Finnish

Verb

taiteilla

1. To do something that demonstrates high skill, especially with one's hands or by performing a tricky set of motions.

   • Me suljimme vangin kellariin, mutta jotenkin hän taiteili itsensä ulos.
     • We locked the prisoner in the basement but somehow he managed to trick his way out.

2. (figuratively) To walk a tightrope (to undertake a precarious course of action).

   • Yritys taiteili jatkuvasti vähien rahavarojen ja tilausten nopean toimittamisen välillä.
     • The company constantly walked a tightrope between operating on little money and filling orders quickly.

Conjugation

Etymology 2

From taide ‎(“art”).

Verb

taiteilla

1. To produce a work of art such as a skillful drawing or painting (but not e.g. a piece of music or literature).

Usage notes

In the sense "to produce a work of art" the term is slightly belittling and would more likely be used of the work of an amateur than that of a professional artist. Somewhat illogically, the use of the title taiteilija ‎(“artist”) shows high respect to the work of a person, and is mostly reserved for professional artists representing any field of artistic activity.

Conjugation

Derived terms

• taiteilija