Author: Ami Steinberger

לְאַשְׁפֵּז[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לאשפז-1.mp3″ /] Walking along Allenby St. in Tel Aviv the other week, I heard a familiar tune. It was a woman singing to a crowd Gidi Gov’s אלף כבאים – A Thousand Firefighters. A verse in the second stanza goes: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לאשפז-2.mp3″ /]אלף דוקטורים לא יצליחו לאשפז אותי. A thousand doctors won’t be able to hospitalize me….

חַיַּת מַחְמָד[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/חית-מחמד-1.mp3″ /] While חיה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/חית-מחמד-2.wav” /] is the generic Hebrew word for animal, חית מחמד[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/חית-מחמד-1.mp3″ /] is a pet – literally, a precious animal. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/חית-מחמד-3.mp3″ /]אני גר ליד חנות מזון לחיות מחמד. I live near a pet food shop (a shop of food for pets). Some other more specific kinds of חיות[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/חית-מחמד-4.mp3″ /]…

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 Game Test [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/review-2.mp3″ /]שַׁבָּת שָׁלוֹם, וְסוֹף שָׁבוּעַ נָעִים! Shabbat Shalom, and have a nice weekend!

בְּרַחֲבֵי הָאָרֶץ[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/ברחבי-הארץ-1.mp3″ /] When Hebrew speakers ask me where Ulpan La-Inyan is located, I answer: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/ברחבי-הארץ-2.mp3″ /]המשרד שלנו בירושלים, אבל יש לנו שלוחות ברחבי הארץ. Our office is in Jerusalem, but we have branches all over the country. ברחבי הארץ[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/ברחבי-הארץ-1.mp3″ /] means literally, in the expanses of the land, where the core word in…

שְׁלוּחָה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/שלוחה-1.mp3″ /] One of the key terms in a phone directory is extension – in Hebrew, שלוחה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/שלוחה-1.mp3″ /]. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/שלוחה-2.mp3″ /]נא המתינו להעברת השיחה לשלוחה. Please wait for the call to be transferred to the extension. (the standard recording you might have heard has a female voice) The word שלוחה comes from…

כָּבוֹד[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/כבוד-1.mp3″ /] The Hebrew word for respect or honor – כבוד[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/כבוד-1.mp3″ /] – is related to the word for heavy – כבד[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/כבוד-2.mp3″ /]: treating someone with respect is the opposite of taking them lightly. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/כבוד-3.mp3″ /]הפתרון לכל בעיה בינאישית מתחיל עם כבוד. The solution to any interpersonal problem starts with respect. A related word…

מִיץ תַּפּוּזִים סָחוּט[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/סחוט-1.mp3″ /] If you’ve been in Israel longer than a week, there’s a good chance you know the expression meaning orange juice – מיץ תפוזים[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/סחוט-2.mp3″ /]. This means literally, juice of oranges, where the word of is implied. You may have even ordered it. To specify that you want your juice fresh-squeezed,…

שקי-קקי[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/שקי-קקי-1.wav” /] English-speaking dog owners know this term well. A pooper scooper is that handy device that saves the dog walker from having to bend down and scoop up their pet’s droppings manually. The Israeli brand is called שקי-קקי, where שקי[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/שקי-קקי-2.wav” /] is a cute version of שק[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/שקי-קקי-3.wav” /] – bag, and קקי[audioclip…

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 Game Test [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/review-2.mp3″ /]שַׁבָּת שָׁלוֹם, וְסוֹף שָׁבוּעַ נָעִים! Shabbat Shalom, and have a nice weekend!

סיבה למסיבה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/סיבה-למסיבה-1.mp3″ /] Jews party a lot, with ט”ו באב[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/סיבה-למסיבה-2.mp3″ /] (see Wikipedia article) tomorrow night being no exception. The Hebrew term for an excuse for a party is the play on words, סיבה למסיבה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/סיבה-למסיבה-1.mp3″ /] – literally, a reason for a party. For example:   [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/סיבה-למסיבה-3.mp3″ /]תמיד יש סיבה למסיבה. There’s always an excuse for a party.