Photo: Miriam Alster/FLASH90

So you’ve learned some Hebrew verbs and nouns, but now you’re not sure how to properly address your 80 year old neighbor. Ma’am? גברתי? Mrs. Cohen? גברת כהן? Or is it fine to just use her first name?

New Words and Expressions:

Adoni ha-shofet / Kvodo – Your honor (m.) – אדוני השופט / כבודו

Gvirti ha-shofetet / kvoda – Your honor (f.) – גברתי השופטת / כבודה

Adoni – Sir – אדוני

Gvirti – Ma’am – גברתי

Mar Cohen – Mr. Cohen – מר כהן

Gveret Cohen – Ms. Cohen – גברת כהן

“Shalom, ani medaber/medaberet im Guy?” – Hi, am I speaking to Guy? – שלום, אני מדבר/ת עם גיא

“Adoni, ten li lehasbir” – Sir, let me explain – אדוני, תן לי להסביר

“Gvirti, tni li lehasbir” – Ma’am, let me explain – גברתי, תני לי להסביר

“Tikra li Danny”, “tikra li Avi”, “tikrei li Dalia” – Call me Danny/Avi/Dalia – תקרא לי דני, תקרא לי אבי, תקראי לי דליה

Ratsiti lishol im taskimi lehitraayen lapodcast sheli – I wanted to ask if you’d agree to be interviewed on my podcast – רציתי לשאול אם תסכימי להתראיין לפודקסט שלי

At pnuya ba-shavua ha-ba? Yesh lach zman ba-shavua ha-ba?- Are you available next week? – את פנויה בשבוע הבא? יש לך זמן בשבוע הבא?

Slicha – Excuse me – סליחה

Playlist and Clips:

Arik Einstein – Adoni Ha-shofet (lyrics)

Yehudit Ravitz – Balada Al Adon Kimat VeGveret Kvar (lyrics)

Ep. no. 10 about politeness in Hebrew

Ep. no. 20 about Service in Israel

Ep. no. 28 about slicha, excuse me

Ep. no. 157 about Israeli brevity

6 comments on “Hello, Your Honor

  1. Dirk says:

    I love your podcast, great to add to my formal classes in Antwerp, Belgium.

    1. Guy Sharett says:

      Thanks so much, toda raba!

  2. JL says:

    Hi I’ve been teaching myself Hebrew for almost a year, slowly; and I’ll be starting formal in-class Hebrew lessons at university this year. I listened to this episode today, and it was also today that I kept playing a song on loop, the tunes are catchy and why not do an episode on a few phrases from the song. I’m sure it’s a song every Israeli knows, but the Omer Adam’s rendition of it from last year was just powerful.
    ואיך שלא
    Took me a while to figure out what this “and how that no” meant.

    1. Guy Sharett says:

      Thanks for your message.
      I played this song on this episode; https://tlv1.fm/streetwise-hebrew/2017/10/10/better-late-than-never/

  3. Ellin Yassky says:

    This is so perfect and relevant today. Thank you so much, Guy, for really zeroing in on what we need (and what Ulpan leaves out!). I love all the explanations of the shoreshim (a great key for those of us who are struggling to learn!) and links to songs and other clips! My lifeline! Thanks again for all your work!

  4. Guy Sharett says:

    Toda raba for your kind words!

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