how to say “(not) a waste of time” in Hebrew

ByAmi Steinberger

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/חבל-על-הזמן-#.m4a” /]חֲבָל עַל הַזְּמַן

You’ve just come back from a concert. Your friend asks:

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/חבל-על-הזמן-#.m4a” /]איך היה?

How was it?

And you reply:

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/חבל-על-הזמן-#.m4a” /]חבל על הזמן!

This expression means literally, it’s a shame for the time – meaning a waste of time. But you say this ironically – the opposite is true, that it’s a waste of time NOT to have been at the concert.

Watch today’s video for more examples.

Similar Posts

Weekly YDDH Review

Weekly YDDH Review

ByAmi Steinberger

חֹמֶר לְשִׁנּוּן[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/review-1.mp3″ /] Review Material You spent time on your Hebrew this week. Use these review materials to make it yours to keep.      To take full advantage of the review material, click on “Choose a study mode” in the bottom right corner of the box above. [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/review-2.mp3″ /]שבת שלום, וסוף…

how to say “estate” in Hebrew

ByAmi Steinberger

  אֲחֻזָּה  listen and repeat Can’t read Hebrew yet?     The main street in Raanana is called אֲחֻזָּה (pronounced colloquially like this). It means estate, and it comes from the root א.ח.ז (a.kh.z) meaning holding onto something.   Sometimes a mansion is called an אחוזה  listen and repeat, as in:   זֶה לֹא בַּיִת – זֶה…

how to say “parking lot” in Hebrew

ByAmi Steinberger

חַנְיוֹן, מִגְרַשׁ חֲנָיָה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/חניון-1.mp3″ /] In American English it’s called a parking lot, while in the Commonwealth they call it a car park. In Hebrew, such a facility has two terms, one for a parking structure and the other for an outdoor slab of land designated for parking cars. The first, the parking structure is a…

how to say “baseball cap” in Hebrew

ByAmi Steinberger

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/כובע-מצחייה-#.m4a” /]כּוֹבַע מִצְחִיָּה The Hebrew word for a hat is כובע[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/כובע-מצחייה-#.m4a” /]. The word refers to a hat of any kind, even a stocking cap – כובע גרב[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/כובע-מצחייה-#.m4a” /]. A baseball cap or visor is כובע מצחייה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/כובע-מצחייה-#.m4a” /] – literally, a hat-forehead cover, as מצח[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/כובע-מצחייה-#.m4a” /] means forehead. Mind you, baseball is not a big deal in…

how to say “sea lion” in Hebrew

ByAmi Steinberger

  having trouble seeing the print? כֶּלֶב יָם highly recommended for  further vocabulary growth   If you’re up for a challenge and you like to read about animals, check out this Ynet article about Israeli wildlife photography. Warning – some pictures are not suitable for vegetarians. The first animal depicted in the article is a leopard seal,…

daily video – how to say “flippers” in Hebrew

ByAmi Steinberger
To slow down the audio, start playing the video and then click the settings icon at the bottom-right of the video and change the playback speed. תמליל של הכתוביות בעברית אהלן חברים יקרים אני נמצא פה עם מורה תותח שלנו עמרי חלק מכם מכירים אותו גם ומדברים קצת על צלילה, ושחייה נגיד אני לא שוחה...