In Hebrew, גנב (ganav) is a thief. Perhaps you already know its Yiddish pronunciation, ganef (גאַנעוו). But there are other, more exciting words that belong to the Hebrew root גנב, including several slang uses. Guy explains.

The Hebrew words סביב (saviv), סביבה (sviva), מסביב (misaviv), סבב (sevev), all come from the ס.ב.ב root. They also come in very handy in spoken Hebrew. So today, Guy explains the many words and phrases that stem from this interesting root.

We all deserve to receive good customer service and to be treated with respect. But let’s be real – that’s not always the case. The Hebrew word יחס means treatment, attention, and service, while the plural יחסים means relations.

“You decide.” “No you decide.” “No no, you decide!” So many decisions to make. On this episode, Guy talks about Hebrew words and phrases related to decision-making.

What Hebrew words and phrases can we use to disagree with someone? Which can be written in a reply online but not said to someone face to face? And which can be said but not written, and what intonation will give that extra oomph?

Sometimes people offer us things that we simply don’t want. Telemarketing? No thanks. A leaflet about a new yoga studio around the corner? No thank you. What about an offering of a slice of cheesecake baked by your friend when you’re on a diet? How do we decline an offer (politely or impolitely) in Hebrew?

This week we celebrate our podcast’s sixth anniversary. Can you believe it? Six years, שש שנים. It’s a good excuse to talk about שש, six, and its family of Hebrew words.

How would we say, “you really scared me,” in Hebrew? How about a horror film? A coward? This week, Guy doesn’t share his deepest fears but rather explains the Hebrew root פחד and its many words and phrases.

So you’re on summer holiday. Do you stay at a hotel or go for a house swap? Will you exchange currency? Who is filling in for you at work while you’re gone? The Hebrew root חלפ is the focus of this week’s episode.

There are times in life when we are left disappointed (me’uchzavim) and it would be helpful to know how to express this disappointment in Hebrew. On this episode, Guy covers this special four letter root אכזב and checks Twitter to see what disappoints Israelis the most.