how to say “dishwasher” in Hebrew
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/מדיח-כלים-#.m4a” /]מֵדִיחַ כֵּלִים
To wash dishes by hand is לשטוף כלים[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/מדיח-כלים-#.m4a” /], as in:
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/מדיח-כלים-#.m4a” /]דני שוטף כלים היום.
Danny is washing dishes today.
But a dishwasher is מדיח כלים[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/מדיח-כלים-#.m4a” /], as in:
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/מדיח-כלים-#.m4a” /]אולי הגיע הזמן לקנות מדיח כלים?
Perhaps the time has come to buy a dishwasher?
But if a dishwasher does the action of washing dishes, why have two different words for washing in Hebrew, when we’re talking about getting dishes clean? The simple verb לשטוף[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/מדיח-כלים-#.m4a” /] and the הפעיל verb להדיח[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/מדיח-כלים-#.m4a” /] are synonyms, but לשטוף is the more common, mundane word, while להדיח implies a more intensive, comprehensive action – which is what a dishwasher does.
