סַל, סַלְסִלָּה, טֶנֶא listen and repeat Can’t read Hebrew yet? Hebrew has several words for basket, each with a distinct meaning: 1. סל סַל listen and repeat is your typical weaved basket that can hold several kilos of fruit and other items. A metaphoric usage familiar to those of you who have…
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/יתרה-#.m4a” /]יִתְרָה The Hebrew word for balance as in bank balance is יתרה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/יתרה-#.m4a” /]. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/יתרה-#.m4a” /]מה היתרה שלי בחשבון? What’s my account balance (my balance in the account)? יתרה comes from the root י.ת.ר[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/יתרה-#.m4a” /] meaning remaining, so that a יתרה is the money that remains (whether a positive…
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לדבר-לעניין-1.m4a” /]לְדַבֵּר לָעִנְיָן When I was looking for an adequate translation for לדבר לעניין[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לדבר-לעניין-1.m4a” /] to English, Google Translate gave me to talk turkey – an expression I must have missed, having grown up in the 80s and 90s. In any case, to talk turkey means to talk business – to talk in a way that gets to the point….
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/אצלי-1.m4a” /]אֶצְלִי I used French in the title because English doesn’t really have this word, although some American Jews with a Yiddish-speaking heritage do have a word for this – by – as in Can I stay by you? which, in standard English, is May I stay with you/at your place? אצל[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/אצלי-2.m4a” /] incorporates possession and/or location….
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/להתעורר-1.m4a” /]לְהִתְעוֹרֵר To get up – the simple verb לקום[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/להתעורר-2.m4a” /] – is used far more often than the reflexive להתעורר[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/להתעורר-1.m4a” /] – to wake up. I believe the same is true in English, so that you’re more likely to hear or ask: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/להתעורר-3.m4a” /]מתי את קמה בבוקר? When do you get…