more than “we’re all in the same boat” Hebrew

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/צרת-רבים-חצי-נחמה-#.m4a” /]צָרַת רַבִּים חֲצִי נֶחָמָה

Hebrew has a literal equivalent of we’re all in the same boat: כולנו באותה הסירה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/צרת-רבים-חצי-נחמה-#.m4a” /].

But there’s another expression that means the trouble of many is half a comfort – צרת רבים חצי נחמה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/צרת-רבים-חצי-נחמה-#.m4a” /]. The idea is that although times are tough, the fact that many others are going through something similar eases the pain.

For example:

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/צרת-רבים-חצי-נחמה-#.m4a” /]המצב לא קל, אבל צרת רבים חצי נחמה.

The situation is not easy, but the trouble of many is half a comfort.

The expression broken down:

צרת[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/צרת-רבים-חצי-נחמה-#.m4a” /] – trouble of, where צרה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/צרת-רבים-חצי-נחמה-#.m4a” /] means simply trouble

רבים[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/צרת-רבים-חצי-נחמה-#.m4a” /] – many

חצי[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/צרת-רבים-חצי-נחמה-#.m4a” /] – half

נחמה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/צרת-רבים-חצי-נחמה-#.m4a” /] – comfort, consolation 

נחמה is also a Hebrew name for a girl, though like most names, it’s typically pronounced with the accent on the second-to-last syllable – נחמה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/צרת-רבים-חצי-נחמה-#.m4a” /].