Blog – Your Daily Dose of Hebrew

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/אוזן-קשבת-1.m4a” /]אֹזֶן קַשֶּׁבֶת We’ve seen that the Hebrew word for ear is אוזן[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/אוזן-קשבת-2.m4a” /]. As with most body parts that come in pairs, אוזן is a feminine noun, so that we have אוזניים גדולות[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/אוזן-קשבת-3.m4a” /] – big ears, as well as אוזן קשבת[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/אוזן-קשבת-1.m4a” /] – a listening ear. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/אוזן-קשבת-4.m4a” /]הייתי צריך…

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לספק-את-הסחורה-5.m4a” /]לְסַפֵּק אֶת הַסְּחוֹרָה To deliver the goods means to get the job done – to perform as expected. Hebrew’s expression for this is לספק את הסחורה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לספק-את-הסחורה-5.m4a” /] – literally, to provide the merchandise (the goods), though the expression is not limited to the provision of physical merchandise. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לספק-את-הסחורה-2.m4a” /]המרצה הזה באמת מספק…

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/מפה-לאוזן-1.m4a” /]מִפֶּה לְאֹזֶן They say that word of mouth travels fast, for better or for worse. The Hebrew expression for word of mouth is מפה לאוזן[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/מפה-לאוזן-1.m4a” /] – literally, from mouth to ear. This expression is borrowed from the French le bouche à oreille, of the same literal meaning. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/מפה-לאוזן-2.m4a” /]שומעים עלינו מפה לאוזן. (They)…

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″ /]שַׁבָּת שָׁלוֹם, וְסוֹף שָׁבוּעַ נָעִים! Shabbat Shalom, and have a nice weekend!

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לנסח-1.m4a” /]לְנַסֵּחַ To write is לכתוב[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לנסח-2.m4a” /]. But to formulate – to write carefully, thoughtfully, looking for the best wording – is לנסח[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לנסח-1.m4a” /]. You may recognize its root, נ.ס.ח[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לנסח-3.m4a” /], in the word referring to a particular tradition – formulation – of Jewish prayer, נוסח[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לנסח-4.m4a” /] (likewise, a formula is…

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לכתב-1.m4a” /]לְכַתֵּב When we CC someone on an email, we copy them so that they too can see what we’ve sent. CC stands for carbon copy – quite an antiquated term, considering that email doesn’t use paper at all, let alone carbon paper. Modern Hebrew’s term for to CC, לכתב[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לכתב-1.m4a” /], draws from the…

In honor of ראש השנה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/בראש-טוב-7.m4a” /] (Rosh Hashana) tonight, here’s a special video lesson. It’s also a glimpse into YDDH Premium. Enjoy!               בְּרֹאשׁ טוֹב[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/בראש-טוב-1.m4a” /] The common expression for mood is מצב רוח[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/בראש-טוב-2.m4a” /] – literally, state of spirit. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/בראש-טוב-3.m4a” /]הוא במצב רוח טוב. He’s…

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″ /]שַׁבָּת שָׁלוֹם, וְסוֹף שָׁבוּעַ נָעִים! Shabbat Shalom, and have a nice weekend!

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/ללא-גבינה-1.m4a” /]לְלֹא גְּבִינָה Suppose you’re a vegan, going out for pizza with friends. Maybe you don’t even have to suppose. When you get to the counter, you ask for cheeseless pizza – פיצה ללא גבינה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/ללא-גבינה-2.m4a” /]. ללא[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/ללא-גבינה-3.m4a” /] is one of several ways to say without in Hebrew. It’s used especially in phrases that…

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/גבינה-צהובה-1.m4a” /]גְּבִינָה צְהֻבָּה Technically, Swiss cheese is גבינה שווצרית[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/גבינה-צהובה-2.m4a” /], as גבינה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/גבינה-צהובה-3.m4a” /] means cheese, and one of the names for Switzerland is שוויצריה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/גבינה-צהובה-4.m4a” /] (the other is שוויץ[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/גבינה-צהובה-5.m4a” /]). But the common expression referring to this cheese full of holes is גבינה צהובה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/גבינה-צהובה-1.m4a” /] – literally, yellow cheese. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/גבינה-צהובה-6.m4a” /]למה יש חורים…

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/רגישות-ללקטוז-1.m4a” /]אִי-סְבִילוּת לְלַקְטוֹז, רְגִישׁוּת לְלַקְטוֹז The technical term for lactose intolerance in Hebrew is אי-סבילות ללקטוז[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/רגישות-ללקטוז-2.m4a” /], where אי-סבילות[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/רגישות-ללקטוז-3.m4a” /] means intolerance. The phrase as a whole means literally, intolerance to lactose. However, Israelis are far more likely to describe this common condition as רגישות ללקטוז[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/רגישות-ללקטוז-4.m4a” /] – lactose sensitivity, or literally, sensitivity to lactose. For example: [audioclip…