The Hamsa symbol, a hand with five fingers, is believed to bring good luck and keep away the evil eye. In Arabic, hamsa is the number five, which just happens to be the number of years we’ve been making our Streetwise Hebrew podcast!

What do we mean when we say “hu af al atsmo” (הוא עף על עצמו), he flies on himself? How about “oof li me-ha-einayim” (עוף לי מהעיניים), fly off my eyes? On this episode, Guy explains all things la’oof, to fly.

Eich (איך), Hebrew for “how”, is a tiny word used very often in spoken Hebrew and in many different contexts. On this episode, Guy explains these uses through several examples from everyday life in Israel.

You’re busy. I’m busy. We’re all extremely busy these days. The Hebrew word for busy is עסוק. What would you say to your friend if you might not be able to make it to their party? Guy sets aside time from his busy schedule to explain.

Why do Israelis say, “hu taka li berez” (הוא תקע לי ברז), which roughly translates to, “he jammed a faucet on me”? And how do we say, “I’m stuck in the middle seat again”? Guy explains the word litko’a (לתקוע), to stick into, and delves into the nooks and crannies of hardcore Israeli slang. Language warning: things are about to get explicit.

Simha (שמחה) in Hebrew is happiness or joy, but it can also mean a happy event. How would you say “to make someone happy” in Hebrew? Guy explains all things שמח on this extra joyful episode.

In addition to calling and texting, your cellphone can also act as a “nagan-em-pi-shalosh”. What’s that? Well, without this capability you wouldn’t be able to listen to this podcast on the move! Today’s episode is all about the root נ.ג.נ.

There are several ways to ask an Israeli taxi driver to lower the volume on the radio that won’t result in nasty looks. Today, Guy discusses these sayings and other words related to radio, like the Hebrew word for podcast.

The Hebrew word for partner or flatmate is שותף, and its root ש.ת.פ is especially relevant when trying to get your social media posts to go viral. On this episode, Guy shares his linguistic expertise on all things shareable.