how to say “Ministry of Interior” in Hebrew

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/משרד-הפנים-#.m4a” /]מִשְׂרַד הַפְּנִים

The Hebrew word for office – משרד[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/משרד-הפנים-#.m4a” /] – doubles as ministry, as in the Ministry of Health – משרד הבריאות[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/משרד-הפנים-#.m4a” /], and the Ministry of Interior – משרד הפְּנים[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/משרד-הפנים-#.m4a” /].

Now, note the pronunciation of הפְּנים[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/משרד-הפנים-#.m4a” /] here. It’s not הפָּנים[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/משרד-הפנים-#.m4a” /] – the face; that would be pronounced with an ah sound after the p sound. פְּנים[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/משרד-הפנים-#.m4a” /] means interior, as in בפנים[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/משרד-הפנים-#.m4a” /] – inside. It’s got nothing to do with someone’s face.

So what is this משרד הפנים? Here it is in a sentence:

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/משרד-הפנים-#.m4a” /]משרד הפנים אחראי על הנפקת תעודות זהות, ויזות, וכולי.

The Ministry of Interior is responsible for issuing IDs, visas, etc.