how to say “to pinch” in Hebrew

ByAmi Steinberger June 1, 2022May 25, 2022

To pinch (someone) is לצבוט
, a simple verb.

For example:

תפסיק לצבוט אותי!

Stop pinching me! (to a boy… or a man)

Likewise, a pinch – in the sense of getting pinched – is צביטה
.

But what about a pinch of salt? That’s קורט מלח
, where קורט
refers to the smallest amount of substance one can hold between two fingers.

For a joke using לצבוט, watch today’s video.

the different words for “here” in Hebrew

ByAmi Steinberger October 25, 2015October 23, 2018

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/כאן-1.m4a” /]פֹּה, כָּאן, הִנֵּה A subscriber asked me recently about the different words for here in Hebrew. While פה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/כאן-2.m4a” /] goes back to Biblical Hebrew, the use of כאן[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/כאן-3.m4a” /] only began in Mishnaic times, and probably arrived from a foreign language such as Aramaic. But they are used interchangeably to mean here, as in: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/כאן-4.m4a” /]יש…

how to say “sky blue” in Hebrew

ByAmi Steinberger February 6, 2022February 5, 2022

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/תכלת-#.m4a” /]תְּכֵלֶת כחול[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/תכלת-#.m4a” /] is the common word for blue, but Israelis often use תכלת[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/תכלת-#.m4a” /] to refer to particularly graceful things like the sea and the sky. תכלת is azure – basically sky blue. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/תכלת-#.m4a” /]יש לה עיניים יפות, בצבע תכלת. She has beautiful eyes, of the color sky blue….

how to say “to give change” in Hebrew

ByAmi Steinberger January 18, 2012October 31, 2018

having trouble seeing the print? לִפְרוֹט Class starts January 29th! Check out Ulpan La-Inyan’s winter course offerings now also in Ramat Beit Shemesh! Truth is, the expression לָתֵת עֹדֶף (lah-TET OH-def) – to give change – does exist. But when asking for change for a bank note or a more valuable coin, the verb…

how to say “to separate” in Hebrew

ByAmi Steinberger September 21, 2020November 14, 2024

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/להפריד-#.m4a” /]לְהַפְרִיד להפריד[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/להפריד-#.m4a” /] means to separate two things one from the other. It’s always followed by a form of בין[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/להפריד-#.m4a” /] – between. For example, you may find yourself saying to children: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/להפריד-#.m4a” /]אם לא תתנהגו יפה אצטרך להפריד ביניכם. If you don’t behave nicely I’ll have to separate (between) you two. להפריד…

how to say “clean shaven” in Hebrew

ByAmi Steinberger July 21, 2020July 16, 2020

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/מגולח-#.m4a” /]מְגֻלָּח To shave (oneself), in Hebrew, is להתגלח[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/מגולח-#.m4a” /], a התפעל verb. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/מגולח-#.m4a” /]אתה נראה כמו פרא אדם, מתי כבר תתגלח? You look like a wild man, when will you shave already? To shave (someone/thing else) is לגלח[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/מגולח-#.m4a” /], a פיעל verb. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/מגולח-#.m4a” /]הוא גילח…

how to say “bathtub” in Hebrew

ByAmi Steinberger February 13, 2022February 11, 2022

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/אמבטיה-#.m4a” /]אַמְבַּטְיָה While the Hebrew word for a shower is מקלחת[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/אמבטיה-#.m4a” /] and for a sink is כיור[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/אמבטיה-#.m4a” /] – proper Semitic words – bathtub is אמבטיה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/אמבטיה-#.m4a” /], which comes from ancient Greek. To take a bath is לעשות אמבטיה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/אמבטיה-#.m4a” /] – literally, to do a bathtub. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/אמבטיה-#.m4a” /]עשית אבמטיה? טוב, לך לישון….

To pinch (someone) is לצבוט, a simple verb.