Streetwise Hebrew

Imperative in Hebrew: Often the 'real' imperative of our language sounds archaic to us, so we use the future instead. Here's a short manual to the Hebrew imperative. Paal verbs - usually in 'real' imperative ("Dog verbs"):קוּם כבר!בּוֹא הנה!לֵךְ מפה!שְבוּ בבקשה.תֵּן לי יד. For the rest of the binyanim (verb formats), we usually use the future instead:תְּלַמֵּד אותי להגיד משהו באנגליתתִּתְקַדְּמוּ בבקשה!תַּרְגִיש טוב!תִּיכַּנְסִי בבקשה! Negating the imperative: Just put 'al' before the future.אָל תְּסַפֵּר לִי.אָל תָּבוֹאִי. Playlist:Kama tov she-bata ha-bayta - Arik EinsteinTipat Mazal - Zehava BenTni lo perach - Gali AtariSa le'at - Arik EinsteinEmor shalom - Shokolad, Menta, MastikEin medina la-ahava - Tsvika Pick Photo: Zipa Kempinsky   Check out our Instagram page to find more Hebrew gems

How do we say darling or honey in Hebrew? And can we use kapara and motek to both male and female? Listen to our lovey dovey podcast. Words we learned today: כַּפָּרָה כַּפָּרָה עָלֵיך נְשָמָה נְשָמָה שֶל אַבָּא מָאמִי נְשָמָאמִי מוֹתֶק יָקִיר, יָקִירָתִי Songs we heard today: Kapara by Tomer Yosef, read lyrics. Mami by Miri Mesika Safek yalda safek isha by Dafna Armoni  Photo by Zipa Kempinsky  

Why do we sometimes repeat the same word twice in Hebrew? Mashu-mashu,gever-gever, for example. Today we'll talk about reduplication in Hebrewand... about Belize.​ ​Words we talked about:​​מָשֶהוּ-מָשֶהוּSometimes written like this: ּמָשוּ-מָשו​​גֶבֶר גֶבֶר​מִשְפָּט-מִשְפָּט​​חָבֵר-חָבֵר, אוֹ....?​ ​​​​​Song: Yeled Ra What's written in the photo and what's the pun? Check it out on our Facebookpage, where we can decipher it together.  

The level of service in Israel can change from day to day, hour to hour. It depends on many factors, like the mood of the serving staff, life in the city, and other seemingly random factors. Guy explains. Listen to the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon   New Words and Expressions: “Lo yodea ma ba li, al ma at mamlitza?” – I don’t know what I feel like, what do you recommend? – ?לא יודע מה בא לי, על מה את ממליצה “Az ma ba lanu le-kinu’ach?” – So what do we feel like for dessert? – ?אז מה בא לנו לקינוח “Ha-salat ktsat ayef” – The salad looks a bit tired – הסלט קצת עייף Al ma ata mamlits? – What do you recommend – ?על מה אתה ממליץ “Et hishtachrarti ha-rof’im himlitsu li bikur hodshi bi-nmal ha-te’ufa” – When I was released (from hospital) the doctors recommended a monthly visit at the airport – עת השתחררתי הרופאים המליצו לי ביקור חודשי בנמל התעופה Mamlits – Recommending – ממליץ Hamlatsa – Recommendation – המלצה “Im at rotsa, zo rak hamlatsa, le-seret kolno’a shmeimi” – If you want, it’s only a recommendation for a d

Yes, you can learn Hebrew from pop culture. This time we decided to check out reality show Hebrew: We took one episode of The X Factor Israel and wrote down all the adjectives used there. Which ones made it to the top?

Zazim, we're making a move, zaznu, we made a move, and nazuz, we'll make a move, are all used to tell your friends "let's go". So, let's talk about tenses in modern Hebrew. ​Here are the words we talked about: זָזנוּ - זָזִיםהָלַכנוּ - הוֹלְכִיםאָהַבתִי - אוֹהֵב20 שְנִיוֹת הָיִיתֶם שָם SongAni Ratz (I am Running), Dudu Tassa

The word for *husband *in Hebrew, *ba'al*, means also *owner*. No wonder many women prefer to use other words. What do they say, and what do guys say?

