Blog – Your Daily Dose of Hebrew

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/להעדיף-1.m4a” /]לְהַעֲדִיף The Hebrew word for to prefer is the active-causative להעדיף[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/להעדיף-1.m4a” /]. It comes from the root ע.ד.פ[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/להעדיף-2.m4a” /] meaning surplus: something we prefer has sort of a surplus in our minds over something else. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/להעדיף-3.m4a” /]מה את מעדיפה, מרק ירקות או מרק כתום? What do you prefer,…

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/מרק-כתום-1.m4a” /]מָרָק כָּתוֹם There are words in Hebrew for carrot soup, sweet potato soup and squash soup, but Israelis tend to refer to all of these simply as מרק כתום[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/מרק-כתום-1.m4a” /] – orange soup. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/מרק-כתום-2.m4a” /]מרק כתום בחורף עושה הרגשה של בית. Orange soup in the winter creates (makes) a…

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/הרגשה-טובה-1.m4a” /]הַרְגָּשָׁה טוֹבָה The Hebrew word for emotion is רגש[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/הרגשה-טובה-2.m4a” /], a three-letter word that functions as a root as well. One application of this root is in the word (an active-causative verb) להרגיש[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/הרגשה-טובה-3.m4a” /] – to feel, which becomes הרגשה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/הרגשה-טובה-4.m4a” /] – a feeling – in noun form. And a…

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/2015/05/גנוב-1.m4a” /]גָּנוּב You may be familiar with the eighth of the ten commandments: לא תגנוב[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/גנוב-2.m4a” /] – do not steal. לגנוב[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/גנוב-3.m4a” /] is to steal. Likewise, something stolen is גנוב[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/גנוב-1.m4a” /]. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/גנוב-4.m4a” /]לא כדאי לקנות מכונית גנובה. It’s not good (worthwhile) to buy a stolen car. גנוב is also used in…

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/כדאי-1.m4a” /]כְּדַאי Hebrew has several ways of saying worthwhile or worth it in Hebrew, one of which is שווה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/כדאי-2.m4a” /] – literally, equal, a word we’ve seen recently in this blog. Perhaps the most common word to express worthwhile is כדאי[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/כדאי-1.m4a” /], deriving originally from Aramaic. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/כדאי-3.m4a” /]לא כדאי. It’s not worth it….

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/ההווה-1.m4a” /]הַהוֶֹה So we’ve seen future – עתיד[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/ההווה-2.m4a” /], and past – עבר[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/ההווה-3.m4a” /]. What about present? That’s הווה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/ההווה-4.m4a” /]. Here’s an example that combines all three: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/ההווה-5.m4a” /]העבר הוא כבר עבר והעתיד הוא עוד רחוק – עכשיו זה הזמן להפוך את ההווה ליותר מתוק. The past has already passed and the future…

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/העבר-1.m4a” /]הֶעָבָר Yesterday we saw the word עתיד[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/העבר-2.m4a” /] – literally, future. The Hebrew word for past is עבר[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/העבר-3.m4a” /]. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/העבר-4.m4a” /]אל תיתקע בעבר, תתכונן לעתיד. Don’t get stuck in the past, prepare for the future. (spoken to a male) עבר means literally (it) has passed.

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/היא-עתידה-ל-1.m4a” /]הִיא עֲתִידָה לְ… Modern Hebrew’s future tense works with verbs. Some examples: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/היא-עתידה-ל-2.m4a” /]הוא יתקשר. He will call. [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/היא-עתידה-ל-3.m4a” /]היא תדבר איתו. She’ll speak with him. But there’s also a special word for will (do) – a bit more literary than what you’d use in the average conversation, but still good 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/2015/05/מגרש-כדורגל-1.m4a” /]מִגְרַשׁ כַּדּוּרֶגֶל The Hebrew word for lot or plot is מגרש[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/מגרש-כדורגל-2.m4a” /]. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/מגרש-כדורגל-3.m4a” /]היום המגרש שווה מעל שלושה מיליון שקלים. Today the lot is worth over three million shekels. A lot dedicated to soccer is מגרש כדורגל[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/מגרש-כדורגל-1.m4a” /]: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/מגרש-כדורגל-4.m4a” /]בואו ניפגש במגרש הכדורגל. Let’s meet at the soccer field. כדורגל[audioclip…