how to say “to chase after a girl” in Hebrew
לחזר
In English we used to call this courting. Somehow I think the modern-day rendition – to pursue – sounds less romantic than the contemporary Hebrew – לְחַזֵּר (le-khah-ZEHR). For example, הוּא חִזֵּר אַחֲרֶיה (hoo khee-ZEHR ah-khah-REH-hah) – He courted/pursued her.
You can listen to this word conjugated in context, in Ehud Banai’s רוּחוֹת הַצָּפוֹן (roo-KHOHT hah-tsah-FOHN) – “Northern Winds”: (click for the YouTube video). Advance the video to about 1:15. The lyrics, in Hebrew, are under the video itself. You can copy and paste them into Google Translate to get them in inaccurate English, but English that gives you the gist of the song nonetheless.
The song can be found on the album קָרוֹב (kah-ROHV) – “Close By”. I’m adding it to the playlist of my show on Wednesday.
The key lines:
אָז הִיא מָצְאָה אָחֵר (ahz hee mahts-AH ah-KHEHR) – so she found someone else
מְסֻדַּר וּמְחַזֵּר (me-soo-DAHR oo-meh-khah-ZEHR) – put-together and (active in) courting (her)
It sounds a lot better in the Hebrew.
