how to say “fingers (and what each is called)” in Hebrew
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/אצבעות-#.m4a” /]אֶצְבָּעוֹת
While English has a special word for some fingers (thumb, pinkie) and an additional descriptive word for others (ring finger, middle finger), Hebrew has a special word for each digit on the human hand:
זרת[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/אצבעות-#.m4a” /] – pinkie, little finger
קמיצה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/אצבעות-#.m4a” /] – ring finger
אמה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/אצבעות-#.m4a” /] – middle finger
אצבע[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/אצבעות-#.m4a” /] – pointer
אגודל[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/אצבעות-#.m4a” /] – thumb
Note that the pointer is called אצבע, which is the word we use when we just want to refer to a finger without specifying which, as in the Biblical:
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/אצבעות-#.m4a” /]אצבע א-להים היא (שמות ח’, ט”ו)
It is the finger of God. (Exodus 8:15)
When talking about more than one finger, the word is אצבעות[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/אצבעות-#.m4a” /]:
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/אצבעות-#.m4a” /]יש חמש אצבעות ביד וחמש בכף הרגל.
There are five fingers on the hand and five on the (sole of the) foot.