streetwise hebrew

Weary, Bleary-Eyed and Spent

How do you say I’m tired, beat, drained, knackered, and the like in colloquial Hebrew? And what do you say when you crash on a Tel Avivi couch?

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Elohim

Elohim means God in Hebrew. Why does it have a plural suffix at the end? Is it really plural in Modern Hebrew? How do we use elohim in Israeli slang, and what did we borrow from Arabic?

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Ayin

Ayin means eye in Hebrew. How do we say ‘eyes’? What happens in Arabic? What do you call the evil eye? And how do you say ‘The apple of my eye’ in Hebrew?

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Rakevet – Train

Let’s talk about trains in Hebrew. What’s the root of רכבת, and how is it related to horse riding? Also, what do we call the Jerusalem Light rail in Hebrew and in Arabic?

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Exploring Hebrew’s Mellowest, Sloppiest Corner

Careless improvisation is a well-developed art in Israel. The Hebrew word for it – itself an improvisation of sorts – is the focus of this episode.

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A Dose of Vitamin P To Heal Your Bureaucratis

Here’s a few useful words that will help you make sense of Israeli bureaucracy and get through it in one piece.

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Can You…?

How do you ask an Israeli to do something for you without sounding like a bossy-pants?

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What’s Love Got to Do With It?

Relationships are hard. Here are some Hebrew slang terms to express your undying love — or lack thereof — with your significant other.

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