how to say “weapon” in Hebrew

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

If you’re a male entering an Israeli mall, you’re likely to encounter a security guard who will ask you:

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/נשק-2.m4a” /]יש לך נשק?

Do you have a weapon?

Alternatively, he or she might say, ?אתה חמוש[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/נשק-3.m4a” /] – are you armed?

נשק[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/נשק-1-1.m4a” /] means weapon and is sometimes used to refer to weapons in the general sense. Strictly speaking, though, weapons are נשקים[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/נשק-4.m4a” /].

For example:

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/נשק-5.m4a” /]בארצות הברית מתנהל דיון סוער סביב רכישת נשקים.

In the United States there is a stormy debate around ownership of weapons.

Note that נשק has the same root as נשיקה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/נשק-6.m4a” /] – a kiss. Both involve rather intimate engagement.