how to say “outer space” in Hebrew
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/החלל-החיצון-1.m4a” /]הֶחָלָל הַחִיצוֹן
This one’s for all of you Star Wars fans.
Last week, we saw the term for personal space – מרחב אישי[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/החלל-החיצון-2.m4a” /]. The word מרחב[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/החלל-החיצון-3.m4a” /] there refers to space in the sense of an expansive place, or a place where events take place.
The word for space as in empty space or a cavity is חלל[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/החלל-החיצון-4.m4a” /].
For example:
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/החלל-החיצון-5.m4a” /]כמה חלל יש בקופסה?
How much space is there in the box?
The root ח.ל.ל[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/החלל-החיצון-6.m4a” /] in Biblical Hebrew means pierce, so that space and the various other meanings of חלל – person deprived (pierced) of priesthood, slain person (typically done by piercing a hole) – make sense as a group.
חלל is also the word for space as in “the final frontier.” And the term for outer space is החלל החיצון[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/החלל-החיצון-1.m4a” /].
For example:
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/החלל-החיצון-7.m4a” /]אריק תמיד רצה לנסוע לחלל החיצון.
Arik has always wanted to go to outer space.
And the Hebrew translation of the movie title Star Wars is מלחמת הכוכבים[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/החלל-החיצון-8.m4a” /] – literally War of the Stars.