how to say “fragile” in Hebrew

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/שביר-#.m4a” /]שָׁבִיר

The Hebrew word for to break is the simple verb לשבור[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/שביר-#.m4a” /].

For example:

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/שביר-#.m4a” /]אני לא שברתי את הקערה!

I didn’t break the bowl!

Something breakable – or fragile – is שביר[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/שביר-#.m4a” /], a word of the same root as לשבור.

For example:

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/שביר-#.m4a” /]ספלים מחרסינה הם שבירים ביותר.

Porcelain mugs are especially fragile.

שביר follows an adjective pattern found in other Hebrew words, such as קליט[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/שביר-#.m4a” /] – catchy or absorbable (from לקלוט[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/שביר-#.m4a” /] – to absorb) and חריג[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/שביר-#.m4a” /] – irregular (from לחרוג[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/שביר-#.m4a” /] – to digress).