Your Daily Dose of Hebrew

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/איך-היה-1.m4a” /]אֵיךְ הָיָה? In English, we say how was it? when inquiring about someone’s recent time at an event, a trip, etc. In Hebrew, the expression is ?איך היה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/איך-היה-1.m4a” /] – literally, how was? For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/איך-היה-2.m4a” /]מתי חזרתם מהטיול? איך היה? When did you guys come back from your (the) trip? How was it?…

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/להשתדל-1.mp3″ /]לְנַסּוֹת, לְהִשְׁתַּדֵּל, לַעֲשׂוֹת מַאֲמָץ In English we have to try and to make an effort. Hebrew has one more expression, totaling three, each with its nuances. First, there’s the active-intensive לנסות[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/להשתדל-2.mp3″ /]. It’s the most broadly used, and it means to try in the trial and error sense. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/להשתדל-3.mp3″ /]אני אנסה לתפוס אותה בנייד. I’ll…

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/להתכנס-1.mp3″ /]לְהִתְכַּנֵּס  A phrase appearing in the prayers of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot reads: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/להתכנס-2.mp3″ /]ונפוצותינו כנס מירכתי ארץ. And gather our dispersed from the corners of the earth. The word כנס[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/להתכנס-3.mp3″ /] in that phrase means (you should) gather, so that to gather people together is the active-intensive לכנס[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/להתכנס-4.mp3″ /]. Now that’s, 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 Game 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/צמחייה-1.mp3″ /]צִמְחִיָּה The Hebrew word for a plant is צמח[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/צמחייה-2.mp3″ /]. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/צמחייה-3.mp3″ /]היא מגדלת צמחים ריחניים בגינה. She raises scented plants in her (the) garden. Likewise, צמחייה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/צמחייה-1.mp3″ /] means vegetation or herbage. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/צמחייה-4.mp3″ /]הצמחייה בארץ ישראל מאוד מגוונת. The vegetation in the Land of Israel is quite varied.

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/צום-קל-1.m4a” /]צוֹם קָל, צוֹם מוֹעִיל Before Yom Kippur, Jews like to wish one another an easy fast – or, upon reflecting that the fast is not supposed to be easy, they might wish their fellow a productive fast. Have an easy fast – literally, just easy fast – is צום קל[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/צום-קל-2.m4a” /], where צום[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/צום-קל-3.m4a” /]…

לְהִתְקַלֵּחַ, לַעֲשׂות מִקְלַחַת[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/להתקלח-1.mp3″ /] The Hebrew word for a shower is מקלחת[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/להתקלח-2.mp3″ /], of the root ק.ל.ח (k.l.kh), which has to do with sprinkling liquid. To take a shower is the reflexive-intensive verb להתקלח[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/להתקלח-3.mp3″ /], as in: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/להתקלח-4.mp3″ /]לך תתקלח, אתה מסריח! Go take a shower, you stink! (spoken to a male) Another…

בִּרְצִינוּת[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/ברצינות-1.mp3″ /] The Hebrew word for serious is רציני[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/ברצינות-2.mp3″ /] in the masculine. An example in the feminine plural: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/ברצינות-3.mp3″ /]הן בחורות ממש רציניות. They are really serious young women. In my search for the origin of the word, I came up only with the name of the Aramean king of biblical times,…

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 Game 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!

דֶּרֶךְ אַגַּב[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/אגב-1.mp3″ /] The Hebrew expression for by the way is דרך אגב[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/אגב-1.mp3″ /] (also pronounced stressing the first syllable in אגב[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/אגב-9.mp3″ /]) – literally, by way of the back or, if you will, piggybacking… For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/אגב-3.mp3″ /]דרך אגב, שלחת את המייל? By the way, did you (a female) send the email? The word…

שָׂפָה גַּסָּה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/שפה-גסה-1.mp3″ /] If your mother threatened to wash your mouth out with soap, you know you’ve spoken foul language. In Hebrew, that’s שפה גסה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/שפה-גסה-1.mp3″ /] – literally, coarse language. Likewise, a foul or bad word is a מילה גסה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/שפה-גסה-2.mp3″ /]. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/שפה-גסה-3.mp3″ /]אני לא באמת יודע פרסית, רק את המילים הגסות. I don’t really…