how to say “to be born” in Hebrew
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/להיוולד-#.m4a” /]לְהִוָּלֵד
He was born, in Hebrew, is הוא נולד[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/להיוולד-#.m4a” /]. She was born is היא נולדה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/להיוולד-#.m4a” /].
These are versions of the נפעל verb להיוולד[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/להיוולד-#.m4a” /] – to be born. Now, you may be looking at the word להיוולד wondering why there’s no נ[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/להיוולד-#.m4a” /] – that’s because the n sound tends to get swallowed up in various words in Hebrew.
In the past and present tense, of נפעל, the נ appears, for example:
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/להיוולד-#.m4a” /]באיזו שנה נולדת, רחל?
In what year were you born, Rachel?
You may recognize the root of להיוולד – it’s ילד[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/להיוולד-#.m4a” /], child.
