Can’t read Hebrew yet? דִּבּוּרִית אָזְנִיּוֹת are headphones, but wearing אזניות with wires while driving in Israel will earn you a big fat ticket. Here, drivers may talk on the phone only if they’ve got a hands-free (and cordless) device, attached to the car itself. This device is…
Can’t read Hebrew yet? אָזְנִיּוֹת When I walk around Jerusalem learning Arabic with my language lessons, I make sure people see that I’m wearing headphones (or a Bluetooth), so that they don’t think I’m crazy talking to myself. The Hebrew word for headphones or earphones is אָזְנִיּוֹת , deriving from the…
Can’t read Hebrew yet? חֹמֶר לְשִׁנּוּן Review Material Review, practice and test yourself on this week’s doses of Hebrew! Flashcards Game Test שַׁבָּת שָׁלוֹם, וְסוֹף שָׁבוּעַ נָעִים! Shabbat Shalom, and have a nice weekend!
Can’t read Hebrew yet? שַׁעֲוָה The Israelites in the desert would still have gotten in trouble, but they would also have saved themselves a lot of money had they used wax instead of gold when they made the calf. They could have painted it gold. The Modern Hebrew word for wax is…
Can’t read Hebrew yet? נָמֵס, מִתְמוֹסֵס You may recall the Wicked Witch of the West from the Wizard of Oz crying out, I’m melting! I’m melting! In Hebrew, that’s: אֲנִי נְמֵסָה! אֲנִי נְמֵסָה! The root of נמסה is מ.ס.ס (m.s.s), plugged into a variation of…
Can’t read Hebrew yet? לַעֲקוֹף In my native California, the left lane of the freeway is the fast lane, and that’s what I once assumed was true in Israel as well. But when I started having people drive up right behind me and flashing their high beams, I inquired and discovered…
Can’t read Hebrew yet? אַחְלָה! A lack of formal peace among political entities does not stop peace in other strata of society… at least when it comes to language. אַחְלָה – an Arabic word Israelis use to express happy agreement or to simply say great! or cool! or sweet! – is one of the first words learners typically…
Can’t read Hebrew yet? כָּפִיל At some point I decided I had better things to do, but for about half an hour last week I used an automated service to help me choose exactly whom among the celebrities I most resemble. That’s because last week was Doppelganger week on the social…
Can’t read Hebrew yet? פַּעֲמוֹן As Aaron the High Priest would advance step by careful step into the holiest chamber, little bells attached to his garments would chime, as if to announce his presence. The Hebrew word for bell is פַּעֲמוֹן . You may recognize its root as פ.ע.מ (p.a.m), the…
Can’t read Hebrew yet? אַחְזוֹר אֵלֶיךָ, אֵלַיִךְ There’s I’ll call you (see yesterday’s dose), and there’s I’ll call you back. So if someone makes you an offer that you’re not sure about, you can buy some time with: אֲנִי אֶחְזוֹר אֵלֶיךָ. I’ll get back to you (to a…
Can’t read Hebrew yet? אֶתְקַשֵּׁר Blind date. Not sure if there’ll be a next one – need to sleep on it. I might say to her, אֶתְקַשֵּׁר אֵלַיִךְ. I’ll call you (a female). The word לְהִתְקַשֵּׁר means to call by phone. It’s a reflexive-intensive verb of the root…