how to say “don’t mess with me” in Hebrew

ByAmi Steinberger

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/להתעסק-#.m4a” /]אַל תִּתְעַסֵּק אִיתִּי

The Hebrew word עסק[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/להתעסק-#.m4a” /] means business, which is all about busy-ness – coming, going, wheeling and dealing. 

While להתעסק[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/להתעסק-#.m4a” /] means literally to deal with someone/something, in slang it means to mess.

For example:

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/להתעסק-#.m4a” /]הוא אדם שלא כדאי להתעסק איתו.

He’s a person you shouldn’t mess with.

To mess with me is להתעסק איתי[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/להתעסק-#.m4a” /], so don’t mess with me is אל תתעסק איתי[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/להתעסק-#.m4a” /] when speaking to a male, אל תתעסקי איתי[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/להתעסק-#.m4a” /] to a female, and אל תתעסקו איתי[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/להתעסק-#.m4a” /] to more than one person.

להתעסק is a התפעל verb.

What about don’t mess with us, with him, with her, etc? Watch today’s video to find out.

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