how to say “wintry” in Hebrew

By bicycle, the ride home from the Jerusalem open market – the shuk, שׁוּק (shook) – is normally twelve minutes long. Though clouds were gathering tonight, I took my bike out to buy some essential foods for sandwiches and salads, such as lettuce, tomatoes, basil and brown rice. As I was riding up the hill on Agrippas St. approaching the שוק, a drizzle was becoming proper rain and strengthening; I arrived at the שוק and found an awning under which to lock my bike just in time, for about a minute later a downpour began, the likes of which can be experienced only in the movies (and on the Eastern seaboard of the United States).


After I finished my shopping and the rain abated some, I ventured out for the downhill ride home, with בְּלָמִים (beh-lah-MEEM) – brakes – that have been wearing down recently. The ride took me about twenty minutes as I was applying the בלמים continuously, dodging cars, pedestrians, and sticking as close to trees and poles as possible to avoid being struck by lightning. 


Anyway, the word of the day is wintry – חָרְפִּי (khohr-PEE). This is the adjective form of the Modern Hebrew word for winter, חֹרֶף (KHOH-ref), which is itself related to the word for sharp or acute in thinking, tone of voice or physical taste, חָרִיף (khah-REEF); חוֹרף, or winter, is the time of acute or biting cold. In Biblical Hebrew, חורף refers to the rains of autumn. 


Note the pronunciation of חָרפי – the kamatz symbol under the letter ח, which normally dictates the ah vowel in Modern Hebrew, here dictates a short oh vowel.


For example, הַלַּיְלָה הוּא לַיְלָה חָרְפִּי (hah-LAH-ee-lah hoo LAH-ee-lah khohr-PEE) – tonight is a wintry night.