The Hebrew word לחפש means “to search for.” So what does “המורה סתם מחפש אותי” or “לכי חפשי ת’חברים שלך” mean? Both are slang and they don’t mean what you might think they mean!
On this episode, Guy covers the root ח.פ.ש and explains several ways to say, “take a hike!”
New Words and Expressions:
Lechapes – To search for, to look for – לחפש
Chipus ba-reshet – Internet search – חיפוש ברשת
Mano’a chipus – Search engine – מנוע חיפוש
Chapsu et arizot Tnuva – Look for the Tnuva milk containers – חפשו את אריזות תנובה
Lechi chapsi et elohim kol sof shavu’a – Go search for god every weekend – לכי חפשי את אלוהים כל סוף שבוע
Lech chapes mi yena’ane’a otcha – Go find someone who would ‘shake’ you – לך חפש מי ינענע אותך
Te’alat biyuv – Sewage canal – תעלת ביוב
Pa’atei ha-ir tel aviv – In the outskirts of Tel Aviv – בפאתי העיר תל אביב
Lech chapes ta-haverim sh’cha – Go look for your friends – לך חפש ת’חברים ש’ך
Lechi chapsi ta-haverim sh’lach – Go look for your friends – לכי חפשי ת’חברים שלך
Amarti lo she-yelech (le)chapes – I told him to go take a hike – אמרתי לו שילך ‘חפש
Amarti la sh’telech t’chapes – I told her to go take a hike – אמרתי לה שתלך תחפש
Chipus mishtarti – Police search – חיפוש משטרתי
Tsav hipus – search warrant – צו חיפוש
Ha-mora stam mechapeset oti – The teacher picks on me for no good reason – המורה סתם מחפשת אותי
Ha-mishtara stam mechapeset oti – The cops always hassle me for no obvious reason – המשטרה סתם מחפשת אותי
“Chapes Oti Be-rishon” – Find me in Rishon – חפש אותי בראשון
Ha-mishtara orechet chipusim acharav – The police is conducting a search after him – המשטרה עורכת חיפושים אחריו
Ani adayin be-chipusim – I am still looking for… – אני עדיין בחיפושים
Od lo matsati klum – I haven’t found anything yet – עוד לא מצאתי כלום
Playlist and Clips:
Rami Kleinstein – Al Ha-gesher Ha-yashan (lyrics)
Lech chapes mi yena’ane’a otcha
Agas Kimmel – Chapes Oti Be-Rishon (lyrics)
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Seems like it comes from Yiddish זיך מיך