how to say “to cross the street” in Hebrew
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לחצות-את-הכביש-1.m4a” /]לַחֲצוֹת אֶת הַכְּבִישׂ
In English, street is the generic term for any thoroughfare, with words such as road, avenue, boulevard for more specific ones.
In Hebrew, the generic term is כביש[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לחצות-את-הכביש-2.m4a” /] – literally, road.
Thus to cross the street is לחצות את הכביש[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לחצות-את-הכביש-1.m4a” /].
The word לחצות[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לחצות-את-הכביש-3.m4a” /] itself comes from the root ח.צ.י[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לחצות-את-הכביש-4.m4a” /] meaning half – so that when we cross a street, it’s as if we’re splitting in half by forming an imaginary line made up of our footsteps. Come to think of it, to cross suggests a similar image.
The expression in action:
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לחצות-את-הכביש-5.m4a” /]ילד, אל תחצה את הכביש בלי מבוגר לידך.
Kid (boy), don’t cross the street without an adult next to you.