how to say “hall” in Hebrew
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/אולם-#.m4a” /]הֵיכָל, אוּלָם
Hebrew has two words for the type of hall that can fit lots of people: היכל[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/אולם-#.m4a” /] and אולם[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/אולם-#.m4a” /].
היכל refers to a hall consecrated for a particular purpose, such as היכל התרבות[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/אולם-#.m4a” /] – the Hall of Culture in Tel Aviv, and the היכל that was the gathering place in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem,whose destruction is commemorated today.
But when speaking about a hall for various purposes such as weddings and other special events, the word is אולם, for example:
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/אולם-#.m4a” /]זה אולם ענקי!
That’s a gigantic hall!
אולם often used in conjunction with שמחות[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/אולם-#.m4a” /] to mean hall for joyous occasions:
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/אולם-#.m4a” /]בשכונת תלפיות בירושלים יש הרבה אולמי שמחות.
In the Talpiot neighborhood in Jerusalem there are lots of simcha (joyous occasion) halls.