For the first time in its history, the Eurovision Song Contest was cancelled. But hopefully only this year. Many other events, both global and local, were also cancelled, all because the Coronavirus.
How do we say โto cancelโ in Hebrew, in the present? How about in the past? And what army radio comm talk breached the divide and made its way to civilian slang?
Guy explains the root ื.ื.ื.
New Words and Expressions:
Bitul ha-hofesh ha-gadol – Cancellation of the summer school holiday – ืืืืื ืืืืคืฉ ืืืืื
Vaโada – Committee – ืืขืื
โKabel/kabli bitulโ – Scratch that, abort – ืงืื/ืงืืื ืืืืื
Kabel bitul al ha-kafe, tsats mashehu – Abort the coffee, something came up – ืงืื ืืืืื ืขื ืืงืคื, ืฆืฅ ืืฉืื
Kaftor bitul – Cancel button – ืืคืชืืจ ืืืืื
Mediniut bitulim – Cancellation policy – ืืืื ืืืช ืืืืืืื
Dmei bitul – A cancellation fee – ืืื ืืืืื
Bitulim – Cancellations – ืืืืืืื
Levatel et ha-hafsakot – To cancel school breaks – ืืืื ืืช ืืืคืกืงืืช
Slicha, ani tsarich/tsricha levatel – Sorry, I must cancel – ืกืืืื, ืื ื ืฆืจืื/ืฆืจืืื ืืืื
Ani rotse/rotsa levatel – Iโd like to cancel – ืื ื ืจืืฆื ืืืื
โBe-chol 64 shnot kiyum ha-eurovision, me-olam lo butla tacharutโ – โDuring the entire 64 years of conducting the Eurovision, never before was the competition cancelledโ – ืืื 64 ืฉื ืืช ืงืืื ืืืืจืืืืืืื, ืืขืืื ืื ืืืืื ืชืืจืืช
Ha-eruโa butal – The event (m.) was cancelled – ืืืืจืืข ืืืื
Shnehem butlu – Both were cancelled – ืฉื ืืื ืืืืื
Mevutal, mevutelet, mevutalim, mevutalot – Cancelled – ืืืืื, ืืืืืืช, ืืืืืืื, ืืืืืืืช
Ha-tacharut mevutelet – The contest is cancelled – ืืชืืจืืช ืืืืืืช
Ha-kenes butal lifnei kama yamim – The conference was called off a few days ago – ืืื ืก ืืืื ืืคื ื ืืื ืืืื
Ha-kenes hitbatel biglal ha-corona – The conference got cancelled because of the Coronavirus – ืืื ืก ืืชืืื ืืืื ืืงืืจืื ื
Hitbatel li mashehu, az yesh li zman – Something got cancelled for me, so I have time. – ืืชืืื ืื ืืฉืื, ืื ืืฉ ืื ืืื
Hitbatla li pgisha – A meeting was cancelled for me – ืืชืืืื ืื ืคืืืฉื
Hitbabtlu li pgishot – Meetings were cancelled for me – ืืชืืืื ืื ืคืืืฉืืช
Hitbatel li tor la-rofa – A doctor appointment was cancelled for me – ืืชืืื ืื ืชืืจ ืืจืืคื
Hitbatlu li kama torim la-rofa – A few doctor appointments were cancelled for me – ืืชืืืื ืื ืืื ืชืืจืื ืืจืืคื
Lehitbatel – To chill, to slack – ืืืชืืื
โHa-boker hashavti lehitbatelโ – โThis morning I planned on doing nothingโ – ืืืืงืจ ืืฉืืชื ืืืชืืื
Ma at osa? Mitbatelet be-kef – What are you doing? Nothing, just chilling – ืื ืืช ืขืืฉื? ืืชืืืืช ืืืืฃ
Hu ma-ze mitbatel befnei ha-boss shelo – He really caves in front of his boss – ืืื ืื-ืื ืืชืืื ืืคื ื ืืืืก ืฉืื
Muvtal – Unemployed – ืืืืื
โHu kitsets be-daka shlosha mifโalimโ – โHe axed within a minute three factoriesโ – ืืื ืงืืฆืฅ ืืืงื ืฉืืืฉื ืืคืขืืื
โVe-400 ish hafchu muvtalimโ – โAnd 400 people became unemployedโ – ื-400 ืืืฉ ืืคืื ืืืืืืื
Avtala – Unemployment – ืืืืื
Ledaber le-mishehu be-bitul – To talk to someone dismissively – ืืืืจ ืืืืฉืื ืืืืืื
Playlist and Clips:
Bitul ha-hofesh ha-gadol (KAN TV)
Gusto – Hashavti Lehitbatel (lyrics)
Tislam – Partsufa Shel Ha-medina (lyrics)
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