how to say “machine” in Hebrew

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/מכונה-#.m4a” /]מְכוֹנָה

Machines didn’t exist in Biblical times – at least not enough of a variety of them to be lumped into a category and given a name. 

The word מכונה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/מכונה-#.m4a” /] (which today means machine) did exist, but it referred to the base of permanent structure. So when it came time for the makers of Modern Hebrew to give a name to these things that do our work for us, they drew upon the Biblical מכונה’s similarity to the European word machine/macchina/Maschine, etc. to give מכונה its modern meaning.

Here’s the word in context:

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/מכונה-#.m4a” /]איזה באסה שמכונת הקפה הפסיקה לעבוד.

What a bummer that the coffee machine stopped working.

Other מכונות[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/מכונה-#.m4a” /] – machines – include:

מכונת כביסה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/מכונה-#.m4a” /] – washing machine

מכונת ייבוש[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/מכונה-#.m4a” /] – dryer

מכונת מסטיק[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/מכונה-#.m4a” /] – gumball machine