[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),…
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/יונקים-#.m4a” /]יוֹנְקִים The Hebrew word for mammal, יונק[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/יונקים-#.m4a” /] (יונקים[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/יונקים-#.m4a” /] is the plural, mammals), means suckling or breastfeeder, because that’s what mammals do (for an English parallel, think of the connection between mammal and mammogram). Here’s the word in context: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/יונקים-#.m4a” /]בזמן האחרון רואים מיני יונקים לא-שגרתיים מסתובבים ברחובות. Lately, we’ve been…
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סָבְתָא שֶׁלִּי The Hebrew word סבתא means grandmother – or more accurately, grandma. The proper term, which you’ll only find in formal settings, is סבה. Likewise, grandfather or grandpa is סבא, while סב is the obscure, technically-correct term for grandfather. Here’s a colloquial example: סבתא שלי הייתה ניצולת שואה. My grandmother was a Holocaust survivor….
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/התקהלות-#.m4a” /]הִתְקַהֲלוּת Here’s a word you’ve heard if you’ve been following the Hebrew news: התקהלות[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/התקהלות-#.m4a” /] – gathering, as in: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/התקהלות-#.m4a” /]חל איסור התקהלות עד להודעה חדשה. A gathering ban is in place until further notice. התקהלות is the noun form of להתקהל[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/התקהלות-#.m4a” /] – to gather, a התפעל verb of the root…
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/הקלה-#.m4a” /]הֲקָלָה The Hebrew word for relief is הקלה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/הקלה-#.m4a” /], as in: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/הקלה-#.m4a” /]איזו הקלה! What a relief! (You’ll probably hear people saying איזה הקלה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/הקלה-#.m4a” /] instead – this is grammatically incorrect but far more common.) הקלה also means an easing of something, such as movement restrictions during corona. And if you live…
חֹמֶר לְשִׁנּוּן[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/review-1.mp3″ /] Review Material You spent time on your Hebrew this week. Use these review materials to make it yours to keep. To take full advantage of the review material, click on “Choose a study mode” in the bottom right corner of the box above. [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/review-2.mp3″ /]שבת שלום, וסוף…
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/לאלתר-#.m4a” /]לְאַלְתֵּר The Hebrew word for to improvise is לאלתר[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/לאלתר-#.m4a” /], a פיעל verb of the four-letter root א.ל.ת.ר[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/לאלתר-#.m4a” /]. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/לאלתר-#.m4a” /]כשאין ברירה, חייבים לאלתר. When there’s no choice, we must improvise. You may be thinking, what kind of Hebrew verb has a four-letter root? Don’t they all have…