Blog – Your Daily Dose of Hebrew

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/דבורה-1.m4a” /]דְּבוֹרָה While Hebrew nouns are largely categorized as masculine or feminine, some words are the same for both genders. One example I’ve used several times on this blog is אדם[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/דבורה-2.m4a” /] – person. This word is masculine, but applies equally to males and females: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/דבורה-3.m4a” /]היא אדם נחמד. She is a nice person. Occasionally, you’ll…

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/חיה-ותן-לחיות-1.m4a” /]חְיֵה וְתֵן לִחְיוֹת This week we’ve seen חיים[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/חיה-ותן-לחיות-2.m4a” /] meaning life, חיי[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/חיה-ותן-לחיות-3.m4a” /] meaning life of and חווה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/חיה-ותן-לחיות-9.m4a” /] meaning a farm, or a place that typically houses livestock. The word for to live is the simple verb לחיות[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/חיה-ותן-לחיות-4.m4a” /]. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/חיה-ותן-לחיות-5.m4a” /]הוא חי בסרט. He’s a dreamer – literally, he lives in a…

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/חווה-1.m4a” /]חַוָּה You may know חווה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/חווה-1.m4a” /] as a name, the original Hebrew version of Eve. You may also know that the biblical story of אדם וחווה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/חווה-2.m4a” /] – Adam and Eve – explains this first lady’s name: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/חווה-3.m4a” /]וַיִּקְרָא הָאָדָם שֵׁם אִשְׁתּוֹ חַוָּה כִּי הִוא הָיְתָה אֵם כָּל חָי. (בראשית ג’, כ’) And…

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/חיי-היומיום-1.m4a” /]חַיֵּי הַיּוֹמְיוֹם So far this week we’ve focused on two expressions using the word חיים[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/חיי-היומיום-2.m4a” /] – life. Day-to-day life, in, Hebrew, is חיי היומיום[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/חיי-היומיום-1.m4a” /] – literally, life of the day-to-day. חיי[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/חיי-היומיום-3.m4a” /] is the form of חיים when attached to another word in an of relationship (the construct state). For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/חיי-היומיום-4.m4a” /]חיי…

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/איכות-חיים-1.m4a” /]אֵיכוּת חַיִּים The Hebrew phrase for standard of living is רמת חיים[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/איכות-חיים-2.m4a” /] – literally, level of living or level of life. רמת חיים refers to material standards. Then there’s quality of life, which might be measured by more than the material. In Hebrew this is איכות חיים. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/איכות-חיים-3.m4a” /]קשה לכמת איכות חיים. It’s…

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/רמת-חיים-1.m4a” /]רָמַת חַיִּים Even if can’t speak a word of Hebrew, you probably know the Hebrew toast, !לחיים[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/רמת-חיים-2.m4a” /] – to life! חיים[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/רמת-חיים-3.m4a” /] – life – is plural. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/רמת-חיים-4.m4a” /]יש לו חיים טובים. He has a good life. A standard of living is רמת חיים[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/רמת-חיים-1.m4a” /] – literally, a level of life. For…

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/אליפות-1.m4a” /]אַלִּיפוּת The Hebrew letter א[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/אליפות-2.m4a” /] (Aleph) is the first the alphabet. Likewise, the first in the chain of command, a general – or the winner of a tournament, a champion – is an אלוף[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/אליפות-3.m4a” /] if he’s a male and an אלופה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/אליפות-4.m4a” /] if she’s a female. The terms are also used colloquially to…

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לכאורה-1.m4a” /]לִכְאוֹרָה The colloquial Hebrew word for apparently is כנראה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לכאורה-2.m4a” /] – literally, as appears. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לכאורה-3.m4a” /]כנראה שנפתרה הבעיה. Apparently the problem was solved. A word with a similar meaning is לכאורה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לכאורה-1.m4a” /], which is also the term lawyers and journalists use for allegedly. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/לכאורה-4.m4a” /]הוא גנב לכאורה מיליוני שקלים. He allegedly stole millions…

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/נשק-1-1.m4a” /]נֶשֶׁק If you’re a male entering an Israeli mall, you’re likely to encounter a security guard who will ask you: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/נשק-2.m4a” /]יש לך נשק? Do you have a weapon? Alternatively, he or she might say, ?אתה חמוש[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/נשק-3.m4a” /] – are you armed? נשק[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/נשק-1-1.m4a” /] means weapon and is sometimes used to refer to weapons…