how to say “designated driver” in Hebrew
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/נהג-תורן-#.m4a” /]נֶהָג תּוֹרָן
If you’ve been on an Israeli bus, you probably know the word נהג[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/נהג-תורן-#.m4a” /] (usually pronounced with an ah sound in the first syllable: נָהג[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/נהג-תורן-#.m4a” /]).
Due to the fact that when passengers call out !נהג loudly enough the door inevitably opens, some English speakers have mistakenly concluded that נהג means door. But the truth is that it refers to a male driver, while נהגת[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/נהג-תורן-#.m4a” /] is a female driver.
What about a designated driver? That’s נהג תורן[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/נהג-תורן-#.m4a” /] or נהגת תורנית[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/נהג-תורן-#.m4a” /], as in:
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/נהג-תורן-#.m4a” /]יש בר בחתונה – מי הנהג התורן שלנו?
There’s a bar at the wedding – who’s our designated driver?
תורן[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/נהג-תורן-#.m4a” /] and תורנית[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/נהג-תורן-#.m4a” /] come from the word תור[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/נהג-תורן-#.m4a” /] which means turn or appointment, so that תורן/תורנית is the one whose turn it is.
