Your Daily Dose of Hebrew

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/כמו-שצריך-#.m4a” /]כְּמוֹ שֶׁצָּרִיךְ כמו שצריך[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/כמו-שצריך-#.m4a” /] is a very common expression in Hebrew that means well or properly: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/כמו-שצריך-#.m4a” /]תסגור את הברז כמו שצריך. Close the faucet properly (as it should be closed). The expression means literally, as is needed. Since Hebrew doesn’t have a word for should, צריך often functions as should. For example: [audioclip…

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/שוקולד-#.m4a” /]שׁוֹקוֹלָד This word is so beloved that the Academy for the Hebrew Language didn’t even bother creating an authentic Hebrew term for it. Today chocolate is שוקולד[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/שוקולד-#.m4a” /], which is the Russian (and Yiddish) pronunciation of the word (шоколад), but in earlier years of the State you would often hear people referring to…

חֹמֶר לְשִׁנּוּן[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/review-1.mp3″ /] Review Material Can’t read Hebrew yet? You spent time on your Hebrew this week. Use these review materials to make it yours to keep.  Flashcards . Scatter . Gravity . Test [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/review-2.mp3″ /]שבת שלום, וסוף שבוע נעים! Shabbat Shalom, and have a nice weekend!

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/מתמטיקה-#.m4a” /]מָתֶמָטִיקָה Yesterday we saw that one of the meaning of the word חשבון[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/מתמטיקה-#.m4a” /] is arithmetic, which comes from the authentic Hebrew root ח.ש.ב[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/מתמטיקה-#.m4a” /] meaning thinking. Unlike חשבון, the word for math in general is the international one: מתמטיקה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/מתמטיקה-#.m4a” /]. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/מתמטיקה-#.m4a” /]הנושא הראשון שלומדים במתמטיקה הוא חשבון. The first…

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/חשבון-בבקשה-#.m4a” /]חֶשׁבּוֹן, בְּבַקָּשָׁה The word חשבון[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/חשבון-בבקשה-#.m4a” /] refers to several things in Hebrew: artithmetic, an account, a bill, and even an ancient Biblical city ruled by the Amorite king Sihon. So to ask for the bill in a restaurant, you would say: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/חשבון-בבקשה-#.m4a” /]חשבון, בבקשה. Check, please. Still sitting there ten minutes later,…

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/להמתין-#.m4a” /]לְחַכּוֹת, לְהַמְתִּין The basic and commonly used word for to wait in Hebrew is לחכות[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/להמתין-#.m4a” /]. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/להמתין-#.m4a” /]חבר’ה, חכו לי בחוץ, אני תיכף יורד. Guys, wait for me outside, I’ll (a male) be right down. לחכות is a פיעל verb. But you may have encountered another word for to wait, one…

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/להתפנותב-#.m4a” /]לְהִתְפַּנּוֹת If you’ve taken our Level 1 course, you know forms of the simple verb לפנות[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/להתפנותב-#.m4a” /] – to turn. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/להתפנותב-#.m4a” /]אתה צריך לפנות שמאלה ברמזור. You (a male) need to turn left at the light. לפנות in a passive sense means available or turned from the other (busy) direction – פנוי[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/להתפנותב-#.m4a”…

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/סידורים-#.m4a” /]סִדּוּרִים Looking at the word above, you might think I’m talking about prayer books. These are סידורים[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/סידורים-#.m4a” /] as well. But since סידור[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/סידורים-#.m4a” /] in its essence means putting things in order, it applies to both a prayer book with all the prayers set in the right order, as well as something that needs to…

חֹמֶר לְשִׁנּוּן[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/review-1.mp3″ /] Review Material Can’t read Hebrew yet? You spent time on your Hebrew this week. Use these review materials to make it yours to keep.  Flashcards . Scatter . Gravity . Test [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/review-2.mp3″ /]שבת שלום, וסוף שבוע נעים! Shabbat Shalom, and have a nice weekend!

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/לפצות-פה-#.m4a” /]לִפְצוֹת פֶּה This dramatic expression comes straight from the Bible, where the ground opens up its mouth to swallow up dissidents: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/לפצות-פה-#.m4a” /]וּפָצְתָה הָאֲדָמָה אֶת פִּיהָ וּבָלְעָה אֹתָם וְאֶת כָּל אֲשֶׁר לָהֶם. (במדבר ט”ז, ל’) The earth shall open its mouth and swallow them and all their belongings. (Numbers 16:30) Over time,…

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/מרצה-#.m4a” /]מַרְצֶה While פרופסור[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/מרצה-#.m4a” /] does mean professor, it’s not the word that Israelis students tend to use to refer to the person who teaches them at the university level. The word they prefer is מרצה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/מרצה-#.m4a” /] – literally, lecturer: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/מרצה-#.m4a” /]גיגלתי אותה – היא מרצה בטכניון. I googled her – she’s…