how to say “softness” in Hebrew

רַכּוּת[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/רכות-1.mp3″ /]

If you’ve got some Hebrew under your belt, you may know the pair of opposites רַךְ[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/רכות-2.mp3″ /] – soft, and קָשֶׁה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/רכות-3.mp3″ /] – hard.

Softness is a higher-level word. In Hebrew, it’s רַכּוּת[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/רכות-1.mp3″ /].

For example:

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/רכות-4.mp3″ /]הַכֻּתְנָה מַעֲנִיקָה רַכּוּת מְרַבִּית.

Cotton provides maximum softness.

רכות means softness in the figurative sense as well. Likewise, בְּרַכּוּת[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/רכות-5.mp3″ /] means softly, literally, with softness.

For example:

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/רכות-6.mp3″ /]הוּא דִּבֵּר אֵלֶיהָ בְּרַכּוּת אָבָל בְּהֶחְלֵטִיּוּת.

He spoke to her softly but decisively.