The Hebrew word הרי (harei) is a tiny elusive word used to emphasize the words that follow it. Listen to the examples Guy prepared to help explain this somewhat fancy word.
Listen to the All-Hebrew Version of this Episode
New Words and Expressions:
Ata harei yode’a – You surely know – אתה הרי יודע
Harei lama hem asu et ze – Well, you know why they did it, right? – ?הרי למה הם עשו את זה
Hu harei lo holech limkor et ha-bait – Surely he’s not going to sell the house – הוא הרי לא הולך למכור את הבית
Az zehu she-ken – Actually, he would – אז זהו, שכן
Hu harei rak yeled – He is, after all, only a child – הוא, הרי, רק ילד
Hu harei lo yachol lifgo’a be-zvuv – He wouldn’t hurt a fly – הוא הרי לא יכול לפגוע בזבוב
Hi harei lo yechola lifgo’a be-zvuv – She wouldn’t hurt a fly – היא הרי לא יכולה לפגוע בזבוב
The most famous harei is probably this one:
Harei at mekudeshet li be-taba’at zo – With this ring be thou consecrated unto me as my wife – הרי את מקודשת לי בטבעת זו
Hareini mekabel al atsmi – I hereby take upon myself – הריני מקבל על עצמי
Harei ani hizmanti oto! – You do realize that I was the one who invited him – !הרי אני הזמנתי אותו
Harei lo hivtachti she-ehye kan be-shesh – After all I didn’t promise I’d be here at six – הרי לא הבטחתי שאהיה כאן בשש
Playlist and Clips:
Nurit Galron – Ata Harei Yode’a (lyrics)
Ofer Levy – Eize Min Olam (lyrics)
Shlomi Shabat – Harei At Mekudeshet Li (lyrics)
Want to see more Hebrew gems? Like Streetwise Hebrew on Facebook and Instagram.
Want Guy to talk about a pressing Hebrew issue? Find him at StreetwiseHebrew.com or follow him on Twitter.
