Strengthened Coffee and Upgraded Pizza?

Photo: Johanna Geron/FLASH90

What do we mean when we say קפה מחוזק (roughly translated as strengthened coffee), and is it legitimate to drink it at 1:30 PM? Or when we say הוא מתחזק (he’s getting stronger) about someone? It’s not what you might think.

Guy explains.

New Words and Expressions:

Eich lechazek et kol ha-rosh – How to strengthen the head voice – איך לחזק את קול הראש

Lehazek – Strengthen – לחזק

Tsarich lechazek et ha-shimshiya lifnei ha-sufa – We need to tie the parasol down before the storm – צריך לחזק את השמשייה לפני הסופה

Lehazek haver be-sha’ah kasha – To support a friend during hard times – לחזק חבר בשעה קשה

Hizuk hiyuvi (het-het) – Positive reinforcement – חיזוק חיובי

Idud talmidim – Encouraging students – עידוד תלמידים

Matan hizukim – Giving validations – מתן חיזוקים

“Yafe yonatan, tsarich lehatchil mi-ze” – Good job, Yonatan, this is where you need to start – יפה, יונתן, צריך להתחיל מזה

“Nachon, metsuyan, toda raba” – Correct, excellent, thanks – נכון, מצויין, תודה רבה

Mechuzak – Strengthened, fortified, reinforced, empowered – מחוזק

“Pizza mechuzeket” – Upgraded pizza – פיצה מחוזקת

Pizza mishpachtit – Family-sized pizza – פיצה משפחתית

La-batsek ha-chadash hosifu agvaniyot meyubashot – To the new dough they added sun dried tomatoes – לבצק החדש הוסיפו עגבניות מיובשות

Hizku – They strengthened – חיזקו

Ledaber-dibru; Lechazek-hizku

Medubar-Mechuzak

“13:30 ba-tsohorayim zo sha’ah legitimit le-kafe mechuzak, nachon?” – 1:30pm is a legit time for coffee with a splash of alcohol, right?” – ?אחת וחצי בצוהוריים זו שעה לגיטימית לקפה מחוזק, נכון

Hozer bi-tshuva – A person who becomes religious – חוזר בתשובה

Ha-rechev hitchazek – This car’s engine got stronger – הרכב התחזק

Hu hitchazek – This secular person become more religious – הוא התחזק

Ha-shekel hitchazek – The shekel got stronger – השקל התחזק

“Az ha-geshem hitchazek ba-sha’ot ha-achronot” – “So the rain got stronger in the last few hours” – אז הגשם התחזק בשעות האחרונות

“Aval hu yitchazek be-tsura mashma’utit yoter” – “But it will get stronger, significantly” – אבל הוא יתחזק בצורה משמעותית יותר

“Ad machar bi-sh’ot ha-tsohorayim” – “Until tomorrow afternoon” – עד מחר בשעות הצוהוריים

Hitchazkut – Getting stronger/becoming more religious – התחזקות

“Ze mitchaber le-megama shel hitchazkut” – “It connects to this tendency of the increase in the number of people who are becoming religious” – זה מתחבר למגמה של התחזקות  

“Hem mesachkim po al ha-double-meaning shel ha-tarbut ha-israelit” – They are playing on the duality of the israeli culture – הם משחקים פה על הדאבל-מינינג של התרבות הישראלית

Playlist and Clips:

Eich lechazek et kol ha-rosh

Hizuk hiyuvi

Commercial: Pizza mechuzeket

Ofer Levy – Mitchazek (lyrics)

Hitchazek – Car commercial

Hitchazek – Car commercial 2

Ha-shekel hitchazek – The Shekel got stronger

Ha-geshem yitchazek – Weather forecast

Talking about the car commercial

Arkadi Duchin – Merov Ahavati (lyrics)

Previous Episodes

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