how do you say “cute” in Hebrew?
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/חמוד-1.m4a” /]חָמוּד
The Land of Israel has many names in the Bible, one of which is ארץ חמדה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/חמוד-2.m4a” /] – translated roughly as the coveted land. The root ח.מ.ד[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/חמוד-3.m4a” /] means desire or coveting, as in the Biblical commandment לא תחמוד[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/חמוד-4.m4a” /] – do not covet.
ח.מ.ד is also the root of the words חמוד[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/חמוד-1.m4a” /] and חמודה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/חמוד-5.m4a” /], referring to someone or something cute – masculine feminine, respectively.
For example:
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/חמוד-6.m4a” /]איזה גור חמוד!
What a cute puppy (cub)!
ח.מ.ד is a Semitic root that finds expression in Arabic as well, most notably in the name محمد – Muhammad. In Arabic, the root means praiseworthy.
