10 Hebrew words to get you through the coronavirus
These ten words and terms will help you understand what they’re talking about on the Israeli news.
1. בהלה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/corona-#.m4a” /] – panic
The Hebrew word for panic in the social sense is בהלה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/corona-#.m4a” /]. It comes from the root ב.ה.ל[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/corona-#.m4a” /] meaning disquiet, a root that appears in the Book of Esther:
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/corona-#.m4a” /] ויבהילו להביא את המן אל המשתה אשר עשתה אסתר (אסתר ו’, י”ד)
And they hurried to bring Haman to the feast that Esther had prepared. (Esther 6:14)
2. נגיף[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/corona-#.m4a” /] – virus
When Israelis speak about day-to-day viruses, they tend to say וירוס[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/corona-#.m4a” /]. But when it comes to something as widespread as the coronavirus, the word in the media is נגיף[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/corona-#.m4a” /] from the root נ.ג.פ[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/corona-#.m4a” /] meaning to strike.
Perhaps when this is all over, Israelis will start using the word נגיף instead of וירוס to describe the common cold as well.
3. מחלה מדבקת[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/corona-#.m4a” /] – infectious disease
The word for disease – מחלה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/corona-#.m4a” /] – comes from חולה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/corona-#.m4a” /] meaning sick or ill.
An infectious disease is מחלה מדבקת[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/corona-#.m4a” /], where מדבקת[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/corona-#.m4a” /] is a פיעל verb of the root ד.ב.ק[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/corona-#.m4a” /] meaning clinging: An infectious disease clings to everyone in contact with it.
4. בידוד[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/corona-#.m4a” /] – quarantine
Hebrew’s word for quarantine – בידוד[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/corona-#.m4a” /] – means literally isolation. It reflects not only the physical state of being isolated, but also the social predicament of being alone.
5. נשא[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/corona-#.m4a” /] – carrier
Someone carrying a virus is a נשא[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/corona-#.m4a” /] or נשאית[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/corona-#.m4a” /], as the word for to carry is לשאת[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/corona-#.m4a” /], whose root is נ.ש.א[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/corona-#.m4a” /].
An aircraft carrier is נושאת מטוסים[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/corona-#.m4a” /].
6. התפשטות[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/corona-#.m4a” /] – spread
You might hear התפשטות הקורונה בעולם[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/corona-#.m4a” /] – that’s the spread of (the) corona in the world.
התפשטות,[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/corona-#.m4a” /] meaning spreading out, comes from the התפעל verb להתפשט[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/corona-#.m4a” /] – to spread out.
Incidentally, the word להתפשט also means to disrobe.
7. למנוע[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/corona-#.m4a” /] – to prevent
Governments across the globe are taking action to prevent the spread corona – למנוע את התפשטות הקורונה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/corona-#.m4a” /]. The simple verb למנוע[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/corona-#.m4a” /] means to prevent. Likewise, prevention is מניעה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/corona-#.m4a” /].
8. לשטוף ידיים[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/corona-#.m4a” /] – to wash hands
Hebrew’s expression for to wash hands is לשטוף ידיים[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/corona-#.m4a” /] – literally, to rinse hands.
For example:
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/corona-#.m4a” /]כדי לעזור במניעת התפשטות הקורונה, חשוב לשטוף ידיים עם סבון.
In order to prevent spread of corona, it’s important to wash hands with soap.
9. מדינות זרות[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/corona-#.m4a” /] – foreign countries
Italy is on lockdown. Israel is sending into quarantine everyone who arrives from a foreign country.
The Hebrew expression for foreign country is מדינה זרה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/corona-#.m4a” /], so foreign countries are מדינות זרות[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/corona-#.m4a” /].
10. יהיה בסדר[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/corona-#.m4a” /] – it’s gonna be okay
With all the concern over coronavirus, it’s important to keep things in perspective. The world (not to mention the Jewish people) has seen worse things. As Israelis tend to say about every impending calamity, יהיה בסדר[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/corona-#.m4a” /] – it’s gonna be okay.
