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/2019/08/דלת-אחורית-#.m4a” /]דֶּלֶת אֲחוֹרִית The Hebrew word for door is דלת[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/דלת-אחורית-#.m4a” /], as in: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/דלת-אחורית-#.m4a” /]חבר’ה, אל תשכחו לסגור את הדלת אחריכם. Guys, don’t forget to close the door after yourselves. Here, אחריכם[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/דלת-אחורית-#.m4a” /] means after you, combing אחרי[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/דלת-אחורית-#.m4a” /] (after) with the כם-[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/דלת-אחורית-#.m4a” /] ending for more than one you. What about the back…
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/עובר-מסך-#.m4a” /]עוֹבֵר מָסָךְ The Hebrew word for photogenic is – wait for it – פוטוגני[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/עובר-מסך-#.m4a” /]. A more authentically-Hebrew expression is עובר מסך[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/עובר-מסך-#.m4a” /], meaning that a person looks good on camera. It means literally passes (the) screen. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/עובר-מסך-#.m4a” /]איך אני נראה לקראת הראיון? עובר מסך? How do I look for…
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/חוף-הים-#.m4a” /]חוֹף הַיָּם If you’re stuck in the cold and rainy northern hemisphere, you might just be dreaming of חוף הים[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/חוף-הים-#.m4a” /] – the beach. This expression means literally the coast of the sea. And when Israelis talk about going to the beach, they tend to shorten the expression to just הים[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/חוף-הים-#.m4a” /] – literally,…
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/מסע-1.m4a” /]מַסָּע If you’ve traveled anywhere in the world, you have probably met an Israeli traveling too. Israelis love to travel. The Hebrew word for to travel when on vacation is לטייל[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/מסע-2.m4a” /]. But the generic word for to travel is לנסוע[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/מסע-3.m4a” /]. And while in modern times לנסוע refers to travel by vehicle, in Biblical times it meant simply to…
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/להוריד-1.m4a” /]לְהוֹרִיד The Hebrew root י.ר.ד[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/להוריד-2.m4a” /] means going down. Plugged into the active-causative form, the root yields the word להוריד[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/להוריד-1.m4a” /] – to take down or to lower. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/להוריד-3.m4a” /]תוריד את הווליום! Lower the volume! (to a male) Another way of saying the same thing is תנמיך את הווליום[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/להוריד-4.m4a” /]. With the…