how to say “amateur” in Hebrew
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חוֹבְבָנִי
The Hebrew word for an amateur is חוֹבְבָן when referring to a male and חוֹבְבָנִית when referring to a female. Likewise, something amateur or amateurish is חוֹבְבָנִי in the masculine and חוֹבְבָנִית in the feminine.
when referring to a male and חוֹבְבָנִית when referring to a female. Likewise, something amateur or amateurish is חוֹבְבָנִי in the masculine and חוֹבְבָנִית in the feminine.
For example:
הַהוֹפָעָה הָיְתָה נֶחְמָדָה אָבָל טִפָּה חוֹבְבָנִית.
The show was nice but a drop amateurish.
The root of these words is ח.ב.ב (kh.b.b) meaning endearment. It’s the same root as לְחַבֵּב – to like, חָבִיב – likable, and the slang term of endearment between men (Arabic origin), חֲבִּיבִּי .
– to like, חָבִיב – likable, and the slang term of endearment between men (Arabic origin), חֲבִּיבִּי .What does likability have to do with amateurishness? If we take a good look at the word amateur, we’ll see the Latin root of love, as in the Spanish amar – to love. An amateur does something as a hobby (in Hebrew, hobby is תַּחְבִּיב , also of the root ח.ב.ב), as a labor of love, without necessarily caring about professionalism or marketability.
, also of the root ח.ב.ב), as a labor of love, without necessarily caring about professionalism or marketability. 
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