Author: Ami Steinberger

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/מתסכל-1.m4a” /]מְתַסְכֵּל Look closely at the word above. Listen to it pronounced. Though it looks like the word מסתכל[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/מתסכל-2.m4a” /] – looking at, it’s מתסכל[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/מתסכל-1.m4a” /] with the ת[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/מתסכל-3.m4a” /] before the ס[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/מתסכל-4.m4a” /] – frustrating. Perhaps that’s how you’re feeling trying to compare these words. And while מסתכל[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/מתסכל-2.m4a” /] – looking at –…

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/מבוקש-1.m4a” /]רָצוּי, מְבֻקָּשׁ, נֶחְשָׁק Desired could mean one of several things in Hebrew. 1. רצוי There’s desired as in wanted – רצוי[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/מבוקש-2.m4a” /]. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/מבוקש-3.m4a” /]השגנו את התוצאה הרצויה. We achieved the desired result. and [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/מבוקש-4.m4a” /]הוא לא מרגיש רצוי. He doesn’t feel wanted. 2. מבוקש Then there’s desired as in sought after in a positive sense, or wanted…

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/המספר-שחויג-1.m4a” /]הַמִּסְפָּר שֶׁחֻיָּג To dial, in Hebrew, is לחייג[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/המספר-שחויג-2.m4a” /]. And just as the physical action of dialing is now only a figure of speech we use to mean tapping numbers rather than actually turning the dial on a rotary phone (visual aids for those of you who don’t know what a rotary phone is),…

חֹמֶר לְשִׁנּוּן[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/review-1.mp3″ /] Review Material Can’t read Hebrew yet? You spent time on your Hebrew this week. Use these review materials to make it yours to keep. Flashcards . Scatter . Gravity . Test   Blast from the Past Crossword Puzzle! [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/review-2.mp3″ /]שבת שלום, וסוף שבוע נעים! Shabbat Shalom, and have a nice weekend!

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/סוף-העולם-1.m4a” /]זֶה לֹא סוֹף הָעוֹלָם Some expressions don’t translate literally from English to Hebrew, one example being it’s not true! and !לא נכון[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/סוף-העולם-2.m4a” /]. Other expressions do translate literally. One example is it’s not the end of the world – זה לא סוף העולם[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/סוף-העולם-1.m4a” /]. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/סוף-העולם-3.m4a” /]לכלכת את המפה? זה לא…

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/תחרותי-1.m4a” /]תַּחֲרוּתִי The Hebrew word for competition is תחרות[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/תחרותי-5.m4a” /], which I discussed around the time of the US presidential election four years ago. In that post I point out that this word’s root is ח.ר.ה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/תחרותי-2.m4a” /] meaning anger or wrath – which makes sense, since competition requires the type of energy that often comes with anger. Someone competitive…

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לא-נכון-1.m4a” /]לֹא נָכוֹן! Two Israeli kids, a sister and a brother, are fighting in the backseat of the family car. אמא[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לא-נכון-2.m4a” /] – Mother – turns her head to shush them, but her daughter says: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לא-נכון-3.m4a” /]הוא התחיל! He started! To which the son replies: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לא-נכון-1.m4a” /]לא נכון! Not true! Note…

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לרמות-1.m4a” /]לְרַמּוֹת You’re playing poker and your friend tries to pull a fast one on you. You might call him out with: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לרמות-2.m4a” /]רמאי! Cheater! Or: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לרמות-3.m4a” /]אתה מרמה! You’re cheating! לרמות[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לרמות-1.m4a” /] is to cheat. It’s an active-intensive verb of the root ר.מ.ה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לרמות-4.m4a” /], which means deception in this case…

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/נשבע-1.m4a” /]אֲנִי נִשְׁבָּע לְךָ! Why does the word שבועה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/נשבע-2.m4a” /] – an oath – have as its root the number seven – שבע[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/נשבע-3.m4a” /]? Various explanations are offered, from the cabbalistic to the historical. In any case, to swear is the nifal verb להישבע[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/נשבע-4.m4a” /] (a great example of how nifal is not a passive form in…

חֹמֶר לְשִׁנּוּן[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/review-1.mp3″ /] Review Material Can’t read Hebrew yet? You spent time on your Hebrew this week. Use these review materials to make it yours to keep. Flashcards . Scatter . Gravity . Test   Blast from the Past Crossword Puzzle! [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/review-2.mp3″ /]שבת שלום, וסוף שבוע נעים! Shabbat Shalom, and have a nice weekend!