If someone pours milk into your tea or coffee in Hebrew, you need to know how to ask for a bit more, a tiny bit more, a pinch more, okay that’s it. Guy teaches us to use ‘tipa,’ a drop, and its diminutives for when you need just a tiny bit more milk, ask someone to have a little patience, or even when someone needs help parking the car.

Words and expressions discussed:

Tipa, tipot – Drop, drops – טיפה, טיפות

Tiponet – A tiny drop – טיפונת

Ve-omeret ha-lvana la-ananim – And the moon says to the clouds – ואומרת הלבנה לעננים

Tnu tipa ve-od tiponet la-ganim – Give a drop and another droplet to the gardens – תנו טיפה ועוד טיפונת

Efshar od tipa halav? – May I have a bit more milk? – ?אפשר עוד טיפה חלב

Efshar od tiponet rotev? – May I have a bit more of the sauce? – ?אפשר עוד טיפונת רוטב

Tip tipa – A tiny bit – טיפ טיפה

Efshar od tipa? Od tip tipa? Zehu – May I have a bit more? A tad more? That’s it – אפשר עוד טיפה? עוד טיפ טיפה? זהו

Tipa’le – A tiny bit – טיפה’לה

Ze tipa’le mugzam – It’s a bit exaggerated – זה טיפה’לה מוגזם

Tipa’le yemina, tipa smola, od tipale. Zehu. – A bit to the right, a bit left, a tad more. That’s it – טיפה’לה ימינה, טיפה שמאלה, עוד טיפה’לה. זהו.

Elohim, ten li rak tipat mazal – God, give me just a drop of luck – אלוהים, תן לי רק טיפת מזל

“Tipat halav” – Baby clinic – טיפת חלב

Tachana Livriut Ha-mishpacha – Family Health Clinic – תחנה לבריאות המשפחה

Tipat dam – Blood drop – טיפת דם

Ein lo tipat busha – He doesn’t have a drop of shame – אין לו טיפה בושה

Tipat kavod – A drop of respect – טיפת כבוד

Tipa savlanut – A bit of patience – טיפה סבלנות

Ma bikashti, rak tipa/tipat kavod – What did I ask for, just a bit of respect – מה ביקשתי, רק טיפה/טיפת כבוד

Ein po tipat avir, tiftach halon – There’s no drop of air here, open the window – אין פה טיפת אוויר, תפתח חלון

Tipa ba-yam – A drop in the ocean – טיפה בים

Hu nivhal tiponet – He got a bit frightened – הוא נבהל טיפונת

Ani tipa ayef – I am a tad tired – אני טיפה עייף

Slicha, efshar od tipa halav? – Excuse me, could I have a bit more milk? – ?סליחה, אפשר עוד טיפה חלב

Yesh tipa lechem? – Is there’s a bit of bread? – ?יש טיפה לחם

Tipot af – Nose drops – טיפות אף

Music:

Esther Ofarim – Pizmon La-Yakinton (lyrics)
Liora Itzhak – Pizmon La-Yakinton (Hindi & Hebrew)
Ehud Banai – Tip Tipa (lyrics)
Doron Sheffer – Ha-kol Karagil
Zehava Ben – Tipat Mazal (lyrics)
Ha-yehudim – Tipa Ba-yam (lyrics)
Tipot Af

Want to see more Hebrew gems? Like Streetwise Hebrew on Facebook and Instagram.
Want Guy to talk about a pressing Hebrew issue? Find him at StreetWiseHebrew.com or follow him on Twitter.