how to say “compliment” in Hebrew
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/מחמאה-#.m4a” /]מַחְמָאָה
The Hebrew word for compliment – מחמאה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/מחמאה-#.m4a” /] – comes from the word חמאה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/מחמאה-#.m4a” /] meaning butter. מחמאה appears (in the plural) in a Biblical verse (Psalms 55:22) where it means of butter but has been mistaken to mean compliment. Basically, the word מחמאה was born by mistake.
מחמאות[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/מחמאה-#.m4a” /] – compliments – can sometimes really help, especially when people are down on themselves:
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/מחמאה-#.m4a” /]הוא צריך מחמאה. תן לו, דחוף.
He needs a compliment. Give him (one), now (urgently).