how to say “to put on a mask” in Hebrew

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/לעטות-מסכה-#.m4a” /]לָשִׂים/לַעֲטוֹת/לַחְבֹּשׁ מַסֵּכָה

*This Dose is based on this article by the Academy of the Hebrew Language.

In English one could say to put on a mask just as well as to wear one or to don one.

Hebrew has a similar repertoire of choices:

לשים מסכה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/לעטות-מסכה-#.m4a” /]

Most Israelis say לשים מסכה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/לעטות-מסכה-#.m4a” /] – literally, to put a mask.

For example:

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/לעטות-מסכה-#.m4a” /]שים מסכה כשאתה יוצא לרחוב.

Put on a mask when you go out to the street.

לעטות מסכה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/לעטות-מסכה-#.m4a” /]

This is the term you’ll hear/see in the news. It’s closest to to don in English.

An example:

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/לעטות-מסכה-#.m4a” /]חובה לעטות מסכה כשיוצאים למרחב הציבורי.

Donning a mask when going out to the public space is obligatory.

לחבוש מסכה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/לעטות-מסכה-#.m4a” /]

To wear a hat is לחבוש כובע[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/לעטות-מסכה-#.m4a” /]. Likewise, to bandage a wound is לחבוש פצע[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/לעטות-מסכה-#.m4a” /]. What do heads and wounds have in common? Some head coverings are wrapped around the head. So are masks. Hence לחבוש מסכה.

For example:

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/לעטות-מסכה-#.m4a” /]איזו מסכה את חובשת היום, שרה?

Which mask are you wearing today, Sarah?

All these verbs – לשים, לעטות and לחבוש, are simple verbs. There roots are, respectively, ש.י.מ[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/לעטות-מסכה-#.m4a” /], ע.ט.ה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/לעטות-מסכה-#.m4a” /] and ח.ב.ש[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/לעטות-מסכה-#.m4a” /].