How do you tell someone not to do something in Hebrew? Use ‘al’ (that’s A-L), which means ‘don’t.’ On this episode, Guy explains how to use this little word, and how to say ‘just don’t.’

 

Listen to the All-Hebrew Version of this Episode

 

Words and expressions discussed:

Al tid’agu li – Don’t worry about me – אל תדאגו לי

Rak al tagid li – Just don’t tell me – רק אל תגיד לי

Ata al tagid li ma laasot – You (m.) don’t tell me what to do – אתה אל תגיד לי מה לעשות

At al tagidi li ma laasot – You (f.) don’t tell me what to do – את אל תגידי לי מה לעשות

Al tivke – Don’t cry – אל תבכה

Al na tivki argentina – Please don’t cry Argentina – אל נא תבכי ארגנטינה

Al na tomar li shalom – Don’t say to me “shalom”, say just “lehitraot” – אל נא תאמר לי שלום, אמור רק להתראות

Lo, al tevatri – No, don’t give up – לא, אל תוותרי

Al tishkechi – Don’t forget (f.) – אל תשכחי

Al tishkach – Don’t forget (m.) – אל תשכח

Al tishkechu – Don’t forget (pl.) – אל תשכחו

Al tbalbel ta’moach – Don’t drive me crazy / Don’t waste my time – אל תבלבל ת’מוח

Al teshage’a oti – Don’t drive me crazy – אל תשגע אותי

Al taase / taasi tovot – Don’t do me any favors – אל תעשה / תעשי טובות

Al taase shtuyot – Don’t do anything foolish – אל תעשה שטויות

Al taase mi-ze inyan – Don’t make such a big deal out of it – אל תעשה מזה עניין

Al tagzim, al tagzimi – Don’t get carried away – אל תגזים / תגזימי

Pashut al! / Az al! – Just don’t! – פשוט אל / אז אל

Music:

Ehud Banai – Kmo Tsipor Ve-shara (lyrics)
Incognito – Don’t You Worry About a Thing
Maya Buskila – Rak Al Tagid Li (lyrics)
Gali Atari – Mekits el Halom (lyrics)
Omer Adam – Al Tivki (lyrics)
Arik Einstein – Al Tivki Yalda (lyrics)
Riki Gal – Al Na Tivki Argentina
Yaffa Yarkoni – Al Na Tomar Li Shalom (lyrics)
Eyal Golan – Tslil Meitar (lyrics)
Yizhar Ashdot – Yesh Lach Oti (lyrics)
Sarit Hadad – Al Tohav Oti (lyrics)

Previous Episodes

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