[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/שמחה-#.m4a” /]שִׂמְחָה, שָׂשׂוֹן, חֶדְוָה, וְכוּ’ The basic Hebrew word for joy is שמחה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/שמחה-#.m4a” /], as in the pre-Passover children’s song: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/שמחות-1.m4a” /]שמחה רבה, שמחה רבה! אביב הגיע, פסח בא! A great joy, a great joy! Spring has arrived, Passover is coming! But Hebrew has many other words that also mean joy in its various…
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/יום-חול-1.m4a” /]יוֹם חוֹל While Saturday and Sunday in most Western countries are days off, the average secular person today don’t consider either one of them particularly holy in the religious sense. Hebrew, however, makes that distinction, so that even secular Jews call Sunday through Friday ימי חול [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/יום-חול-2.m4a” /] – weekdays, or literally,…
עוֹד לֹא, עֲדַיִן לֹא, טֶרֶם listen and repeat Can’t read Hebrew yet? As in most languages, Hebrew has various registers – different words meaning something similar, but functioning in different contexts. For example, the expression not yet has a common expression – עוֹד לֹא listen and repeat or עֲדַיִן לֹא listen and repeat– and synonym…
having trouble seeing the print? עִבְרִית Check out our world-class conversational Hebrew program video version! As the Torah portion to be read this Shabbat by Jews (Hebrews) around the world depicts the character of אברהם – Abraham (ahv-rah-HAHM) most prominently, and since this patriarch is referred to in the Torah as אברם העברי (ahv-RAHM hah-eev-REE), now is a…
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/אני-בנהיגה-1.m4a” /]אֲנִי בִּנְהִיגָה In Biblical Hebrew, לנהוג[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/אני-בנהיגה-2.m4a” /] means to conduct. Modern Hebrew extends לנהוג to include conducting a vehicle or driving. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/אני-בנהיגה-3.m4a” /]היא כבר נוהגת? Does she drive yet? The act of driving is נהיגה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/אני-בנהיגה-4.m4a” /]. To say, I’m driving, you say, אני בנהיגה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/אני-בנהיגה-1.m4a” /] – literally, I’m in (the act of) driving. For…
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/להמתין-#.m4a” /]לְחַכּוֹת, לְהַמְתִּין The basic and commonly used word for to wait in Hebrew is לחכות[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/להמתין-#.m4a” /]. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/להמתין-#.m4a” /]חבר’ה, חכו לי בחוץ, אני תיכף יורד. Guys, wait for me outside, I’ll (a male) be right down. לחכות is a פיעל verb. But you may have encountered another word for to wait, one…