Vocab: ümber lükkama

to refute

to refute, to prove false, to knock over, to push over, to overturn

Building blocks

• ümber - around

• lükkama - to push, to shove

This is a compound verb that consists of an adverb (“ümber”) and a regular verb (“lükkama”).

Usually, the meanings of compound verbs are just a combination of the adverb and the verb’s meaning.

In this case, there are two options:

1. “ümber lükkama” can be used as a combination of the adverb’s and verb’s meanings. Literally, it would translate as “to push around”, but actually it is used as “to push over” or “to knock over”.

2. “ümber lükkama” can take on a new meaning: “to refute" or “to prove false”

How to use it

You can use the compound verb:

1. To knock over or overturn something:

   • Ta lükkas vaasi ümber (He knocked over the vase)

2. To refute or disprove something:

   • Ta lükkas süüdistused ümber (He refuted the accusations)

Depending on context, the word order can change:

• “ümber” comes before “lükkama” when “lükkama” is in an infinitive form,

• and after “lükkama” otherwise

Examples

Laine lükkas paadi ümber

Literally: “Wave knocked boat over”

Idiomatically: “A wave knocked the boat over”

Laine - Noun - Nominative Sg, "Wave"
lükkas - Verb - 3P Past Sg, "knocked"
paadi - Noun - Genitive Sg, "boat"
ümber - Adverb, "over"

Paat on ümber lükatud

Literally: “Boat has over knocked”

Idiomatically: “The boat has been knocked over”

Paat - Noun - Nominative Sg, "Boat"
on ümber lükatud - Compound Verb - 3P Past Perfect Impersonal, "has over knocked"