how to say “significant” in Hebrew

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

The Hebrew word משמעות[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/משמעותי-2.m4a” /] – significance – comes from the word משמע[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/משמעותי-3.m4a” /], which means meaning. משמע itself comes from the root ש.מ.ע[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/משמעותי-4.m4a” /] meaning hearing: an idea becomes meaningful when we first hear it (or see it in print, now that most Westerners can read) – only then can we internalize it.

For example, Victor Frankl’s book Man’s Search for Meaning is האדם מחפש משמעות[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/משמעותי-5.m4a” /] – Man Searches for Meaning – in the Hebrew rendition.

Something meaningful – something of significance or significant – is משמעותי[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/משמעותי-1.m4a” /].

For example:

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/משמעותי-6.m4a” /]יש הבדל משמעותי בין מזג האוויר בירושלים לבין מזג האוויר בתל אביב.

There’s a significant difference between the weather in Jerusalem and the weather in Tel Aviv.

As for significant other – the term isn’t used in Hebrew. Use בן זוג[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/משמעותי-7.m4a” /] – male partner – or בת זוג[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/משמעותי-8.m4a” /] – female partner – instead.