Your Daily Dose of Hebrew

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לשפר-ולשמר-1.m4a” /]לְשַׁפֵּר וּלְשַׁמֵּר The Aramaic word for beauty is שופרא[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לשפר-ולשמר-2.m4a” /], of the root ש.פ.ר[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לשפר-ולשמר-3.m4a” /]. Hebrew uses this root as well – especially Modern Hebrew, where the active-intensive verb לשפר[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לשפר-ולשמר-4.m4a” /] means to improve something – to make something more beautiful, better. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לשפר-ולשמר-5.m4a” /]אתם צריכים לשפר את המשחק שלכם. You guys need…

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/מאבטח-1.m4a” /]מְאַבְטֵחַ The Hebrew word for to guard or to keep is לשמור[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/מאבטח-2.m4a” /]. And indeed, שומר[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/מאבטח-3.m4a” /] (for a male) or שומרת[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/מאבטח-4.m4a” /] (for a female) could refer to the person doing their best to make sure we’re safe at the mall or at the synagogue. But the better term is מאבטח[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/מאבטח-1.m4a”…

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/שמורת-טבע-1.m4a” /]שְׁמוּרַת טֶבַע We’ve seen that the Hebrew word for to keep or to guard is לשמור[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/שמורת-טבע-2.m4a” /]. A reserve – that which is preserved or kept – is called שמורה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/שמורת-טבע-3.m4a” /]. And since טבע[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/שמורת-טבע-6.m4a” /] refers to more than a pair of sandals but to nature itself, a nature reserve is שמורת טבע[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/שמורת-טבע-1.m4a” /]….

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/שמרטף-1.m4a” /]בֵּייבִּיסִיטֶר, שְׁמַרְטַף To watch the kids in Hebrew is לשמור על הילדים[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/שמרטף-2.m4a” /], literally, to watch/keep/guard the children. But the professional who assume this role when parents are away is not called a watchperson or a guardian in English – they’re called a babysitter. This term is so lovely to the ear that Israelis use it 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 . Space Race . Test [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/review-2.mp3″ /]שַׁבָּת שָׁלוֹם, וְסוֹף שָׁבוּעַ נָעִים! Shabbat Shalom, and have a nice weekend!

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/מצב-אישי-1.m4a” /]מַצָּב אִישִׁי The Hebrew word for marriage is נישואין[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/מצב-אישי-2.m4a” /]. It comes from the root נ.ש.א[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/מצב-אישי-3.m4a” /] meaning lifting up. Traditionally, a man would lift the woman into a greater status by marrying her (think crossing the threshold). He would in turn be uplifted as well by the woman he chose. As for marital status, Hebrew uses a…

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לחלום-1.m4a” /]לַחְלוֹם The Hebrew word for to dream is the active-simple לחלום[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לחלום-1.m4a” /]. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לחלום-2.m4a” /]תמשיך לחלום. Keep dreaming (to a male). לחלום comes from the word for dream itself – חלום[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לחלום-3.m4a” /], so Dr. King’s speech is called in Hebrew יש לי חלום[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לחלום-4.m4a” /] – I Have a Dream. Just as Les Miserables’…

  [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לכבוש-1.m4a” /]לִכְבּוֹשׁ To conquer – whether land or one’s own desires – is לכבוש[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לכבוש-1.m4a” /] in Hebrew.   As Ben Zoma taught: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לכבוש-2.m4a” /]איזהו גיבור? הכובש את יצרו. (אבות פרק ד’) Who is a hero? He who restrains himself (conquers his inclination). (Ethics of the Fathers, Chapter 4) That which is conquered is כבוש[audioclip…

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לעגל-פינות-1.m4a” /]לְעַגֵּל פִּנּוֹת Last week we saw the Hebrew expression for to tie up loose ends – לסגור פינות[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לעגל-פינות-2.m4a” /] – literally, to close corners. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לעגל-פינות-3.m4a” /]סגירת פינות היא סימן של מקצועיות. Tying up loose ends is a mark of professionalism. Don’t confuse לסגור פינות with another expression – לעגל פינות[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לעגל-פינות-1.m4a”…

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/נתינה-1.m4a” /]נְתִינָה If you’ve got some basic Hebrew down, you probably know the word for to give – לתת[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/נתינה-2.m4a” /]. The root of this active-simple verb – נ.ת.נ[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/נתינה-3.m4a” /] – is not apparent in this form, but rather in the past-tense: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/נתינה-4.m4a” /]הוא נתן לה את לבו. He gave her his heart. The word…

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 . Space Race . Test [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/review-2.mp3″ /]שַׁבָּת שָׁלוֹם, וְסוֹף שָׁבוּעַ נָעִים! Shabbat Shalom, and have a nice weekend!