[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/משטר-#.m4a” /]מִשְׁטָר The Hebrew word for regime – משטר[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/משטר-#.m4a” /] – is related to the word משטרה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/משטר-#.m4a” /], police. When we think of a regime, we tend not to think of fair democracies, but rather of something closer to tyranny, or tyranny itself. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/משטר-#.m4a” /]המשטר הסובייטי הותיר אחריו מיליוני הרוגים חפים מפשע….
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/דבורה-1.m4a” /]דְּבוֹרָה While Hebrew nouns are largely categorized as masculine or feminine, some words are the same for both genders. One example I’ve used several times on this blog is אדם[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/דבורה-2.m4a” /] – person. This word is masculine, but applies equally to males and females: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/דבורה-3.m4a” /]היא אדם נחמד. She is a nice person. Occasionally, you’ll…
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…
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/צרכים-#.m4a” /]צְרָכִים If you’ve taken our Level 1 course, you know how to express need: אני צריך[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/צרכים-#.m4a” /] if you’re male and אני צריכה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/צרכים-#.m4a” /] if you’re female. The word for a need is צורך[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/צרכים-#.m4a” /], while needs are צרכים[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/צרכים-#.m4a” /]. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/צרכים-#.m4a” /]הוא נמצא במסגרת לילדים עם צרכים…
בִּן לַיְלָה The online front page of one of Israel’s major newspapers, יְדִיעוֹת אַחֲרוֹנוֹת (ye-dee-OHT ah-khah-roh-NOHT) reads: יְצִיאַת תּוּנִיסִיָּה: “הָפְכָה לְעִירַאק בִּן לַיְלָה” (ye-tsee-AHT too-NEE-see-yah: “hahf-KHAH le-ee-RAHK been LAH-ee-lah”) – Exodus from Tunisia: “Turned into Iraq overnight.” Here’s the article. To say that something occurs overnight, you’d use the expression, בִּן…
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/עמוד-שדרה-#.m4a” /]עַמּוּד שִׁדְרָה The backbone or the spinal column, in Hebrew is עמוד השדרה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/עמוד-שדרה-#.m4a” /]. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/עמוד-שדרה-#.m4a” /]עמוד השדרה מורכב מחוליות. The spinal column is made up of rings/vertebrae. You might also remark about someone lacking in character: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/עמוד-שדרה-#.m4a” /]אין לו עמוד שדרה. He has no backbone. עמוד[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/עמוד-שדרה-#.m4a” /] means column (also page),…