how to say “lit up” in Hebrew

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/מואר-1.m4a” /]מוּאָר

Ernest Hemingway wrote a short story called “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place.” The story itself I don’t remember at all, but the title for some reason stayed with me.

Something lighted or lit in Hebrew is מואר[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/מואר-1.m4a” /], a passive form of the active-causative verb להאיר[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/מואר-2.m4a” /] – to light up or to shine. This word להאיר also forms the common Hebrew name for boys, יאיר[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/מואר-3.m4a” /] – he will light up, and the less common name for girls, תאיר[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/מואר-4.m4a” /] – she will light up. The root of all these is the word אור[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/מואר-5.m4a” /] – light, also a common Hebrew name.

מואר in context, in the feminine:

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/מואר-6.m4a” /]פעם לא היה כאן חשמל, אבל היום העיר מוארת בלילה.

Once there was no electricity here, but today the city is lit up at night.

A well-lit place is מקום מואר היטב[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/מואר-7.m4a” /], and Hemingway’s story title in Hebrew is מקום נקי, מואר היטב[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/מואר-8.m4a” /].