how to say “capable” in Hebrew
But enough about grammar.
Suppose you’re with a friend at the British Museum, and your friend doesn’t know how to read the hieroglyphics on the Rosetta Stone. You might say about yourself, I can! or I’m capable!
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/לא-נעים-לי-#.m4a” /]לֹא נָעִים לִי לְהַגִּיד You may know the word נעים[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/לא-נעים-לי-#.m4a” /] from the polite expression נעים מאוד[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/לא-נעים-לי-#.m4a” /] – nice to meet you – literally, very pleasant. נעים has found its way into lots of Hebrew expressions, including לא נעים לי[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/לא-נעים-לי-#.m4a” /] – I feel uncomfortable (it’s unpleasant for me) about something. Thus I hate…
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/נא-להקיש-1.m4a” /]נָא לְהַקִּישׁ אַחַת To press as in to put pressure in Hebrew is the simple verb ללחוץ[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/נא-להקיש-2.m4a” /]. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/נא-להקיש-3.m4a” /]לחצתי על הכפתור. I pressed (on) the button. But when pressing buttons on a keypad, Hebrew uses another verb, the active-causative להקיש[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/נא-להקיש-4.m4a” /]. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/נא-להקיש-5.m4a” /]לעברית, נא להקיש אחת….
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/שוקולד-#.m4a” /]שׁוֹקוֹלָד This word is so beloved that the Academy for the Hebrew Language didn’t even bother creating an authentic Hebrew term for it. Today chocolate is שוקולד[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/שוקולד-#.m4a” /], which is the Russian (and Yiddish) pronunciation of the word (шоколад), but in earlier years of the State you would often hear people referring to…
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/סופת-רעמים-#.m4a” /]סוּפַת רְעָמִים Yesterday we saw the expression סופת ברקים[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/סופת-רעמים-#.m4a” /] – lightning storm. The more common storm though is סופת רעמים[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/סופת-רעמים-#.m4a” /] – a thunderstorm, as in: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/סופת-רעמים-#.m4a” /]התחזית: גשם מקומי, סופות רעמים וברד. The forecast: local rain(s), thunderstorms and hail. (see full conversation) רעם[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/סופת-רעמים-#.m4a” /] is thunder, while רעמים[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/סופת-רעמים-#.m4a” /] are thunders.
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לעגל-פינות-1.m4a” /]לְעַגֵּל פִּנּוֹת Last week we saw the Hebrew expression for to tie up loose ends – לסגור פינות[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לעגל-פינות-2.m4a” /] – literally, to close corners. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לעגל-פינות-3.m4a” /]סגירת פינות היא סימן של מקצועיות. Tying up loose ends is a mark of professionalism. Don’t confuse לסגור פינות with another expression – לעגל פינות[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לעגל-פינות-1.m4a”…