how to say “relatives” in Hebrew

  having trouble seeing the print? קְרוֹבֵי מִשְׁפָּחָה  listen and repeat       סֵפֶר בְּרֵאשִׁית listen and repeat, the book of Genesis, is to a great extent about family. As Jews around the world are reading the final chapters of ספר בראשית this week, here’s a dose about various family members or relatives.   The term for…

how to say “shepherd’s pie” in Hebrew

having trouble seeing the print? פַּשְׁטִידַת הָרוֹעֶה  listen and repeat   This one’s for my sister, who loves this dish.   In honor of the cold weather felt in many parts of the world this week, here’s an entry about a nice hot food item.   Shepherd’s pie, originating in what is today the United Kingdom, translates…

the connection between “excellence” and “the end of the road”… in Hebrew

  having trouble seeing the print? סוֹף הַדֶּרֶךְ  listen and repeat   When I hear the English expression, the end of the road, the first thing that comes to my mind is the song by Boyz II Men. In English, the end of the road connotes the end of a relationship or process, sometimes the end of a…

how to say “to serve” in Hebrew

  having trouble seeing the print? לְהַגִּישׁ, לְשָׁרֵת  listen and repeat       As often happens when crossing linguistic boundaries, the single English verb to serve has several translations in Hebrew, corresponding to several different meanings of the word in English.         להגיש   There’s to serve as in to give something to someone else,…

how to say “famous” in Hebrew

  having trouble seeing the print? מְפֻרְסָם  listen and repeat Discount Deadline TODAY for our Level 1 course REGISTER NOW! חֲנֻכָּה listen and repeat – Hanukkah – among other things, is about publicizing miracles by showcasing lights to the world. The Hebrew word for to publicize or to advertise is לְפַרְסֵם listen and repeat, a four-letter root first appearing in Mishnaic Hebrew, whose…

how to say “now I get it” in Hebrew

  having trouble seeing the print? נָפַל לִי הָאֲסִימוֹן  listen and repeat     Discount Deadline TOMORROW for our Level 1 course REGISTER NOW!   Back when people used payphones, and before even these required an electronic card to make a call, Israelis inserted a special token into payphones called an אֲסִימוֹן listen and repeat.      …

how to say “to fly” like a bird in Hebrew

  having trouble seeing the print? לָעוּף  listen and repeat     Arik Einstein, one of Israel’s most important and influential musicians, passed away last week. At a ceremony at Rabin Square in Tel Aviv before the funeral, Prime Minister Netanyahu said:   הָיִיתָ הַגָּדוֹל מִכֻּלָּם, הַזַּמָּר הַלְּאֻמִּי. You were the greatest of them all, our (the) national…

how to say “thanksgiving” in Hebrew

  הוֹדָיָה  listen and repeat This is a word that’s not used everyday. We’ve already done an entry on the word grateful, which you’ll find here. The Hebrew word for thanksgiving, as in English, is reserved for special occasions, such as that favorite American holiday itself.   The word is הוֹדָיָה listen and repeat. It comes…

how to say “free ebook” in Hebrew

  having trouble seeing the print? סֵפֶר אֶלֶקְטְרוֹנִי בְּחִנָּם  listen and repeat     חֲנֻכָּה listen and repeat and Thanksgiving are times of joy and giving.   This year, as a way of spreading awareness about Hebrew and this Daily Dose, I’m giving away my brand-new ebook, Hebrew Described, to you and your friends and family. It’s a collection…

how to say “not to THAT extent…” in Hebrew

having trouble seeing the print? לֹא עַד כְּדֵי כָּךְ  listen and repeat   Conversational Hebrew  Starting Soon…  REGISTER NOW! “It’s cold outside. I think it’ll snow.” “It’s not that cold…”   In Hebrew, the latter expression would be:   לֹא עַד כְּדֵי כָּךְ קָר…  listen    The former expression, where the speaker is a male, would be:  …