Streetwise Hebrew

What a Hunk!

Lachtoch (לחתוך) means ‘to cut,’ like when we cut onions. But in slang, this word and its root ח.ת.כ can be used in many ways to mean many different things. From ‘breaking up’ to ‘you clean up nice,’ or ‘a hunk‘ and ‘a hottie.’

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That’ll Teach Them a Lesson

What’s the difference between “lilmod” and “lelamed”? What’s the difference between “limud” and “limudim”? And how could we possibly have missed the Hebrew root ל.מ.ד on a podcast meant to teach Hebrew?!

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How Embarrassing!

“Eize bushot” (איזה בושות) is what we Israelis say when we witness an embarrassing event. Remember the time your mother commented on a Facebook photo of you? איזה בושות!

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It’s as Simple as That

The word פשוט (pashut) means “simple” in Hebrew. Knowing that, how would you attempt to say “simplify”, “simplicity,” or “simpleton”? Guy explains all the complexities behind the seemingly simple root פשט.

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Learning from Israelis’ 2018 Music-Listening Habits

What can we learn from the music-listening habits of Israelis in 2018? Spotify published the most popular music listened to by Israelis this year. We revisit our archives to remind ourselves when and why we used these songs in previous episodes.

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The Fixture Needs Fixing

Dropped your phone? Did the screen crack? It needs fixing! The Hebrew word you’ll need to know is Tikun, from the root תקנ. Tikunim (plural of tikun) also means corrections, amendments, alterations. Not familiar with the תקנ root and its related words? We can fix that!

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The Streetwise Center for Hebrew Learners

Gather = lerakez. Center = merkaz. Concentrated = merukaz. Coordinator = merakez. All these words share a common Hebrew root: רכז. Put aside all possible distractions because today’s episode is laser-focused on the root RKZ.

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Explaining Common Mistakes in Spoken Hebrew

We often hear the same errors made over and over again by those learning to speak Hebrew. Some sound worse than others. But once pointed out, they’ll be easy to fix. On this episode, Guy explains common mistakes made by Hebrew learners — why they happen and how to correct them.

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Love Me, Love Me Not

Did you know that “I loved her” in Hebrew can be expressed using only a single word? On this episode, Guy talks love. “Loving”, “in love”, “falling in love”, “love me, love me not”… he covers all the bases. We’re pretty sure you’re going to love this episode.

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Side to Side

In Hebrew, צד is side. And what about its plural צדדים, sides? It’s a bit of a mouthful. Today Guy explains the different sides of צד, as well as useful expressions like, “fine by me” and “there are two sides to every story.”

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