Blog – Your Daily Dose of Hebrew

Dear YDDH subscriber, This summer, Ulpan La-Inyan is granting a full scholarship to one educator and one college/university student, for any one of our conversational-Hebrew group courses to be taken in June, July or August. As my audience, I extend my personal invitation to you or someone you know to apply for a scholarship. To do so, follow the appropriate link: We…

נְחֹשֶׁת[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/נחושת-1.mp3″ /] The Hebrew word for copper is נְחֹשֶׁת[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/נחושת-1.mp3″ /] (in Biblical Hebrew the form נְחוּשָׁה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/נחושת-2.mp3″ /] appears as well). For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/נחושת-3.mp3″ /]חוּטֵי נְחֹשֶׁת מוֹבִילִים חַשְׁמַל בִּיעִילוּת רַבָּה. Copper wires conduct electricity with great efficiency. Other pretty-looking (and well-conducting) metals include: זָהָב[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/נחושת-4.mp3″ /] – gold כֶּסֶף[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/נחושת-5.mp3″ /] –…

תְּקוּפַת הָאֶבֶן[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/תקופת-האבן-1.mp3″ /] The Hebrew word for stone is אֶבֶן[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/תקופת-האבן-2.mp3″ /]. Although it doesn’t sound like one, this word is feminine, so that precious stones are אֲבָנִים יְקָרוֹת[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/תקופת-האבן-3.mp3″ /]. The word for period of time is תְּקוּפָה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/תקופת-האבן-4.mp3″ /]. When connected to another word in an “of relationship” (the construct state), תקופה…

הֶשֶּׂג[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/הישג15.mp3″ /] לְהַשִּׂיג[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/הישג16.mp3″ /], an active-causative verb of the root נ.שׂ.ג (n.s.g), means to reach or to overtake. In Biblical times, the word referred to reaching or overtaking someone or something physically. Here’s an example in Modern Hebrew: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/הישג17.mp3″ /]הִיא הִשִּׂיגָה אֹתִי בַּמֵּרוּץ. She overtook me in the race. Today, the word…

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!

רוֹדָן, עָרִיץ, דִּיקְטָטוֹר[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/רודן8.mp3″ /] Sacha Baron Cohen does a great job introducing audiences to the world of The Dictator. In Hebrew, the movie title is הַדִּיקְטָטוֹר[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/רודן9.mp3″ /], as דִּיקְטָטוֹר[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/רודן10.mp3″ /] is what most Israelis call such a person who rules solo, often with brutality. But there are two other terms as well:…

מִגְרָשׁ מִשְׂחָקִים[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/מגרש-משחקים4.mp3″ /]   A game in Hebrew is מִשְׂחָק[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/מגרש-משחקים5.mp3″ /], from the root שׂ.ח.ק (s.kh.k) meaning playing. A court or a lot is a מִגְרָשׁ[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/מגרש-משחקים6.mp3″ /], of the root ג.ר.שׁ (g.r.s) meaning expulsion or sending away (linguists theorize that people would send their animals away to graze in the מגרש, which was…

  מִזְעָרִי[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/מזער-1.mp3″ /] The word you’re most likely to hear on the street and in the office in Israel for minimal is מִינִימָלִי[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/מזער-2.mp3″ /]. But an authentic Hebrew word growing in usage is מִזְעָרִי[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/מזער-1.mp3″ /]. The word also means nominal or negligible, as in: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/מזער-3.mp3″ /]מְדֻבָּר בִּסְכוּם מִזְעָרִי, לֹא מַשֶּׁהוּ רְצִינִי. We’re…

יִשּׁוּב[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/יישוב-1.1.mp3″ /] The Jewish communities in the area variously called the West Bank, Judea and Samaria, Greater Israel, the Occupied Territories, etc, are often referred to as הִתְנַחֲלוּיוֹת[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/יישוב-2.1.mp3″ /] – settlements. That word is formed from נַחֲלָה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/יישוב-3.1.mp3″ /] – estate, plugged into the reflexive verb form, so that it sounds to the Israeli…

לְהַשְׁמִיט[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/להשמיט-1.mp3″ /] In Judaism, just like every seventh day is a day of rest for Jews, every seventh year is a Sabbath for the Land of Israel, during which observant Jews refrain from regular agricultural activity. This year is called שְׁנַת הַשְּׁמִטָּה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/להשמיט-2.mp3″ /]. The word שְׁמִיטָה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/להשמיט-3.mp3″ /] comes from the root שׁ.מ.ט…