tõmmata

Tõmmata is an Estonian verb meaning to pull or draw toward oneself, typically by exerting force. It covers physical actions such as pulling a rope or door, as well as more figurative uses like drawing attention, drawing a curtain, or pulling something taut. The word is commonly used in everyday speech to describe both direct movement and the act of causing something to come closer.

In standard Estonian, tõmmata is transitive and conjugates regularly: ma tõmban, sa tõmbad, ta tõmbab; me tõmbame, te tõmbate, nad tõmbavad. The past tense forms are ma tõmbasin, sa tõmbasid, ta tõmbas, etc. The passive or resultative sense is often expressed with the participle tõmmatud (as in kardinad on tõmmatud — the curtains have been drawn). The present participle is tõmbav (pulling), and the related noun tõmme means a pull or tug.

Common usages include pulling physically (tõmmata köis läbi rooma, tõmbama ust kinni), drawing curtains (kardinad tõmmatud), or pulling in a metaphorical sense (tõmbama tähelepanu). The expression tõmmata tähelepanu is widely used to mean “to attract attention.” In many contexts, the verb can pair with directional prefixes to specify the direction of the pull, such as up, down, or across, though these are usually expressed with separate verbs or adverbs in everyday speech.

Etymology traces tõmmata to a native Estonian root tõm- meaning pull, linked to the noun tõmme (a pull, tug). It is a core, regularly used verb in Estonian, with stable inflections and widespread applicability in both literal and figurative contexts.