חַיּוּת listen and repeat Can’t read Hebrew yet? The word vitality, the force of life, comes from the same root as viva as in Viva, Las Vegas! – Live, Las Vegas! Likewise, the Hebrew word for vitality – חַיּוּת listen and repeat – comes from the root ח.י.ה (kh.y.h) meaning life. For…
חֹמֶר לְשִׁנּוּן Review Material listen and repeat 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 שַׁבָּת שָׁלוֹם, וְסוֹף שָׁבוּעַ נָעִים! Shabbat Shalom, and have a nice weekend!…
עֶגְלַת תִּינוֹק listen and repeat Can’t read Hebrew yet? The Hebrew word עֲגָלָה listen and repeat means carriage or wagon. You’ll find it in the supermarket, with: סְלִיחָה, זֹאת הָעֲגָלָה שֶׁלִּי. Excuse me, that’s my cart. listen You’ll also find it on the sidewalk, when strolling a baby along: אַתָּה…
לְהִתְכַּבֵּד listen and repeat Can’t read Hebrew yet? Providing guests with tasty refreshments is a way of honoring them. Thus the Hebrew expression for refreshments is כִּבּוּד listen and repeat – literally, honoring. For example: שַׂמְתֶּם אֶת הַכִּבּוּד עַל הַשֻּׁלְחָן? Have you (plural) put the refreshments on the table? listen When…
תְּשׂוּמֶת לֵב listen and repeat Can’t read Hebrew yet? In English we talk about paying attention, directing our attention to something. Meaning the same, Hebrew invokes the metaphor of placing our heart on something – לָשִׂים לֵב listen and repeat. For example: שַׂמְתִּי לֵב שֶׁהִיא מַגִּיעָה לְפֹה כָּל בֹּקֶר. I noticed…
לְהַפְשִׁיל אֶת הַשַּׁרְווּלִים listen and repeat Can’t read Hebrew yet? When there’s work to do, we call it “rolling up our sleeves” to “get our hands dirty,” in English. The Hebrew expression for rolling up (the) sleeves is לְהַפְשִׁיל אֶת הַשַּׁרְווּלִים listen and repeat, where להפשיל means to roll up or to roll back (source in Mishnaic Hebrew, probably from Aramaic) and שַׁרְווּל listen…
לִטְרוֹף listen and repeat Can’t read Hebrew yet? In Biblical times, Hebrew speakers used the active-simple verb לִטְרוֹף listen and repeat – to devour – in its literal sense. But since wild animals are not as common in our neighborhoods today, Modern-Hebrew speakers typically use לטרוף in reference to eating something with extraordinary…
חֹמֶר לְשִׁנּוּן Review Material listen and repeat 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 שַׁבָּת שָׁלוֹם, וְחֲנֻכָּה שָׂמֵחַ! Shabbat Shalom, and happy Hanukkah! listen and repeat
בְּכוֹרָה listen and repeat Can’t read Hebrew yet? You may know the Hebrew word for firstborn, בְּכוֹר listen and repeat. Modern Hebrew calls upon the word בכור to produce a word for the more contemporary concept of a debut – בְּכוֹרָה listen and repeat. For example: הָיִנוּ בְּמוֹפַע הַבְּכוֹרָה שֶׁלָּהּ. We were at…
הַחְיָאָה listen and repeat Can’t read Hebrew yet? Even if you have no background in Hebrew, chances are you’ve heard the expression !לַחַיִּים listen and repeat before, meaning to life! To produce a word for cardiopulmonary resuscitation, CPR, Modern Hebrew invokes a word related to לחיים, the active-causative verb לְהַחֲיוֹת listen and repeat – to…
רָזֶה, דַּק listen and repeat Can’t read Hebrew yet? When speaking about a person, the word for thin is רָזֶה listen and repeat for a male, and רָזָה listen and repeat for a female. For example: הִיא עָשְׂתָה דִּיאֶטָה וְעַכְשָׁיו הִיא מְאֹד רָזָה. She went on a diet and now she is very thin….