how to say “created” in Hebrew

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/נוצר-#.m4a” /]נוֹצָר, נִבְרָא

Hebrew has two words for to create – ליצור[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/נוצר-#.m4a” /] and לברוא[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/נוצר-#.m4a” /].

While לברוא is more about creating something from nothing – יש מאין[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/נוצר-#.m4a” /], its synonym ליצור is more about bringing something into form.

Something created? That’s נברא[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/נוצר-#.m4a” /] or נוצר[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/נוצר-#.m4a” /], though נוצר also means formed.

For example:

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/נוצר-#.m4a” /]הסיפור הזה לא היה ולא נברא.

This story neither was nor was ever created (never took place).

but

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/נוצר-#.m4a” /]הוא אמר ככה והיא אמרה ככה, וכך נוצרה הבעיה.

He said this and she said that, and thus the problem was formed.

נוצר is a form of the נפעל verb להיווצר[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/נוצר-#.m4a” /]. Both are related to the word צורה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/נוצר-#.m4a” /] – form or shape.

נברא is a form of the נפעל verb להיברא[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/נוצר-#.m4a” /]. Both are related to בריא[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/נוצר-#.m4a” /] – healthy, which once referred to someone well fed, whose physical presence is felt because it takes up space.