutustega.

     • Translation: The mother always takes pride in her children's achievements.

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What to remember when using the verb “uhkustama”:

1. What you boast about is in the Comitative case (ending -ga)

See this in use ⬇️

Examples

Noormees uhkustas oma värskelt ostetud autoga

Literally: “Young man showed off his fresh-from purchased car-with”

Idiomatically: “The young man showed off his newly purchased car”

Noormees - Noun - Nominative Sg, "Young man"
uhkustas - Verb - 3P Past Sg, "showed off"
oma - Pronoun - Genitive Sg, "his"
värskelt - Adjective - Ablative Sg, "newly"
ostetud - Verb - Past Participle, "purchased"
autoga - Noun - Comitative Sg, "with car"