how to say “to get strong” in Hebrew

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

If you’ve got some basic Hebrew under your belt, you may know the word for strong – חזק[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/להתחזק-2.m4a” /].

For example (in the feminine):

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/להתחזק-3.m4a” /]יש פה רוח חזקה מאוד.

There’s a very strong wind here.

חזק, a three-letter word, functions as a root, produces several other words such as להחזיק[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/להתחזק-5.m4a” /] – to hold, לחזק[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/להתחזק-6.m4a” /] – to strengthen someone or something, and להתחזק[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/להתחזק-1.m4a” /] – to get strong or to get stronger.

להתחזק can be used to talk about people:

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/להתחזק-7.m4a” /]הוא מתאמן הרבה – רואים עליו שהוא מתחזק.

He works out a lot – (you can) see on him that he’s getting strong.

and

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/להתחזק-8.m4a” /]לאחרונה היא מתחזקת בדת.

Recently she’s been getting stronger religiously.

להתחזק is also often used to refer to currencies getting stronger:

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/להתחזק-9.m4a” /]הדולר מתחזק לעומת השקל.

The dollar is strengthening against the shekel.