how to say “beard” in Hebrew
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/זקן-ז-#.m4a” /]זָקָן
The Hebrew word for beard is זקן[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/זקן-ז-#.m4a” /], as in:
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/זקן-ז-#.m4a” /]יפה לך זקן!
You look good with a beard!
The letters in this word look identical to those of the word for elderly man – זקֵן[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/זקן-ז-#.m4a” /], but the two are not related. What today is a single letter ז[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/זקן-ז-#.m4a” /] (Zayin) represented in ancient times two distinct sounds: z and dh. While זקן meaning old man started with a z sound, זקן meaning beard started with a dh sound. Consider them two different roots.
