how to say “seriously” in Hebrew
בִּרְצִינוּת[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/ברצינות-1.mp3″ /]
The Hebrew word for serious is רציני[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/ברצינות-2.mp3″ /] in the masculine.
An example in the feminine plural:
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/ברצינות-3.mp3″ /]הן בחורות ממש רציניות.
They are really serious young women.
In my search for the origin of the word, I came up only with the name of the Aramean king of biblical times, רצין[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/ברצינות-4.mp3″ /]. I guess he was a pretty serious guy.
Anyway, one of the ways to form a Hebrew adverb is to add a -ב[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/ברצינות-5.mp3″ /] to the beginning of an adjective, and an ות-[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/ברצינות-6.mp3″ /] to the end. Thus, in the case of seriously, we get ברצינות[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/ברצינות-1.mp3″ /].
For example:
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/ברצינות-7.mp3″ /]תפסיקו לצחוק – עכשיו אני מדבר ברצינות.
Stop laughing (people) – now I’m speaking seriously.
and
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/ברצינות-8.mp3″ /]קשה לקחת אותו ברצינות.
It’s hard to take him seriously.
