how to say “specific” in Hebrew
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מְסֻיָּם, נְקֻדָּתִי, סְפֶּצִיפִי
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The English word specific has a few synonyms: particular, precise, exact, etc.
Likewise, Hebrew has more than one word for different situations. The most commonly-used one is transliterated from English: סְפֶּצִיפִי
listen and repeat. For example:
listen and repeat. For example:אַתָּה מְדַבֵּר עַל אָדָם סְפֶּצִיפִי?
Are you (a male) talking about a specific person?
But more and more, the younger generation in Israel is using proper Hebrew words. Here’s are the most common ones:
מסויים
מְסֻיָּם listen and repeat means particular. It’s an adjective coming from a passive-intensive verb of the root ס.י.מ (s.y.m) meaning completion (same root as לְסַיֵּם listen and repeat – to complete). Something particular is something absolute, known directly and completely.
listen and repeat means particular. It’s an adjective coming from a passive-intensive verb of the root ס.י.מ (s.y.m) meaning completion (same root as לְסַיֵּם listen and repeat – to complete). Something particular is something absolute, known directly and completely.For example:
הִיא מְחַפֶּשֶׂת מִסְמָךְ מְסֻיָּם.
She is looking for a specific/particular document.
נקודתי
Then there’s נְקֻדָּתִי listen and repeat. It comes from the word נְקֻדָּה listen and repeat meaning point. It means literally pointed, but it can also mean local or one-time, as in:
listen and repeat. It comes from the word נְקֻדָּה listen and repeat meaning point. It means literally pointed, but it can also mean local or one-time, as in:זֹאת בְּעָיָה נְקֻדָּתִית.
This is a specific/one-time problem.
Other less-used (less-specific) Hebrew translations of specific include מֻגְדָּר listen and repeat – defined – and מְיֻחָד listen and repeat – special.
listen and repeat – defined – and מְיֻחָד listen and repeat – special.
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