How do you say “a date” in Hebrew?
![]() |
| a דייט as featured in the hit Israeli TV series, סרוגים (Srugim) |
![]() |
| a דייט as featured in the hit Israeli TV series, סרוגים (Srugim) |
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/להשתדל-1.mp3″ /]לְנַסּוֹת, לְהִשְׁתַּדֵּל, לַעֲשׂוֹת מַאֲמָץ In English we have to try and to make an effort. Hebrew has one more expression, totaling three, each with its nuances. First, there’s the active-intensive לנסות[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/להשתדל-2.mp3″ /]. It’s the most broadly used, and it means to try in the trial and error sense. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/להשתדל-3.mp3″ /]אני אנסה לתפוס אותה בנייד. I’ll…
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לעבור-דירה-1.m4a” /]לַעֲבוֹר דִירָה Usually, English is the one with several words for one in Hebrew. To move is an exception, with לזוז[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לעבור-דירה-2.m4a” /] meaning to move as in not to stand still, להזיז[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לעבור-דירה-3.m4a” /] meaning to move something else, and לעבור דירה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לעבור-דירה-1.m4a” /] meaning to move (house), where דירה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לעבור-דירה-4.m4a” /] means apartment or, more generally, place…
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/לתרום-דם-#.m4a” /]לִתְרוֹם דָּם The Hebrew word for to donate is לתרום[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/לתרום-דם-#.m4a” /]. It’s a simple verb. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/לתרום-דם-#.m4a” /]כבר תרמנו כסף לארגון הזה. We’ve already donated money to this organization. The word for blood is unfortunately so basic to society that it’s virtually the same word across all Semitic languages – in…
אָהוּב, אֲהוּבָה Can’t read Hebrew yet? The Hebrew word for love is אַהֲבָה (yep, just like the Dead Sea brand), whose root is א.ה.ב (a.h.b). To love is לֶאֱהוֹב, an active-simple verb. It also means to like. For example: אֲנִי אוֹהֵב פַּסְטָה. I like pasta. In that sentence, אוהב is the action, while…
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/מסכן-#.m4a” /]מִסְכֵּן In Biblical Hebrew, מסכן[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/מסכן-#.m4a” /] refers to someone unable to support themselves financially, but over time the word came to refer to anyone in a position arousing compassion or pity – a poor thing. Here’s an example in the feminine: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/מסכן-#.m4a” /]היא נפלה מהמגלשה וקיבלה מכה, מסכנה. She fell off the…