how to say “mushrooms” and “noodles” in Hebrew
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/להתכנס-1.mp3″ /]לְהִתְכַּנֵּס A phrase appearing in the prayers of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot reads: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/להתכנס-2.mp3″ /]ונפוצותינו כנס מירכתי ארץ. And gather our dispersed from the corners of the earth. The word כנס[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/להתכנס-3.mp3″ /] in that phrase means (you should) gather, so that to gather people together is the active-intensive לכנס[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/להתכנס-4.mp3″ /]. Now that’s, to…
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/אני-בנהיגה-1.m4a” /]אֲנִי בִּנְהִיגָה In Biblical Hebrew, לנהוג[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/אני-בנהיגה-2.m4a” /] means to conduct. Modern Hebrew extends לנהוג to include conducting a vehicle or driving. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/אני-בנהיגה-3.m4a” /]היא כבר נוהגת? Does she drive yet? The act of driving is נהיגה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/אני-בנהיגה-4.m4a” /]. To say, I’m driving, you say, אני בנהיגה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/אני-בנהיגה-1.m4a” /] – literally, I’m in (the act of) driving. For…
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/שרירותי-#.m4a” /]שְׁרִירוּתִי The English word arbitrary could mean random or high-handed/authoritative (think about the legal process of arbitration). For the former, Israelis tend to use רנדומלי[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/שרירותי-#.m4a” /] – random. But for the latter, the word is שרירותי[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/שרירותי-#.m4a” /]. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/שרירותי-#.m4a” /]הוא מקבל באופן קבוע החלטות שרירותיות. He makes arbitrary decisions on a regular basis….
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/ככה-אומרים-1.m4a” /]כָּכָה אוֹמְרִים He gets complimented, “wow, you’re a really good swimmer.” To which he replies with a smug smile, “that’s what they say.” The latter expression, in Hebrew, is ככה אומרים[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/ככה-אומרים-1.m4a” /]. It means literally, this way (they) say. I put they in parentheses since it’s implied, not spoken explicitly. Here’s the dialogue above,…
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/לילה-לבן-#.m4a” /]לַיְלָה לָבָן I didn’t know what a white night was until I came to live in Israel, where there’s an annual all-night event in Tel Aviv, the White City. A white night refers to a sleepless night or a night that is never fully dark such as those in summer in high latitudes. In Hebrew, this is…