how to say “precise” in Hebrew

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/מדויק-#.m4a” /]מְדֻיָּק

The Hebrew word מדויק[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/מדויק-#.m4a” /] means literally accurate or precise. It’s related to the word for grammar – דקדוק[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/מדויק-#.m4a” /], which is the systematic, mathematical, more precise side of a language. It’s also related to בדיוק[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/מדויק-#.m4a” /] – the word for exactly.

For example:

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/מדויק-#.m4a” /]הצלף יורה באופן מדויק ביותר.

The sniper shoots with extreme precision (in a most precise manner).

But מדויק in Israeli culture means more than precise in the mathematical sense. People use it to describe something as not only spot on, but deeply truthful as well.

For example:

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/מדויק-#.m4a” /]מה שאתה אומר זה מדויק ונוגע ללב.

What you’re saying is precise and touching.

מדויק is a passive פועל form of the root ד.ו.ק[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/מדויק-#.m4a” /] or ד.י.ק[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/מדויק-#.m4a” /]. Its mirror-image active פיעל verb is לדייק[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/מדויק-#.m4a” /] – to be precise.