how to say “it’s possible” in Hebrew

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/ניתן-1.m4a” /]זֶה אֶפְשָׁרִי, נִתָּן

Like English, Hebrew has different registers – levels of speech. One English example is to see and to view: one is a day-to-day word, while the other is used in more formal contexts.

The common Hebrew expression for it’s possible is זה אפשרי[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/ניתן-2.m4a” /], or simply אפשרי[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/ניתן-3.m4a” /].

For example:

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/ניתן-4.m4a” /]האם נגיע ללוס אנג’לס בביקור שלנו? זה אפשרי.

Will we get to Los Angeles on our trip? It’s possible.

A higher-register word for it’s possible is ניתן[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/ניתן-5.m4a” /] – literally, given.

Here’s an example.

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/ניתן-6.m4a” /]בכל עת ניתן לחזור לתפריט הראשי.

At any time you can (it’s possible) to return to the main menu.

Note the more formal context, which also causes the common word for time – זמן[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/ניתן-7.m4a” /] – with the higher-register עת[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/ניתן-8.m4a” /].