Streetwise Hebrew

The Many Uses of Eich (איך)

Eich (איך), Hebrew for “how”, is a tiny word used very often in spoken Hebrew and in many different contexts. On this episode, Guy explains these uses through several examples from everyday life in Israel.

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Busy Beyond Belief

You’re busy. I’m busy. We’re all extremely busy these days. The Hebrew word for busy is עסוק. What would you say to your friend if you might not be able to make it to their party? Guy sets aside time from his busy schedule to explain.

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Stuck in the Middle with You

Why do Israelis say, “hu taka li berez” (הוא תקע לי ברז), which roughly translates to, “he jammed a faucet on me”? And how do we say, “I’m stuck in the middle seat again”? Guy explains the word litko’a (לתקוע), to stick into, and delves into the nooks and crannies of hardcore Israeli slang. Language warning: things are about to get explicit.

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Happy Happy Joy Joy

Simha (שמחה) in Hebrew is happiness or joy, but it can also mean a happy event. How would you say “to make someone happy” in Hebrew? Guy explains all things שמח on this extra joyful episode.

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Calling All Musicians!

In addition to calling and texting, your cellphone can also act as a “nagan-em-pi-shalosh”. What’s that? Well, without this capability you wouldn’t be able to listen to this podcast on the move! Today’s episode is all about the root נ.ג.נ.

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Could You Turn it Down a Bit?

There are several ways to ask an Israeli taxi driver to lower the volume on the radio that won’t result in nasty looks. Today, Guy discusses these sayings and other words related to radio, like the Hebrew word for podcast.

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Sharing Is Caring

The Hebrew word for partner or flatmate is שותף, and its root ש.ת.פ is especially relevant when trying to get your social media posts to go viral. On this episode, Guy shares his linguistic expertise on all things shareable.

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Some Assembly Required

Most furniture from Ikea comes with assembly instructions. On this episode, Guy provides an instructions manual for the root רכב, which can be found in the word להרכיב, to assemble. No assembly required on this podcast!

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It’s Complicated

Many things in life are complicated, including some people’s relationship status on Facebook. How do we say “it’s complicated” in Hebrew? And what saying do we use as something gets more and more complicated?

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I Want to Improve My Hebrew

How do we say “I want to improve my Hebrew” in Hebrew? How about “improvements”? And what’s the connection to Shufersal, the popular Israeli supermarket chain? Guy explains on this episode of Streetwise Hebrew.

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