Your Daily Dose of Hebrew

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/שחיתות-1.m4a” /]שְׁחִיתוּת The Hebrew word for corruption is שחיתות[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/שחיתות-1.m4a” /], of the root ש.ח.ת[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/שחיתות-2.m4a” /]. This root is very similar to ש.ח.ט[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/שחיתות-3.m4a” /], which means slaughter. The connection between the two ideas isn’t too difficult to imagine. Here’s שחיתות in context: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/שחיתות-4.m4a” /]מדינת ישראל מנסה להתנקות משחיתות. The State of…

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/להתנקות-1.m4a” /]לְהִתְנַקּוֹת So not everyone loves לנקות[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/להתנקות-2.m4a” /] – to clean. But there’s a psychological/spiritual advantage to doing it, at least arguably: cleaning the outside might mirror some cleaning on the inside. The primary Hebrew word for to cleanse oneself is להתנקות[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/להתנקות-1.m4a” /], a reflexive version of לנקות. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/להתנקות-3.m4a”…

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/לנקות-1.m4a” /]לְנַקּוֹת Passover is coming, and with it time for many people to do spring cleaning. To clean in Hebrew is לנקות[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/לנקות-1.m4a” /]. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/לנקות-2.m4a” /]אוף, אני שונא לנקות! Ugh, I (a male) hate cleaning (to clean)! and: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/לנקות-3.m4a” /]כבר ניקיתי את השירותים. I already cleaned the restroom. לנקות is…

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/אוף-1.m4a” /]אוּף! In Israel’s version of Sesame Street, there’s a character that parallels Oscar the Grouch. In Hebrew, his name is משה אופניק[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/אוף-2.m4a” /] – Moshe Oofnick. That’s because he always says אוף[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/אוף-1.m4a” /] – ugh! in a show of disdain. Here’s the word אוף itself in context: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/אוף-3.m4a” /]אוף, עוד…

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/הלוואה-מיידית-1.m4a” /]הַלְוָאָה מִיָּדִית If you get text messages offering you an instant loan, you’re not alone. I get messages like these too – but instead of instant loan, they say הלוואה מיידית[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/הלוואה-מיידית-1.m4a” /]. Here’s a typical message: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/הלוואה-מיידית-2.m4a” /]הלוואה מיידית של עשרים אלף שקלים! Instant loan of twenty thousand shekels! The phrase…

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/2018/03/להביט-1.m4a” /]לְהַבִּיט If you’ve got some basic Hebrew, you probably know the word for to look – להסתכל[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/להביט-2.m4a” /]. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/להביט-3.m4a” /]אל תסתכלו עליו. Don’t look at him. (spoken to more than one person) A higher-register word for to look is להביט[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/להביט-1.m4a” /] – in English, this might be to…

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/ייסורי-מצפון-1.m4a” /]יִסּוּרֵי מַצְפּוּן The Hebrew word for conscience is מצפון[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/ייסורי-מצפון-2.m4a” /], of the root צ.פ.נ[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/ייסורי-מצפון-3.m4a” /] meaning north: someone who has lost their conscience has also lost their “north.” And if you’ve got some background in Jewish philosophy, you almost certainly know the word for tribulations – ייסורים[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/ייסורי-מצפון-4.m4a” /]. Putting these…

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/מוסר-כליות-1.m4a” /]מוּסַר כְּלָיוֹת You may know the Hebrew word that means literally regret or remorse: חרטה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/מוסר-כליות-2.m4a” /]. Likewise, to regret is להתחרט[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/מוסר-כליות-3.m4a” /], as in: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/מוסר-כליות-4.m4a” /]אני מתחרטת שקניתי את המכשיר הזה. I (a female) regret that I bought this device. A more striking expression for feelings of remorse is מוסר…

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/כליה-1.m4a” /]כִּלְיָה You may know the word for kidney from the Jewish High Holiday prayers: בוחן כליות ולב[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/כליה-2.m4a” /] – (the One who) sees the inner workings (literally, kidneys) and the heart. כליות[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/כליה-3.m4a” /] are kidneys, while a single kidney is a כליה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/כליה-1.m4a” /]. In another context: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/%D7%9B%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%94-4.m4a” /]היא צריכה…

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/השתלת-לב-1.m4a” /]הַשְׁתָּלַת לֵב While the heart transplant is a modern activity, the idea of planting certainly appears in Biblical Hebrew under the root ש.ת.ל[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/השתלת-לב-2.m4a” /], as in the simple פעל verb לשתול[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/השתלת-לב-3.m4a” /] – to plant. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/השתלת-לב-4.m4a” /]הילדה שתלה שתיל. The girl planted a sapling. What about a transplant?…