how to say “groundwater” in Hebrew
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/מי-תהום-#.m4a” /]מֵי תְּהוֹם
תהום[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/מי-תהום-#.m4a” /], appearing in both the first and final portions of the Torah, means abyss or the depths. Thus the water found down there is מי תהום[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/מי-תהום-#.m4a” /] – waters of the depths or groundwater.
For example:
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/מי-תהום-#.m4a” /]הרבה מהמים שאנחנו שותים בישראל באים מהכנרת, והרבה ממי תהום.
Lots of water that we drink in Israel comes from the Sea of Galilee, and lots from groundwater.
Two grammatical points:
- Note that מים[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/מי-תהום-#.m4a” /] – water – is plural in Hebrew.
- מים means water when it stands alone, but when it’s part of an of phrase, it becomes מי[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/מי-תהום-#.m4a” /] – waters of.
