how do you say “protest” in Hebrew?
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/מחאה-1.m4a” /]מְחָאָה
Curiously, the word for protest – מחאה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/מחאה-1.m4a” /] – is related to the expression to clap hands – למחוא כפיים[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/מחאה-2.m4a” /]. That’s because sometimes clapping hands isn’t always about appreciation or adoration, but rather sometimes it’s what a director might do to get their crew to focus – protesting what’s going on at the moment.
מחאה in context:
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/מחאה-3.m4a” /]אתם הולכים למחאה בכיכר רבין?
Are you guys going to the protest at Rabin Square?
And למחוא כפיים in context (in noun form):
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/מחאה-4.m4a” /]מגיעה לו מחיאת כפיים!
He deserves a round of applause.
Note that the word for hands here is כפיים[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/מחאה-5.m4a” /] – literally, palms – not ידיים[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/מחאה-6.m4a” /] – hands.
The word for demonstration – הפגנה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/מחאה-7.m4a” /] – is used almost interchangeably with מחאה.