Gather = lerakez. Center = merkaz. Concentrated = merukaz. Coordinator = merakez. All these words share a common Hebrew root: רכז. Put aside all possible distractions because today’s episode is laser-focused on the root RKZ.

We often hear the same errors made over and over again by those learning to speak Hebrew. Some sound worse than others. But once pointed out, they’ll be easy to fix. On this episode, Guy explains common mistakes made by Hebrew learners — why they happen and how to correct them.

Did you know that “I loved her” in Hebrew can be expressed using only a single word? On this episode, Guy talks love. “Loving”, “in love”, “falling in love”, “love me, love me not”… he covers all the bases. We’re pretty sure you’re going to love this episode.

In Hebrew, צד is side. And what about its plural צדדים, sides? It’s a bit of a mouthful. Today Guy explains the different sides of צד, as well as useful expressions like, “fine by me” and “there are two sides to every story.”

In Hebrew, מפונק is spoiled (as in a spoiled kid) while לפנק is to spoil. On this episode Guy explains how to spoil someone rotten, and how to talk about spoiled brats.

The word “mag’il” in Hebrew means disgusting. And even though we’re keeping it clean on the podcast, the topic of disgust might not be for everyone. That said, knowing how to say ”eeew gross” in Hebrew is critical! We think you’ll be fine as long as you’re not eating lunch.

What do we say to a friend who’s in bed with high fever? And to someone who got a minor scratch? And to that one person who keeps on complaining but has no right to complain? Oy misken!

In Hebrew, “Nim’as li kvar” means I just can’t take it anymore, I am so fed up. The root, mem-alef-samech, is an interesting one and can be used in all sorts of ways, like in the translated sentence, “Are you fed up with ’butterflies’?” What does that even mean?! Guy explains.

We talk a lot about “lahats” (stress, pressure) in Israel. You’ll often hear, “ma ata lahuts?”, why are you stressed, and “ein lahats”, there’s no pressure, just as your stress level is hitting its all-time high.

How do you say “rehearsal” in Hebrew? And what do the Hebrew words for “tax-refund” and “rabbi-preacher” have in common? A root, of course! Guy returns for another Streetwise Hebrew lesson.