how to say “gimme a break” in Hebrew
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/תעשה-לי-טובה-#.m4a” /]תַּעֲשֶׂה לִי טוֹבָה
Hebrew doesn’t have a literal translation for gimme a break. Really, what’s a break anyway? What’s being broken?
To dismiss an idea with the same measured disgust mixed with a dash of hope as gimme a break, Israelis say תעשה לי טובה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/תעשה-לי-טובה-#.m4a” /] to a male, and תעשי לי טובה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/תעשה-לי-טובה-#.m4a” /] to a female – literally, do me a favor.
For example:
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/תעשה-לי-טובה-#.m4a” /]המבצע הזה הוא לא אמיתי, דוד, תעשה לי טובה.
This deal is not real, David, gimme a break.
תעשה/תעשי לי טובה also means do me a favor in the literal sense, as in:
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/תעשה-לי-טובה-#.m4a” /]תעשי לי טובה, שרה, תביאי לי כוס מים.
Do me a favor, Sarah, bring me a glass of water.
