language

What a Disappointment

There are times in life when we are left disappointed (me’uchzavim) and it would be helpful to know how to express this disappointment in Hebrew. On this episode, Guy covers this special four letter root אכזב and checks Twitter to see what disappoints Israelis the most.

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Does It Come with a Side Dish?

Ok, so you know how to order schnitzel in an Israeli restaurant. But what about asking for an extra plate? For a non-spicy dish? Extra parsley? Or maybe you need to notify the kitchen of a food allergy.

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Making a Profit

The word revach רווח means profit, gain, benefit, and a few other things. You’ll benefit greatly from learning the root רוח, we promise.

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Mm Hm, That’s Exactly Right

How do we agree with someone in Hebrew? How do we say, I hear you, totally, yeah, right, spot on, exactly?

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This Cake Is “End of the Road”

In Hebrew, סוף סוף (sof-sof) means at last. Sof-sof can also mean finally, but not in all situations. Confusing, right? And how would we say final and infinite in Hebrew, which are derived from the word סוף, end?

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Shalom Stranger

How do we greet a stranger in the elevator, in Hebrew? How about a neighbor from our building? Could we perhaps just look down and not say anything at all? Guy presents a concise guide to Israeli elevator etiquette 101.

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Hold on Tight and Don’t Let Go

Letting go of someone or something can be a difficult thing to do. How do we let it all go, in Hebrew? Guy explains.

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The City That Never Stops

Guy noticed that even his most advanced students have problems with the Hebrew words for city, town, and municipality, so he decided to dedicate this episode to these words, once and for all.

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Zero Is the New Hero

Reflecting on the recent decision in Israel to go to elections again only months after the last, US President Trump said that Israeli politics are messed up and that the country needs to “get its act together.” So on today’s episode Guy talks about the verb להתאפס (to get one’s act together).

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You Can’t Fire Me! I Quit!

There is a small yet significant difference between the Hebrew words פוטרתי and התפטרתי which share the common root פ.ט.ר. The former means “I was fired” and the latter means “I quit.”

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