הַשְׁכָּמָה listen and repeat Can’t read Hebrew yet? To wake up early is לְהַשְׁכִּים listen and repeat, an active-causative verb of the root שׁ.כ.מ (sh.k.m). Here’s a Biblical example: וַיַּּשְׁכֵּם אַבְרָהָם בַּבֹּקֶר וַיַּחֲבֹשׁ אֶת חֲמֹרוֹ… And Abraham got up early in the morning and saddled his donkey… (Genesis 22:3) listen Likewise,…
בְּתֹם לֵב listen and repeat Can’t read Hebrew yet? Someone innocent in the sense that they don’t know of evil, is either תָּמִים listen and repeat (a male) or תְּמִימָה listen and repeat (a female) in Hebrew. Likewise, innocence is תְּמִימוּת listen and repeat, and a more poetic synonym of that is תֹּם listen and repeat (also used as a name…
תִּשָּׁעֵן עָלַי listen and repeat Can’t read Hebrew yet? The Hebrew word for to lean is a verb that falls into the נִפְעָל form: לְהִשָּׁעֵן listen and repeat, of the root שׁ.ע.נ (sh.a.n). For example: הוּא נִשְׁעָן עַל הַקִּיר. He is leaning against (on) the wall. listen You may recognize the…
אֲנִי צוֹחֵק listen and repeat Can’t read Hebrew yet? In Hebrew, the word for to joke is the same as to laugh – the active-simple verb לִצְחוֹק listen and repeat. For example, a man might say: אֲנִי סְתָם צוֹחֵק. I’m just joking. listen and repeat A woman would mean the same thing saying,…
מֶתַח listen and repeat Can’t read Hebrew yet? In Biblical Hebrew, the simple verb לִמְתּוֹח listen and repeat of the root מ.ת.ח (m.t.kh) means to spread out. Modern Hebrew also uses the word to mean to stretch, while a מְתִיחָה listen and repeat is a stretch, for example: הוּא עוֹשֶׂה עֶשֶׂר מְתִיחוֹת לִפְנֵי שֶׁהוּא נִכְנָס…
חֹמֶר לְשִׁנּוּן Review Material listen and repeat 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! listen and repeat
גְּבֶרֶת listen and repeat Can’t read Hebrew yet? Two of the first words we teach in Ulpan La-Inyan are sir and ma’am – אֲדוֹנִי listen and repeat and גְּבֶרֶת listen and repeat, respectively. These mean literally, my master and lady. גברת refers to a lady or a woman of status, as in the title of the musical: גְּבִרְתִּי הַנַּאֲוָה…
אֲחֻזָּה listen and repeat Can’t read Hebrew yet? The main street in Raanana is called אֲחֻזָּה (pronounced colloquially like this). It means estate, and it comes from the root א.ח.ז (a.kh.z) meaning holding onto something. Sometimes a mansion is called an אחוזה listen and repeat, as in: זֶה לֹא בַּיִת – זֶה…
הָאָדָם הַקַּדְמוֹן listen and repeat Can’t read Hebrew yet? Some of you may recall the 1992 movie Encino Man. It’s about a frozen caveman who is dug up in a suburban backyard and helps two high school seniors become the most popular kids in school. I recently watched the movie again and relived…
לְהַרְאוֹת listen and repeat Can’t read Hebrew yet? Seeing is one of the simplest concepts to describe in language. Hebrew expresses it using a verb of the “simple” verb form: לִרְאוֹת , of the root ר.א.ה (r.a.h). To express causing someone to see something – showing it to them – Hebrew employs the causative verb form, yielding…
מַתָּנָה, שַׁי listen and repeat Can’t read Hebrew yet? Just like the English word gift comes from the verb give, colloquial Hebrew’s word for it is מַתָּנָה listen and repeat, coming from the verb לָתֵת listen and repeat – to give. For example: לֹא רַק יְלָדִים אוֹהֲבִים לְקַבֵּל מַתָּנוֹת. Not only children like receiving…