A Word Per Decade

ByAmi Steinberger
In honor of יום העצאמות[audioclip url="https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/YH-2020-#.m4a" /] - Independence Day 2020, here's a word for each full decade of the State of Israel... and one for good luck. דרכון[audioclip url="https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/YH-2020-#.m4a" /] - passport 1950s As soon as the State was established, Israelis started traveling abroad. In the 50s people still used the word פספורט[audioclip url="https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/YH-2020-#.m4a"...

how to say “period of transition” in Hebrew

ByAmi Steinberger

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/תקופת-מעבר-#.m4a” /]תְּקוּפַת מַעֲבָר The Hebrew word מעבר[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/תקופת-מעבר-#.m4a” /] means passage or aisle, as in: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/תקופת-מעבר-#.m4a” /]לא לעמוד במעבר! No standing in the aisle! It also means transition, so that a period of transition is תקופת מעבר[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/תקופת-מעבר-#.m4a” /]. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/תקופת-מעבר-#.m4a” /]כולנו עכשיו בתקופת מעבר. We’re all in a period of transition now. תקופת[audioclip…

how to say “remnant” in Hebrew

how to say “remnant” in Hebrew

ByAmi Steinberger

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/זכר-זיכרון-#.m4a” /]זֵכֶר While זיכרון[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/זכר-זיכרון-#.m4a” /] refers to the memory we have in our brains or hard drives, זכר[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/זכר-זיכרון-#.m4a” /] refers to the memory we have of someone or something, as in: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/זכר-זיכרון-#.m4a” /]לא נשאר מהם זכר. Not a remnant was left of them. and [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/זכר-זיכרון-#.m4a” /]יהי זכרם ברוך. May their…

how to say “vague recollection” in Hebrew

how to say “vague recollection” in Hebrew

ByAmi Steinberger

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/זיכרון-מעורפל-#.m4a” /]זִכָּרוֹן מְעֻרְפָּל You may know the Hebrew word for memory – זיכרון[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/זיכרון-מעורפל-#.m4a” /] – from יום הזיכרון[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/זיכרון-מעורפל-#.m4a” /] – Memorial Day, which is coming up in Israel this week. A vague recollection or literally, a foggy memory, is זיכרון מעורפל[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/זיכרון-מעורפל-#.m4a” /]. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/זיכרון-מעורפל-#.m4a” /]יש לי זיכרון מעורפל של מה שקרה…

Weekly YDDH Review

Weekly YDDH Review

ByAmi Steinberger

חֹמֶר לְשִׁנּוּן[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/review-1.mp3″ /] Review Material You spent time on your Hebrew this week. Use these review materials to make it yours to keep.      To take full advantage of the review material, click on “Choose a study mode” in the bottom right corner of the box above. [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/review-2.mp3″ /]שבת שלום, וסוף…

הכי ישראלי – The Most Israeli

ByAmi Steinberger
Hatikva 6 [yikes-mailchimp form="1" description="1" submit="Subscribe Free"] Play the video, and type what you hear. Show me the Hebrew! הודו דרום אמריקה זה הכי ישראלי ילדי חוץ בקיבוץ זה הכי ישראלי פוגים, אסימונים שלוקים לילה כלכלי איי ספיק באט לא מספיק זה הכי ישראלי שרים! במבה במבה, מסטיק עלמה, מתל אביב עד בן גוריון שקל...

how to say “backbone” in Hebrew

ByAmi Steinberger

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/עמוד-שדרה-#.m4a” /]עַמּוּד שִׁדְרָה The backbone or the spinal column, in Hebrew is עמוד השדרה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/עמוד-שדרה-#.m4a” /]. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/עמוד-שדרה-#.m4a” /]עמוד השדרה מורכב מחוליות. The spinal column is made up of rings/vertebrae. You might also remark about someone lacking in character: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/עמוד-שדרה-#.m4a” /]אין לו עמוד שדרה. He has no backbone. עמוד[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/עמוד-שדרה-#.m4a” /] means column (also page),…

how to say “mammals” in Hebrew

ByAmi Steinberger

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/יונקים-#.m4a” /]יוֹנְקִים The Hebrew word for mammal, יונק[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/יונקים-#.m4a” /] (יונקים[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/יונקים-#.m4a” /] is the plural, mammals), means suckling or breastfeeder, because that’s what mammals do (for an English parallel, think of the connection between mammal and mammogram). Here’s the word in context: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/יונקים-#.m4a” /]בזמן האחרון רואים מיני יונקים לא-שגרתיים מסתובבים ברחובות. Lately, we’ve been…

how to say “my grandmother” in Hebrew

ByAmi Steinberger

סָבְתָא שֶׁלִּי The Hebrew word סבתא means grandmother – or more accurately, grandma. The proper term, which you’ll only find in formal settings, is סבה. Likewise, grandfather or grandpa is סבא, while סב is the obscure, technically-correct term for grandfather. Here’s a colloquial example: סבתא שלי הייתה ניצולת שואה. My grandmother was a Holocaust survivor….

how to say “gathering” in Hebrew

how to say “gathering” in Hebrew

ByAmi Steinberger

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/התקהלות-#.m4a” /]הִתְקַהֲלוּת Here’s a word you’ve heard if you’ve been following the Hebrew news: התקהלות[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/התקהלות-#.m4a” /] – gathering, as in: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/התקהלות-#.m4a” /]חל איסור התקהלות עד להודעה חדשה. A gathering ban is in place until further notice. התקהלות is the noun form of להתקהל[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/התקהלות-#.m4a” /] – to gather, a התפעל verb of the root…

how to say “relief” in Hebrew

how to say “relief” in Hebrew

ByAmi Steinberger

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/הקלה-#.m4a” /]הֲקָלָה The Hebrew word for relief is הקלה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/הקלה-#.m4a” /], as in: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/הקלה-#.m4a” /]איזו הקלה! What a relief! (You’ll probably hear people saying איזה הקלה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/הקלה-#.m4a” /] instead – this is grammatically incorrect but far more common.) הקלה also means an easing of something, such as movement restrictions during corona. And if you live…