how to say “question” in Hebrew

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/שאלה-#.m4a” /]שְׁאֵלָה

While to ask is the simple verb לשאול[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/שאלה-#.m4a” /], a question is שאלה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/שאלה-#.m4a” /], as in:

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/שאלה-#.m4a” /]יש לי שאלה אליכם.

I have a question for (to) you guys.

If you’ve watched the Israeli drama Shtisel, you’ve probably heard the expression מה השאלה בכלל[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/שאלה-#.m4a” /] – what’s (even) the question? (meaning of course!) as a response to someone asking for a favor.

There’s also the word קושיה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/שאלה-#.m4a” /] for question (or in its Aramaic spelling, קושיא), but in Modern Hebrew it’s used only once a year – on Passover eve, when children ask the ארבע קושיות[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/שאלה-#.m4a” /] – the four questions, AKA the מה נשתנה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/שאלה-#.m4a” /] – Mah Nishtanah.

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