how to say “superhero” in Hebrew

 

having trouble seeing the print?

גִּבּוֹר-עַל

 


Learn to Speak Hebrew… With Us

 

 
I took a course in Jewish education a number of years ago, in which we discussed how to portray the Biblical forefathers to young Jewish students: as superhuman, or as normal, flawed people who nevertheless strove for and achieved greatness.
 
 
 
While the word super itself translates into Hebrew in a number of ways, including אַדִּיר listen and repeat מְצֻיָּן listen and repeat and מְעֻלֶּה listen and repeat, the prefix super- translates into עַל listen and repeat, and is used in such terms as the following:
 
מַחְשֵׁב-עַל
supercomputer
 
עַל-טִבְעִי
supernatural 
 
גִּבּוֹר-עַל
superhero
 
גיבורת על
 
 
A female superhero is a גִּבּוֹרַת-עַל listen and repeat.
 
Superman the character remains סוּפֶּרְמֶן listen and repeat in Hebrew, but the Nietzschean concept of the superman – the Übermensch – is עַל-אָדָם listen and repeat in Hebrew.
 
The word על itself means up.
 
 

 
 
by Ami SteinbergerFounder and Director, Ulpan La-Inyan
Enjoying Your Daily Dose of Hebrew? 

Similar Posts