how to say “urgent” in Hebrew

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/דחוף-#.m4a” /]דָּחוּף

While חשוב[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/דחוף-#.m4a” /] means important, דחוף[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/דחוף-#.m4a” /] means urgent.

For example:

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/דחוף-#.m4a” /]תחזור אלי מתי שתוכל – זה לא דחוף.

Get back to me when you can – it isn’t urgent.

דחוף comes from the root ד.ח.פ[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/דחוף-#.m4a” /] meaning pushing – something urgent gets “pushed” to the top of the priority list. The inspiration for this modern word probably comes from:

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/דחוף-#.m4a” /]הָרָצִים יָצְאוּ דְחוּפִים בִּדְבַר הַמֶּלֶךְ וְהַדָּת נִתְּנָה בְּשׁוּשַׁן הַבִּירָה (אסתר ג’, ט”ו)

The couriers went out, pushed by the king’s command, and the edict was issued in Shushan the capital (Esther 3:15)