how to say “modest” in Hebrew

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/צנוע-1.m4a” /]צָנוּעַ

According to Wikipedia, the name of the capital city of Yemen, Sana’a (صنعاء‎‎), probably means well fortified, derived from a Southern Arabian dialect.

Since the Mishnaic Hebrew word להצניע[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/צנוע-2.m4a” /] means to hide or to store something, it’s not far-fetched to connect these two Semitic words: in order to store something, one needs to fortify it so that it’s not easy to grab.

But let’s go back even further, to Biblical Hebrew, where the word meaning modest (of a guarded, low-profile spirit) makes a solo appearance in the holy books:

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/צנוע-3.m4a” /]…עֲשׂוֹת מִשְׁפָּט וְאַהֲבַת חֶסֶד, וְהַצְנֵעַ לֶכֶת, עִם-אֱלֹהֶיךָ. (מיכה ו’, ח’)

…to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8)

Biblical הצנע[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/צנוע-4.m4a” /] forms the basis of the Modern-Hebrew words צנוע[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/צנוע-1.m4a” /] – modest when referring to a male, and צנועה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/צנוע-5.m4a” /] – modest when referring to a female. And though צנוע/צנועה might refer to the way a person dresses, they can also refer to how a person behaves.

For example:

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/צנוע-6.m4a” /]למרות מעמדה כשרה בממשלה, היא אישה צנועה מאוד.

Despite her status as a government minister, she is a very modest woman.

Likewise, צניעות[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/צנוע-7.m4a” /] means modesty, and בצניעות[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/צנוע-8.m4a” /] means modestly.

For example:

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/צנוע-9.m4a” /]הם חיים בצניעות, בכפר.

They live modestly, in the village.