lahutada

Lahutada is an Estonian verb meaning to entertain, amuse, or divert someone’s attention, thereby lightening their mood or distracting them from worries. It refers to actions intended to bring pleasure, relief, or a welcome change of pace, such as performances, stories, jokes, or playful activities.

In everyday use, the fixed expression meelt lahutada is common, meaning to cheer someone up or to amuse them. The verb is often applied to events and performances: Etendus lahutas publikut (The performance entertained the audience). Lood ja anekdoodid meelt lahutavad kuulajaid (Stories and jokes amuse listeners).

Lahutada is a transitive verb with regular conjugation in standard Estonian: ma lahutan, sa lahutad, ta lahutab; minevik: lahutasin, lahutasid. It is widely found in both spoken and written language and is typical of neutral or descriptive prose. The noun lahutus is a different word in Estonian and means divorce or separation, so the two terms are not related in meaning despite the similar spelling.

See also: related expressions for amusement and entertainment in Estonian, and words for mood and emotion that frequently appear with lahutada in everyday language.