לִמְשׁוֹךְ כֶּסֶף Can’t read Hebrew yet? The verb to draw in English might refer to drawing a picture on canvas, water from a well or money from a machine. Hebrew has different words for each of these. To draw a picture is לְצַיֵּר צִיּוּר . To draw water…
זיכרון Tomorrow is יוֹם הַזִּכָּרוֹן (yohm hah-zee-kah-ROHN), Israel’s Memorial Day (literally, Day of Remembrance). In the States, some people have a somber Memorial Day, but the vast majority see it as an excuse for a getaway, a barbecue, or a shopping spree. Not so in Israel. יום הזיכרון (the root ז.כ.ר., in this context, is…
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/תן-בראש-#.m4a” /]תֵּן בָּרֹאשׁ People wish each other luck and success in English with expressions like give ’em hell and knock ’em dead. Hebrew uses this slang expression: תן בראש[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/תן-בראש-#.m4a” /] – literally, give in the head (proverbially involving a fist). For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/תן-בראש-#.m4a” /]יש לך מבחן מחר? תן בראש! You’ve got an exam…
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/סתימה-בכיור-#.m4a” /]סְתִימָה בַּכִּיּוֹר The water won’t go down no matter the amount of chemical solution you pour into the sink. It’s time to call the plumber and tell him: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/סתימה-בכיור-#.m4a” /]יש סתימה בכיור. My sink is clogged. or literally: There’s a blockage in the sink. סתימה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/סתימה-בכיור-#.m4a” /] is a noun form of…
Perhaps you know the Hebrew word for dangerous – מְסוּכָּן (me-soo-KAHN). Likewise, the word for danger itself is סַכָּנָה (sah-kah-NAH). The word for risk comes from the same root – ס.כ.נ (s.k.n): סִכּוּן (see-KOON). Radio-show lineup I’ve got my radio show of Israeli music explained at noon today (as every week), on RustyMike…
מִשְׁפָּט Can’t read Hebrew yet? The Hebrew word for sentence – as in “These words form a sentence.” – is מִשְׁפָּט . It comes from the root שׁ.פ.ט (sh.p.t) meaning judgment. For example: הַיֶּלֶד שֶׁהִפְרִיעַ בַּשִּׁיעוּר נִדְרַשׁ לִכְתּוֹב מִשְׁפָּטִים עַל הַלּוּחַ. The boy who interrupted class was required to write…