how to say “peace of mind” in Hebrew

ByAmi Steinberger October 12, 2011November 7, 2018

שֶׁקֶט נַפְשִׁי

How’s your Hebrew?

Class starts October 30 around the country.

This posting is for my friend Jon in the Antelope Valley… and for Gilad.

I was filled with joy to hear of the impending deal that should free Gilad Shalit within a few days.

Then my excitement dropped when I saw the cost.

A Hebrew expression that means, roughly, peace of mind is שֶׁקֶט נַפְשִׁי (SHEH-ket nahf-SHEE). It means, literally, quiet of the soul – where the י (yod) ending on the word נֶפֶש (NEH-fesh) turns the noun into an adjective.

I hope and pray that this deal is the right thing to do. I hope it brings lasting peace of mind to Gilad’s till-now tortured parents, to all of Israel and to Jews and friends the world over.

Further expand your Hebrew vocabulary with…

how to say “confirmation” in Hebrew

ByAmi Steinberger November 9, 2021November 4, 2021

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/אישור-#.m4a” /]אִישּׁוּר לאשר[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/אישור-#.m4a” /], a פיעל verb, means to confirm or to validate. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/אישור-#.m4a” /]נא לאשר הגעה עד סוף החודש. Please confirm (intention for) arrival by the end of the month. Likewise, אישור[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/אישור-#.m4a” /] is confirmation. Israelis use this word all the time, often referring to a certificate of confirmation, as…

how to say “hairbrush” in Hebrew

ByAmi Steinberger June 1, 2020May 28, 2020

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/מברשת-שיער-#.m4a” /]מִבְרֶשֶׁת שֵׂעָר The Hebrew word for brush is מברשת[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/מברשת-שיער-#.m4a” /]. Look at it closely. Its root is ב.ר.ש[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/מברשת-שיער-#.m4a” /], the same consonants as the English brush. Does this word really have an English origin? Yes and no. Someone – possibly Eliezer Ben Yehuda – coined the term מברשת in the late…

how to say “deal with it” in Hebrew

ByAmi Steinberger December 1, 2015October 23, 2018

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/תתמודדו-1.m4a” /]תִּתְמוֹדְדוּ When people go against the grain or otherwise disturb society’s equilibrium of norms, they tend to elicit negative reactions from others. These people might fold under the pressure, or they might give a message of “deal with it.” The Hebrew expression for this, when speaking to a group of people, is תתמודדו[audioclip…

how to say “to bathe” in Hebrew

ByAmi Steinberger April 29, 2015October 23, 2018

לְהִתְרַחֵץ[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/להתרחץ-1.mp3″ /] To wash something is the active-simple verb לִרְחוֹץ[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/להתרחץ-2.mp3″ /], as in: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/להתרחץ-3.mp3″ /]רָחַצְתָּ יָדַיִם? Did you (a male) wash your hands? Now, that’s the simple action of washing an object or a body part. But to wash oneself or to bathe is a different action, a reflexive one. The word…

how to say “measurable” in Hebrew

ByAmi Steinberger June 13, 2022June 10, 2022

מָדִיד To measure in Hebrew is the simple verb למדוד. For example: כמה ארוכה הספה? צריך למדוד. How long is the sofa? (We) need to measure (it). Something measurable is מדיד, as in: “אם זה לא מדיד, אי אפשר לנהל אותו.” (ג’ק וולש) “If it isn’t measurable, it cannot be managed.” (Jack Welsh)

how to say “he goes to X school” in Hebrew

ByAmi Steinberger August 30, 2015October 23, 2018

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/הוא-לומד-ב-1.mp3″ /]הוּא לוֹמֵד בְּ… In English, when we talk about where a person studies, we often say, “he goes to the Technion” or “she goes to Columbia.” To go is the verb in the expression. In Hebrew, the verb is the active-simple ללמוד[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/הוא-לומד-ב-2.mp3″ /] – to study. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/הוא-לומד-ב-3.mp3″ /]הוא לומד בטכניון. He goes…

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