[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/לשוחח-#.m4a” /]לְשׂוֹחֵחַ Truth is, there isn’t really a good translation for to schmooze in Hebrew. לדבר[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/לשוחח-#.m4a” /] means to talk, and its synonym לשוחח[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/לשוחח-#.m4a” /] means to have a conversation. The latter is the closest Hebrew has to the cozy Yiddish word. Here’s לשוחח in context: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/לשוחח-#.m4a” /]דוד, בוא אלי לעיר העתיקה ונשוחח. David,…
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/נשק-1-1.m4a” /]נֶשֶׁק If you’re a male entering an Israeli mall, you’re likely to encounter a security guard who will ask you: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/נשק-2.m4a” /]יש לך נשק? Do you have a weapon? Alternatively, he or she might say, ?אתה חמוש[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/נשק-3.m4a” /] – are you armed? נשק[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/נשק-1-1.m4a” /] means weapon and is sometimes used to refer to weapons…
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/נפנף-#.m4a” /]נַפְנַף The American barbecue scene is dominated by large, sturdy grills that run on gas or electricity. While more and more Israelis now own such grills, there’s still a strong culture of barbecuing in the park or in the forest using portable grills – מנגלים[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/נפנף-#.m4a” /] – especially on יום העצמאות[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/נפנף-#.m4a”…
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/בעדינות-#.m4a” /]בַּעֲדִינוּת The Hebrew word for gentle is עדין[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/בעדינות-#.m4a” /] in the masculine and עדינה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/בעדינות-#.m4a” /] in the feminine. You may know people by these names – Adin and Adina. These words derive from עדן[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/בעדינות-#.m4a” /] – Eden, as in the Garden of Eden (עדן-Eden is also a beautiful name), since gentleness is…
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/אזרח-ותיק-1.mp3″ /]אֶזְרָח וָתִיק On buses throughout Israel you’ll find placards stating: מִפְּנֵי שֵׂיבָה תָּקוּם[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/אזרח-ותיק-2.mp3″ /] stand up in the presence of the aged This phrase taken right out of the Bible uses the word שֵׂיבָה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/אזרח-ותיק-3.mp3″ /], referring specifically to hair that has gone white, and generally to those who typically bear white…