how to say “shepherd” in Hebrew

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/רועה-צאן-1.m4a” /]רֹעֵה צֹאן

Shepherd certainly isn’t core vocabulary, but my experience is that once I learn a word of some interest, I find ways to use it that day or that week. The Hebrew word for shepherd is רועה צאן[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/רועה-צאן-1.m4a” /] if he’s a male, and רועת צאן[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/רועה-צאן-2.m4a” /] in the less likely event that she’s a female.

For example:

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/רועה-צאן-3.m4a” /]בדרך לים המלח ניתן לראות רועי צאן בעבודתם.

On the way to the Dead Sea, one can see shepherds at (their) work.

In רועה צאן, the word צאן[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/רועה-צאן-4.m4a” /] means flock of sheep while רועה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/רועה-צאן-5.m4a” /] means herder.

Don’t confuse רועה with רואה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/רועה-צאן-6.m4a” /] – (he/you/I) see(s), though I wouldn’t be surprised if there were a relationship between the two roots – ר.ע.ה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/רועה-צאן-7.m4a” /] and ר.א.ה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/רועה-צאן-8.m4a” /], both having to do with observing.