how to say “daring” and “audacity” in Hebrew

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/תעוזה-1.m4a” /]תְּעוּזָה, הֱעָזָה

By its nature, the act of doing something requiring courage may come across as positive or less so: It could be called an act of daring or an act of audacity, which itself could be positive or negative.

The Hebrew words for each draw upon the same root – ע.ו.ז[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/תעוזה-2.m4a” /]: The word for daring is תעוזה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/תעוזה-3.m4a” /], while the word for audacity is העזה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/תעוזה-4.m4a” /], a strict declension of the active-causative verb להעיז[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/תעוזה-5.m4a” /] – to dare. Whereas תעוזה is a synonym of אומץ[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/תעוזה-6.m4a” /] – courage or valor, העזה is a synonym of חוצפה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/תעוזה-7.m4a” /] – well, chutzpah, of which there are healthy and unhealthy varieties.

For example, on the one hand:

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/תעוזה-8.m4a” /]המכב”ים הפגינו תעוזה רבה.

The Maccabees displayed great daring.

and on the other hand:

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/תעוזה-9.m4a” /]איזו העזה יש לנער הזה…

What audacity this teenager (a boy) has…

Similar Posts