how to say “to say something (make a comment)” in Hebrew

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/להעיר-#.m4a” /]לְהָעִיר

The best-known meaning of the word להעיר[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/להעיר-#.m4a” /], a הפעיל verb, is to wake someone up.

For example:

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/להעיר-#.m4a” /]דוד, תעיר אותי כשמגיעים.

David, wake me up when we arrive.

In this case, we use a form of the את[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/להעיר-#.m4a” /] after להעיר – the word אותי[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/להעיר-#.m4a” /] basically combines the words  את (no parallel in English) and אני[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/להעיר-#.m4a” /] I.

But להעיר also means to make a comment (to waken up an idea), to “say something” to someone – about something they did or said.

For example:

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/להעיר-#.m4a” /]הערתי לו על הגופייה – לא מתלבשים ככה בבית הספר.

I said something to him about the tank-top – we don’t dress that way in school.

In this case, we use a form of -ל[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/להעיר-#.m4a” /] – to, as in הערתי לו[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/להעיר-#.m4a” /] – I made a comment to him.