how to say “expression” in Hebrew

ByAmi Steinberger

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/ביטוי-#.m4a” /]בִּטּוּי

Just as in English there’s expression, saying, maxim, aphorism, etc, in Hebrew there are also several words for expression: אמירה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/ביטוי-#.m4a” /] is literally a saying, ניב[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/ביטוי-#.m4a” /] means both expression and dialect, פתגם[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/ביטוי-#.m4a” /] is an expression with a moral, and ביטוי[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/ביטוי-#.m4a” /] is simply a verbal expression or phrase, originating from the Rabbinic ביטוי שפתיים[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/ביטוי-#.m4a” /] – the expression of lips.

For example:

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/ביטוי-#.m4a” /]לא כל ביטוי מיתרגם יפה בין שפות.

Not every expression translates nicely between languages.

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