having trouble seeing the print?
Though the mood is great today here as the political nation of Israel celebrates 65 years of existence and prosperity, there’s a bittersweet element as well, as we remember the people of Boston who have experienced an event this week that we in Israel know all too well.
The Hebrew term for bittersweet combines the words for sweet – מָתוֹק 
and bitter – מָרִיר– yielding מָתוֹק-מָרִיר.
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/לבשל-#.m4a” /]לְבַשֵּׁל The basic word for to cook is לבשל[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/לבשל-#.m4a” /], a פיעל verb. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/לבשל-#.m4a” /]דני, מה בישלת לנו היום? Danny, what did you cook for us today? While the professional term for a cook is טבח[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/לבשל-#.m4a” /] for a male and טבחית[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/לבשל-#.m4a” /] for a female (think מטבח[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/לבשל-#.m4a”…
having trouble seeing the print? קָצִין Hebrew courses starting Sunday in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv I’m taking the day off to attend my cousin’s טֶקֶס סִיּוּם קוּרְס קְצִינִים – officers’ graduation ceremony. That phrase provides a great example of how language picks up from its environment as the generations go by. Here’s the phrase broken down etymologically, in reverse chronological…
תכנית The Hebrew word for content is תּוֹכֵן (TOH-khen). Likewise, the word for activated content – or a plan/program – is תָּכְנִית (tohkh-NEET). For example, לְבֵית הַסֵּפֶר הַזֶּה יֵשׁ תָּכְנִית לִמּוּדִים מְצוּיֶּנֶת (le-VEHT hah-SEH-fehr hah-ZEH yesh tohkh-NEET lee-moo-DEEM me-tsoo-YEH-net) – This school has an excellent program of study (curriculum). Our תכנית… We…
לנצל In English, to take advantage can mean a personal violation, or it can mean a productive, sometimes win-win situation. The same is true in Hebrew. It’s possible לְנַצֵּל בֶּן אָדָם (le-nah-TSEL ben ah-DAHM) – to take advantage of a person, such as a tourist in a foreign country that doesn’t know the…
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/השקפת-עולם-#.m4a” /]הַשְׁקָפַת עוֹלָם The word for glasses – משקפיים[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/השקפת-עולם-#.m4a” /] – comes from the root ש.ק.פ[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/השקפת-עולם-#.m4a” /], one of the roots that mean vision. In the הפעיל verb form, להשקיף[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/השקפת-עולם-#.m4a” /] means to look out on. Likewise, השקפה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/השקפת-עולם-#.m4a” /] means outlook, with השקפת עולם[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/השקפת-עולם-#.m4a” /] meaning worldview. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/השקפת-עולם-#.m4a” /]הם מסתדרים ביחד…
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/גאווה-לאומית-1.m4a” /]גַּאֲוָה לְאֻמִּית Perhaps you’re familiar with Bank Leumi – בנק לאומי[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/גאווה-לאומית-2.m4a” /]. Perhaps you’re even their client. לאומי[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/גאווה-לאומית-3.m4a” /] means national, so that national pride is גאווה לאומית[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/גאווה-לאומית-1.m4a” /]. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/גאווה-לאומית-4.m4a” /]גם יום הזיכרון וגם יום העצאמות הם ימים של גאווה לאומית בישראל. Both Memorial Day and Independence Day are days of national…