language

Hamburgers & Configuration: Foreign Words in Hebrew

What’s לקנפג in Hebrew? What’s לסמס? And what do we Israelis mean when we ask you to give us your ‘mail’? Guy explains what happens to foreign words when they start feeling comfortable in their new Israeli home.

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Dead Tired or Just a Bit Crazy?

Slang usage of the word קרוע (ka’rua), literally meaning ‘torn’, is fascinating because when someone says it about themselves, it means one thing, and when the same is said about them behind their back, it means something completely different. Guy explains.

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Improve Your Hebrew With These 4 Tools

Guy demonstrates how to use 4 valuable online tools he thinks every Hebrew learner should know.

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Falafel 101: Your Guide to Ordering Falafel in Hebrew

Ordering falafel in Israel may seem simple. But when learning Hebrew, the many different options and the barrage of short and direct questions from the seller could make the whole experience a bit stressful. Today, Guy explains how to keep calm through the mayhem of an Israeli falafel stand at lunch time.

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7 Tips That Will Improve Your Spoken Hebrew

Many podcast listeners have written to ask, “How can I improve my Hebrew?” So on this episode, Guy provides 7 tips that will help anyone, from those highly proficient to those just getting started, improve their spoken Hebrew.

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Surely You Know What I’m Referring To

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.

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It’s Chilly Outside

It’s winter time in the northern hemisphere. It is also the time we start over-using the word קר (cold) because, for us Israelis, 14-17° C (57-63° F) is cold. So to get us ready for cooler temperatures, Guy prepared warm-up exercises consisting of words and phrases from the root ק.ר.ר

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Boys and Girls! It’s Story Time

The Hebrew word סיפור means a story. Though in certain situations it could also mean a matter, a thing, or a mess. The root ס.פ.ר acts a bit funny in some of its verb formats. But no need to worry because Guy explains it all.

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Sick? Get Well Soon!

Hebrew provides plenty of ways to wish someone well, and they all depend on the severity of the illness. So what should we say to someone with a cold? How about the flu? Pneumonia? This winter, Guy provides a linguistic toolkit for all you well-wishers to use in almost any circumstance.

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This Corner Store is Da Bomb

The Hebrew word פיצוץ (pitsuts) means explosion but is also used in the same fashion as the English phrase, “a blast,” meaning incredible or highly entertaining. And did you know that our neighborhood corner store is called a פיצוצייה (pitsutsiya)?

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