לְסָרֵב Can’t read Hebrew yet? The Hebrew word for to refuse is לְסָרֵב , an active-intensive verb. For example: אָנוּ שׁוֹמְרִים לְעַצְמֵנוּ אֶת הַזְּכוּת לְסָרֵב שֵׁרוּת לְכָל אָדָם. We reserve (to ourselves) the right to refuse service to anyone. Likewise, refusal is סֵרוּב , as in the…
לִתְמוֹךְ Can’t read Hebrew yet? If you’ve lived in Israel, you may have called your Internet service provider or your phone company and heard the recording in the directory say something like: לִתְמִיכָה טֶכְנִית, הַקִּישׁוּ שְׁתַּיִם. For technical support, press two. The word תמיכה means support, and it comes…
חַיּוּת Can’t read Hebrew yet? The word vitality, the force of life, comes from the same root as viva as in Viva, Las Vegas! – Live, Las Vegas! Likewise, the Hebrew word for vitality – חַיּוּת – comes from the root ח.י.ה (kh.y.h) meaning life. For example: יֵשׁ…
חֹמֶר לְשִׁנּוּן 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 שַׁבָּת שָׁלוֹם, וְסוֹף שָׁבוּעַ נָעִים! Shabbat Shalom, and have a nice weekend!
עֶגְלַת תִּינוֹק Can’t read Hebrew yet? The Hebrew word עֲגָלָה means carriage or wagon. You’ll find it in the supermarket, with: סְלִיחָה, זֹאת הָעֲגָלָה שֶׁלִּי. Excuse me, that’s my cart. You’ll also find it on the sidewalk, when strolling a baby along: אַתָּה גָּדוֹל מִדַּי בִּשְׁבִיל…
לְהִתְכַּבֵּד Can’t read Hebrew yet? Providing guests with tasty refreshments is a way of honoring them. Thus the Hebrew expression for refreshments is כִּבּוּד – literally, honoring. For example: שַׂמְתֶּם אֶת הַכִּבּוּד עַל הַשֻּׁלְחָן? Have you (plural) put the refreshments on the table? When the guests arrive,…
תְּשׂוּמֶת לֵב Can’t read Hebrew yet? In English we talk about paying attention, directing our attention to something. Meaning the same, Hebrew invokes the metaphor of placing our heart on something – לָשִׂים לֵב . For example: שַׂמְתִּי לֵב שֶׁהִיא מַגִּיעָה לְפֹה כָּל בֹּקֶר. I noticed that she comes…
לְהַפְשִׁיל אֶת הַשַּׁרְווּלִים Can’t read Hebrew yet? When there’s work to do, we call it “rolling up our sleeves” to “get our hands dirty,” in English. The Hebrew expression for rolling up (the) sleeves is לְהַפְשִׁיל אֶת הַשַּׁרְווּלִים , where להפשיל means to roll up or to roll back (source in Mishnaic Hebrew, probably from Aramaic) and שַׁרְווּל means sleeve. For…
לִטְרוֹף Can’t read Hebrew yet? In Biblical times, Hebrew speakers used the active-simple verb לִטְרוֹף – to devour – in its literal sense. But since wild animals are not as common in our neighborhoods today, Modern-Hebrew speakers typically use לטרוף in reference to eating something with extraordinary vigor. For…
חֹמֶר לְשִׁנּוּן 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 שַׁבָּת שָׁלוֹם, וְחֲנֻכָּה שָׂמֵחַ! Shabbat Shalom, and happy Hanukkah!
בְּכוֹרָה Can’t read Hebrew yet? You may know the Hebrew word for firstborn, בְּכוֹר . Modern Hebrew calls upon the word בכור to produce a word for the more contemporary concept of a debut – בְּכוֹרָה . For example: הָיִנוּ בְּמוֹפַע הַבְּכוֹרָה שֶׁלָּהּ. We were at her debut performance. …