[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/פתח-#.m4a” /]פֶּתַח With the Ashkenazic pronunciation, this word sounds just like the one for Passover – פסח[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/פתח-#.m4a” /]. But Modern Hebrew renders it with a t sound – פתח[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/פתח-#.m4a” /]. It means doorway or opening, and is related to the word for to open – לפתוח[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/פתח-#.m4a” /]. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/פתח-#.m4a” /]הכלב עומד שם בפתח עם פרצוף כזה…
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/להזיק-1.m4a” /]לְהַזִּיק The students of Mishnah and Talmud among you will almost certainly recognize the Hebrew word for to damage or to harm: להזיק[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/להזיק-1.m4a” /]. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/להזיק-2.m4a” /]לא התכוונתי להזיק לך. I didn’t mean to harm you (a male). This active-causative verb derives from the root נ.ז.ק[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/להזיק-3.m4a” /], which itself spells the word…
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/להירדם-2-#.m4a” /]לְהֵרָדֵם The Hebrew word for to fall asleep is להרדם[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/להירדם-2-#.m4a” /]. Take for example the story of חוני המעגל – Honi the Circle Drawer [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/להירדם-2-#.m4a” /]: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/להירדם-2-#.m4a” /]הוא נרדם תחת עץ החרוב וישן שבעים שנה. He fell asleep under the carob tree and slept for seventy years. להירדם is a נפעל verb and a…
עַל כַּוֶּנֶת Can’t read Hebrew yet? In English we might hear “they’re watching you – you’re on the radar.” Hebrew uses a different military metaphor – עַל הַכַּוֶּנֶת on the viewfinder – invoking the sniper’s rifle. For example: אִם אוֹפְּרָה תִּמְתַּח בִּקּוֹרֶת עַל מַאט דֵּיימוֹן, בֶּן אַפְלֶק יֵדַע שֶׁהוּא עַל הַכַּוֶּנֶת….
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/גג-#.m4a” /]גַּג In English, you might say something like “I’d pay $100 for that. $150 tops (maximum).” In Hebrew, the equivalent expression for tops is גג[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/גג-#.m4a” /] – literally, roof. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/גג-#.m4a” /]אני אגיע תוך שעה, שעה וחצי גג. I’ll arrive in an hour, an hour and a half tops.