בִּלְתִּי נִסְלַח listen to this phrase pronounced The butchering of an innocent family is an unforgivable act – מַעֲשֶׂה בִּלְתִּי נִסְלַח (mah-ah-SEH beel-TEE nees-LAHKH). נסלח falls into the נפעל (neef-AHL) verb pattern, though the word itself functions as an adjective. The root is ס.ל.ח (s.l.kh) – forgiveness. May the week bring a turn of…
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/הברקה-#.m4a” /]הַבְרָקָה When one has a stroke of brilliance, it’s like a light bulb has suddenly lit up… or a bolt of lightning – ברק[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/הברקה-#.m4a” /] – has hit. Thus the Hebrew word for stroke of brilliance is הברקה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/הברקה-#.m4a” /], as in: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/הברקה-#.m4a” /]יש לי הברקה! I have a stroke of brilliance!…
having trouble seeing the print? חֲנֻכִּיָּה Become a fan of ours on Facebook! The word מְנוֹרָה (meh-noh-RAH) in the Torah happens to refer to a specific lamp of great religious significance, but contrary to what Jews in the Diaspora might believe, the word מנורה in Hebrew is really just a regular old lamp. Its root is נ.ו.ר (n.w.r), the same…
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/שומן-רווי-#.m4a” /]שׁוּמָן רָווּי The word for fat (the noun) is שומן[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/שומן-רווי-#.m4a” /], as in: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/שומן-רווי-#.m4a” /]בשווארמה יש הרבה שומן. There’s a lot of fat in shawarma. Saturated fat is שומן רווי[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/שומן-רווי-#.m4a” /], as in: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/שומן-רווי-#.m4a” /]בישראל שמים מדבקה מיוחדת על מוצרים עם הרבה שומן רווי. In Israel (they) put a special…
הִזְדַּהוּת רִגְשִׁית listen to this word pronounced This entry is for our students, Toshy and Lucas. As yours likely does as well, my heart goes out to the people of Japan. הזדהות Identity in Hebrew is זֵהוּת (zeh-HOOT). The root is ז.ה.ה (z.h.h), the concept of identity or identical. To identify with someone or something is…
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לחפש-בנרות-1.mp3″ /]לְחַפֵּשׂ בַּנֵּרוֹת Earlier this week we saw a Hebrew expression invoking an entire Biblical experience to say really, really dark – חֹשֶׁךְ מִצְרַיִם[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לחפש-בנרות-2.mp3″ /]. Here’s another vivid term, this time for to search meticulously – לְחַפֵּשׂ בַּנֵּרוֹת[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לחפש-בנרות-1.mp3″ /], literally to search by candlelight or with (the) candles. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לחפש-בנרות-3.mp3″ /]כְּדֵי…