how to say “vegetarianism” in Hebrew

צִמְחוֹנוּת[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/צמחונות-1.m4a” /]

The Hebrew word for plant – or that which sprouts – is צמח[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/צמחונות-2.m4a” /]. Thus a person who eats mainly plants is a צמחוני[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/צמחונות-3.m4a” /] if he’s a male and צמחונית[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/צמחונות-4.m4a” /] if she’s a female.

For example:

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/צמחונות-5.m4a” /]היא לא אוכלת בשר – היא צמחונית.

She doesn’t eat meat – she’s a vegetarian.

Likewise, vegetarianism is צמחונות[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/צמחונות-1.m4a” /].

For example:

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/צמחונות-6.m4a” /]עבור אנשים רבים, הצמחונות היא אידיאל.

For many people, (the) vegetarianism is an ideal.

This ות-[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/צמחונות-7.m4a” /] ending is the proper Hebrew way of saying –ism, so that Zionisim is ציונות[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/צמחונות-8.m4a” /], veganism is טבעונות[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/צמחונות-9.m4a” /], etc.

Nevertheless, many Hebrew renditions of international words retain יזם-[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/צמחונות-10.m4a” /] as their suffix, as in communism – קומוניזם[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/צמחונות-11.m4a” /], fascism – פאשיזם[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/צמחונות-12.m4a” /], etc.