how to say “to deny” in Hebrew
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/להכחיש-#.m4a” /]לְהַכְחִישׁ, לְהִתְכַּחֵשׁ
Hebrew has two ways of saying to deny.
להכחיש[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/להכחיש-#.m4a” /] means to deny a fact, to contradict it – directly, actively. It’s a הפעיל verb of the root כ.ח.ש[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/להכחיש-#.m4a” /].
For example:
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/להכחיש-#.m4a” /]הוא הכחיש את כל העובדות שהצביעו על כך שהוא אשם.
He denied all the facts that pointed to him being guilty.
Then there’s להתכחש[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/להכחיש-#.m4a” /], a התפעל verb of the same root, which means something more like to be in denial of something.
For example:
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/להכחיש-#.m4a” /]היא מתכחשת לעובדה שהיא כבר בת שלושים.
She’s in denial of the fact that she’s already thirty.
To better understand the difference between להכחיש and להתכחש – and the difference between הפעיל verbs and התפעל ones – watch today’s video.