[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/רוח-גבית-#.m4a” /]רוּחַ גַּבִּית Sometimes an airplane arrives at its destination early thanks to a tailwind – wind that propels it forward. Hebrew refers to such wind as רוח גבית[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/רוח-גבית-#.m4a” /] – backwind, which can be either physical wind good for commercial flights, or an injection of inspiration. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/רוח-גבית-#.m4a” /]האוהדים נתנו לי רוח גבית…
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/היבוסי-#.m4a” /]מִתְּקוּפַת הַיְבוּסִי When Jerusalem first became an Israelite city thousands of years ago, it had been conquered from the Jebusite nation – העם היבוסי[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/היבוסי-#.m4a” /]. Today this vanquished people lives on in a unique expression that is not very widespread, but is still understood by most Israelis: מתקופת היבוסי[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/היבוסי-#.m4a” /] –…
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/לא-סובל-#.m4a” /]לֹא סוֹבֵל לסבול[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/לא-סובל-#.m4a” /] in Hebrew means both to suffer and to tolerate. It’s the second meaning that appears in the expression I can’t stand it – אני לא סובל את זה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/לא-סובל-#.m4a” /] – literally, I can’t tolerate it. For example, a girl might protest at dinnertime: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/לא-סובל-#.m4a” /]אני לא סובלת כרוב ניצנים!…
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/כדור-בקנה-#.m4a” /]כַּדּוּר בַּקָּנֶה English invokes magic to talk about someone having a backup plan – a trick up his sleeve. Hebrew uses a military metaphor – כדור בקנה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/כדור-בקנה-#.m4a” /] – literally, a bullet in the barrel. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/כדור-בקנה-#.m4a” /]חשבנו שהוא סיים את הקריירה הפוליטית, אבל מסתבר שהיו לו עוד כמה כדורים בקנה. We…
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/ממלכתי-#.m4a” /]בֵּית סֵפֶר מַמְלַכְתִּי While public school translates directly to בית ספר ציבורי[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/ממלכתי-#.m4a” /], the Israeli public educational system is called חינוך ממלכתי[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/ממלכתי-#.m4a” /] – state education. A primary or secondary school in this system is בית ספר ממלכתי[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/ממלכתי-#.m4a” /]. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/ממלכתי-#.m4a” /]הוא למד בתור ילד בבית ספר ממלכתי דתי. He…