שרב This one was requested by Ruti. If you would like to request a word to be featured on Ktzat Ivrit, please click. It’s still summer in Israel. The bike ride from my rented German Colony apartment to Yeshivat HaKotel in the Old City (where I deliver Ivrit La-Inyan classes) requires that I…
אתה צוחק עלי? The Hebrew word for to make fun is the same word for to laugh – לִצְחוֹק (leets-KHOHK). In the case of making fun, add the word עַל – so that your sentence sounds would be translated literally into English, laughing on someone. To ask someone (a male, in this example), Are you making fun of…
לשחות חתירה To swim, in Hebrew, is לִשְׂחוֹת (lees-KHOHT). The act of swimming is שְׂחִיָּה (skhee-YAH). To row or to paddle is לַחְתּוֹר (lahkh-TOHR). The act of rowing or paddling – or swimming the crawl (which resembles rowing in its movement) is חֲתִירָה (khah-tee-RAH). For example… אֲנִי אוֹהֵב לִשְׂחוֹת חֲתִירָה (ah-NEE oh-HEV lees-KHOT khah-tee-RAH) – I…
נתרן To conclude the nutrition series of Ktzat Ivrit, here’s the word for sodium: נַתְרָן (naht-RAHN). What is the etymology behind נתרן? I’ve got no clue. If you do, let me know!
שלוה The Modern Hebrew letter ו (vahv) make a v sound when pronounced by most native speakers. In Biblical times, however, the letter made a w sound. There are four Hebrew consonants pronounced, historically, at the lips: ב (b), מ (m), פ (p) and ו (w). Try it yourself. Linguists call these consonants bilabials. …
אופניים This one’s for Maurice – thanks for the request! I explained this to Caron’s Level 4 class last week, I believe, when I was substituting. The Hebrew word for bicycle is אוֹפַנַּים (oh-fah-NAH-yeem). Why? While Modern Hebrew (going on Medieval) renders a wheel a גַּלְגָּל (gahl-GAHL), the Biblical Hebrew word for…
כדורגל, פוטבול Someone asked me to feature football (if you’d like to have a word or phrase featured, visit our request page.) I don’t know whether s/he is referring to the game played in the World Cup or to that played with a pigskin in the States, so I’m going to feature both. …
הגיוני In English, to think is a general term, while to ponder, to contemplate, to surmise, etc. are related to thinking but are more specific. Hebrew works the same way, with לַחְשׁוֹב (lahkh-SHOHV) meaning to think, and other words denoting something more specific. For example, the Biblical and Modern Hebrew לַהֲגוֹת (lah-hah-GOHT) means to pronounce, but…
שמן, שומן The Biblical Hebrew word for oil is שֶׁמֶן (SHEH-men). The nutrition-facts name for fat is שׁוּמָן (shoo-MAHN). The derogatory term for someone who is overweight is שָׁמֵן (shah-MEN) for a male and שְׁמֵנָה (shmeh-NAH) for a female.
אמין This entry was requested by Stan. Thanks Stan! Keep them coming! If you would like to request an entry from Ktzat Ivrit, please go here. If you’ve been minimally affiliated with any Judeo-Christian institution… ever, you’re familiar with the word אָמֵן (ah-MEN) – amen. The three-letter root of the word makes…
להכפיל Perhaps you’ve been to חֶבְרוֹן (khev-ROHN) – Hebron, to the Tomb of the Patriarchs. In Hebrew, that site is called מְעָרַת הַמַּכְפֵּלָה (meh-ah-RAHT hah-mahkh-peh-LAH) – the cave of the doubling. Why doubling? I’m aware of two reasons provided by the Rabbis: 1. Couples are buried there, and 2. The cave is two-storied….