Cursing drivers is our national sport. Here are a few tools you can use inthe next Israeli traffic light.​Streetwise Hebrew will not be responsible or liable for any misuse ofidioms, words, verbs or adjectives mentioned in this show. ​ ​Songs: ​ ​Imashcha by Hatayarim http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyXXJ3nMA68Alf Layla U-layla, Um Kulthum http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSdYI6GJu-cHayiti Manyak, Shotei Ha-nevu'a http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ou9BNKubz0 ​ ​Here are the words we talked about: חֶלְאָה​ ​חֶלְאָת הַמִּין הָאֱנוֹשִי אֱוִיל מַשְרִיש בֵּן זוֹנָה בַּת זוֹנָה מָניָאק​ ​יָא בֵּן זוֹנָה​ ​חֲתִיכַת < חַתְ'כַת​ ​חַתְ'כָת אֶפֶס אִמָא שֶלךָ < אִמָאש'ךָ  

The word Sho'a, Holocaust, used to be a sacred word. Not anymore. Like many loaded words, we used and reused it. Now you can hear people using Sho'a in totally different contexts. Press 'play' to hear more. Amud Ha-esh music by Shem Tov Levy

Our language was dormant for a while, and when we woke up, we found ourselves without the right sex words. Listen to the podcast, and write us on FB what you think about our problem.

Kombina is one of the most salient features of Israeli society. In order to survive in this country, one needs to fend for oneself, using all possible means: Contacts, resourcefulness and creative ideas.Some Israelis say we are even 'Medinat Kombina', a 'kombina' state. So how do you use this word, and how can you even turn it into a verb?

'Tsohorayim' is noon time. But what do Israelis mean by "call me sometime ba-tsohorayim"? And when is 'achar ha-tsohorayim'?

What's INSTOOSH in Hebrew? Can you guess? Not sure? Press 'play' to find out. New Words and Expressions: Hi-oosh – Hi (cutsy) – היוש Havitoosh – Havit (Barrel) + oosh – חביתוש Keshetoosh – Keshet + oosh (diminutive suffix) – קשתוש Im atem mitgarshim ani holechet im aboosh – If you guys get divorced, I am going with Dad – אם אתם מתגרשים, אני הולכת עם אבוש Aboosh (aba+oosh) – Dad – אבוש, אבא+וש Bat mitsvoosh – Bat Mitsva (cutsy) – בת מצווה+וש, בת מצווש Ha-yalda hachi yafa ba-gan – The prettiest girl in the kindergarten – הילדה הכי יפה בגן Maksim – Wonderful – מקסים Madhim – Amazing – מדהים Instoosh – Instagram (cute nickname) – אינסטוש   Playlist and Clips: Yehudit Ravits – Ha-yalda hachi yafa ba-gan (lyrics) Mishpachat Ein Gvul – Gay Hebrew

Politeness in Hebrew - People say that Israelis can sometimes be rude when speaking. Or are we simply too direct? Contrary to common belief, we dohave ways to be courteous in modern Hebrew. Want to know how? Bevakasha! song: שקט בבקשה - להקת פיקוד הצפון

What can we learn about Hebrew from documentary TV series "Mishpachot" by the Heymann Brothers? It's stories of five Israeli families, with interesting language layers.

Today, I’ll give you a few tips: how to improve your accent and pronunciation in Hebrew. There are many things you can do on your own, at home. 

What's "sahbak"? In Arabic it means your friend, but what's the meaning in Hebrew? And what's sahbakiya? And there's even a verb, lehistahbek. Press 'play' to find out.

Hebrew's default is masculine form. But what happens when a navigation application speaks to women as if they were guys?

The word kvar, meaning "already," has so many functions in modern Hebrew, that we decided to dedicate a whole show to this wonder.

Polish mother or Jewish mother? What does Ima Polanyia mean in contemporary Hebrew?