תֹּאַר Can’t read Hebrew yet? The Hebrew root ת.א.ר (t.a.r) means description, as in the active-intensive verb לְתָאֵר – to describe. Thus an academic degree – the description of a person’s education – is a תֹּאַר . For example: יֵשׁ לוֹ כְּבָר תֹּאַר רִאשׁוֹן, וְהוּא כָּרֶגַע לוֹמֵד לִקְרַאת תֹּאַר שֵׁנִי. He already…
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/תחזוקה-#.m4a” /]תַּחֲזוּקָה, אַחְזָקָה The Hebrew word for maintenance is תחזוקה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/תחזוקה-#.m4a” /], as in: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/תחזוקה-#.m4a” /]הבניין הזה דורש יותר מדי תחזוקה. This building demands too much maintenance. Likewise, to maintain something in the sense of regular checkups and repairs is the פיעל verb לתחזק[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/תחזוקה-#.m4a” /]. What is the root of these words? If you…
having trouble seeing the print? לְהִתְחָרֵט Don’t miss the deadline! Our fall classes start October 30. Save 200 shekels by October 11. Suppose a young Israeli man meets a young Israeli woman and strikes up a lively conversation. After a while, the two exchange phone numbers and continue their talk, until the woman says, ?בֵּן כַּמָּה…
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/אין-צורך-#.m4a” /]אֵין צֹרֶךְ One of the most important things one needs to be able to say in Hebrew is I need: אני צריך[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/אין-צורך-#.m4a” /] if you’re male, and אני צריכה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/אין-צורך-#.m4a” /] if you’re female. A need is צורך[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/אין-צורך-#.m4a” /], while there’s no need is אין צורך[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/אין-צורך-#.m4a” /]. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/אין-צורך-#.m4a” /]אין צורך…
לברוח Another colorful word that has to do with movement is לִבְרוֹח (leev-ROH-akh), to escape. The Jewish people (Israelites) in Egypt escaped with their bread not having enough time to rise. So too, I’ve escaped the hustle and bustle of the city to spend Passover with these guys in Beit Alpha: Salamlak…
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/כובע-מצחייה-#.m4a” /]כּוֹבַע מִצְחִיָּה The Hebrew word for a hat is כובע[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/כובע-מצחייה-#.m4a” /]. The word refers to a hat of any kind, even a stocking cap – כובע גרב[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/כובע-מצחייה-#.m4a” /]. A baseball cap or visor is כובע מצחייה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/כובע-מצחייה-#.m4a” /] – literally, a hat-forehead cover, as מצח[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/כובע-מצחייה-#.m4a” /] means forehead. Mind you, baseball is not a big deal in…