how to say “self-controlled” in Hebrew

  מְאֻפַּק listen to this word pronounced       Don Corleone in The Godfather is the perfect example of an אָדָם מְאֻפַּק (ah-DAHM meh-oo-PAHK). He says little and does much, as suggested in פִּרְקֵי אָבוֹת – Ethics of the Fathers (peer-KEH-ee ah-VOHT); although Don Corleone probably learned this from another source. can’t see the video? This passive-intensive…

how to say “espionage” in Hebrew

  רִגּוּל listen to this word pronounced       Ilan Grapel, a dual US-Israeli citizen interning in Cairo, is being accused of spying for Israel. http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-4081731,00.html It’s an international scandal – שַׁעֲרוּרִיָּה בֵּינְלְאֻמִּית (shah-ah-roo-ree-YAH BEH-een-leh-oo-MEET). Strangely, à propos this week’s Torah portion, the word for espionage in Hebrew is רִגּוּל (ree-GOOL). A spy is a מְרַגֵּל (meh-rah-GHEL) or,…

what to call “an agent” in Hebrew

  סוֹכֵן listen to this word pronounced       Think Mossad. Think KGB. Think… travel agencies. An agent of any human kind is a סוֹכֵן (soh-KHEN) or a סוֹכֶנֶת (soh-KHEH-net) if she’s a female – there are סוֹכְנֵי נְסִיעוֹת – travel agents (sohkh-NEH-ee neh-see-OHT), סוֹכְנֵי מוֹסַד – Mossad agents (sohkh-NEH-ee moh-SAHD), etc. An agency is a סוֹכְנוּת (sohkh-NOOT). The…

how to say “night ride” in Hebrew

  רְכִיבָה לֵילִית listen to this phrase pronounced         Today’s dose of Hebrew is sponsored by… Check it out!   Yesterday afternoon I rode my bike from Jerusalem’s German Colony to my cousin’s military swearing-in ceremony at גִּבְעַת הַתַּחְמוֹשֶׁת – Ammunition Hill (gheev-AHT hah-tahkh-MOH-shet), where he and his comrades pledged to protect…

how to say “moderate” in Hebrew…

  מָתוּן listen to this word pronounced         Today’s dose of Hebrew is sponsored by…     The edge of something is the קָצֶה (kah-TSEH); someone “on the edge” or extreme is קִיצוֹנִי (kee-tsoh-NEE). But someone moderate or level-headed – in ideology or in relationships – is מָתוּן. My 2am not-delving-into-it theory is that the…

how to say “longing” and “yearning” in Hebrew

  הִשְׁתּוֹקְקוּת, גַּעֲגוּעִים listen to these words pronounced     Raise your hand if you’ve ever missed someone. Raise your hand if you’ve ever longed for someone. There are several ways to express longing in Hebrew. The basic, more well-known word is גַּעֲגוּעִים (gah-ah-goo-EEM). In verb form, this is לְהִתְגַעֲגֵע (leh-heet-gah-ah-GHEH-ah). You can learn how to use…

how to say “longing” and “yearning” in Hebrew

  הִשְׁתּוֹקְקוּת, גַּעֲגוּעִים listen to these words pronounced   Raise your hand if you’ve ever missed someone. Raise your hand if you’ve ever longed for someone. There are several ways to express longing in Hebrew. The basic, more well-known word is גַּעֲגוּעִים (gah-ah-goo-EEM). In verb form, this is לְהִתְגַעֲגֵע (leh-heet-gah-ah-GHEH-ah). You can learn how to use this…