how to say “supposed to” in Hebrew
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/אמור-#.m4a” /]אָמוּר ל-
To say supposed to in Hebrew, we say literally said to – -אמור ל[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/אמור-#.m4a” /].
For example:
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/אמור-#.m4a” /]הוא לא אמור להיות פה היום?
Isn’t he supposed to be here today?
Psychologist Albert Ellis invited people to stop burdening themselves with all kinds of I’m supposed-to’s and I should’s – “shoulding all over themselves.” Hebrew invented an expression with the same bottom line: אמור זה שם של דג[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/אמור-#.m4a” /] – literally, Amur is the name of a fish. אמור[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/אמור-#.m4a” /] means not only supposed or said but also refers to a type of carp, so the Hebrew expression means, Use the word אמור when referring to the fish and stop assigning to yourself such expectations.
