how to say “a promise” in Hebrew

ByAmi Steinberger

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/הבטחה-#.m4a” /]הַבְטָחָה

If להבטיח[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/הבטחה-#.m4a” /] is to promise, הבטחה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/הבטחה-#.m4a” /] is a promise.

For example:

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/הבטחה-#.m4a” /]היא תמיד מקיימת את ההבטחות שלה.

She always keeps her promises.

The root of these words is ב.ט.ח[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/הבטחה-#.m4a” /], spelling !בטח[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/הבטחה-#.m4a” /] – sure!

And although אבטיח[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/הבטחה-#.m4a” /] – watermelon – seems to have the same root letters, it isn’t related: the ח[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/הבטחה-#.m4a” /] in אבטיח was historically pronounced kh, while the ח in בטח was a guttural sound closer to h, so they’re in effect two different root letters.

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