להקשיב, להאזין The most common word for to listen in Hebrew is לְהַקְשִׁיב. For example, אֲנִי מַקְשִׁיב לְךָ, חָבֵר (ah-NEE mahk-SHEEV leh-KHAH hah-VEHR) means I’m listening to you, friend, when both the speaker and the friend are male. קֶשֶׁב (KEH-shev), with the same root as להקשיב, means attention. Another word is לְהַאֲזִין (leh-hah-ah-ZEEN). If…
לחוש I believe that empathic listening can solve most if not all of the world’s interpersonal problems. Such listening takes two sides – an empathic listener and a speaker who is willing to be listened to. An essential part of empathic listening is an emotional component – that is, when someone is listening…
לנצל In English, to take advantage can mean a personal violation, or it can mean a productive, sometimes win-win situation. The same is true in Hebrew. It’s possible לְנַצֵּל בֶּן אָדָם (le-nah-TSEL ben ah-DAHM) – to take advantage of a person, such as a tourist in a foreign country that doesn’t know the…
Ulpan La-Inyan midsummer classes We’ve got a midsummer session of our fun, relaxed and highly-effective conversational Hebrew classes, starting on July 25 and running through September 2. We’re offering a variety of levels at the AACI in both Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. To save 50 shekels, you must register…
להקדיש If you’ve been to a synagogue or a Jewish family for a traditional Shabbat meal, you’re more than likely familiar with the Hebrew word קִדּוֹש (kee-DOOSH) – Kiddush. In many synagogues, this word is associated with cholent, cake and coffee with non-dairy creamer. The word קידוש itself means sanctification; the root is…
היצע וביקוש If you know a bit of Hebrew, you’re probably familiar with the word for please – בְּבַקָּשָׁה (be-vah-kah-SHAH). When saying please, we’re actually saying, I’d like to have some of that! Likewise, the economic term for demand is בִּקּוּש (bee-KOOSH) – formed from the verb לְבַקֵּש (le-vah-KESH) – to ask for something/ to request. …
גביע העולם The international term for this event that is capturing the world’s attention is Mundial. The Hebrew word for world is עוֹלָם (oh-LAHM), and the word for cup, or more specifically, goblet, is גָּבִיע (gah-VEE-ah). This is also the term for kiddush cup or becher in Yiddish. So the Hebrew term for the World…
Ulpan La-Inyan midsummer classes We’ve got a midsummer session of our fun, relaxed and highly-effective conversational Hebrew classes, starting on July 25 and running through September 2. We’re offering a variety of levels at the AACI in both Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, as well as an intensive form of our Level 3…
להתיצב There are a few Hebrew verbs that can mean to show up. One is לְהוֹפִיע (le-hoh-FEE-ah), or literally, to appear. You’d use that one in the context of she showed up at the party – הִיא הוֹפִיעָה בַּמְּסִיבָּה (hee hoh-FEE-ah bah-meh-see-BAH). Another sense of “showing up” is he showed up at the (army)…
מין, סוג Are you liking your Free Daily Dose of Hebrew? PASS IT ON! This entry is delivered at the request of all-star Ulpan La-Inyan faithful, Ruti. So there are (at least) two words for “type” or “kind” in Hebrew: מִין (meen) and סוּג (soog). What’s the difference? When should one…
שקוף Today I was on the phone when all of a sudden a quite powerful gust of wind came and slammed my office/bedroom door shut and shattering all the glass, yielding this: The spots on the door are not stains; rather, they are specs of dust on my phone camera’s lens, which I…