Repeat the mantra: I will become a fluent Hebrew speaker. But how do we say 'become' in Hebrew? 'Nihya,' which is passive of Hebrew verb 'lihyot,' or 'to be.' TLV1's language Jedi Guy Sharett explains.

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New words & expressions:

Pitom nihya kayits – Suddenly it became summer – פתאום נהיה קיץ

Nihya – It has become – נהיה

Ma nihya (niya)? – What's going on? – ?מה נהיה

Shu sar? (Arabic) – What's happened? – شو صار؟

Shu sar ma'ak? (Arabic) – What's happened with you? – شو صار معك؟

Ma nihya im + mishu – What's with + someone – מה נהיה עם + מישהו

Ma nihya?! – What's going on?! – ?!מה נהיה

Tagidi, ma nihya itach – Tell me (f.), what's going on with you – תגידי, מה נהיה איתך

Ma nihya itcha, itach, itchem, itchen – What's with you (m.), you (f.), you (pl. m), you (pl. f) – מה נהיה איתך, איתך, איתכם, איתכן

Ma nihya mimeni? – What has become of me? – ?מה נהיה ממני

Ma nihya ita? – What's with her? – ?מה נהיה איתה

Ma nihya mimena? – What's happened to her? – ?מה נהיה ממנה

Hu nihya me'atsben ba-zman ha-acharon – He has become irritating lately – הוא נהיה מעצבן בזמן האחרון

Hu nihya ben adam – He became a man (mature, adult) – הוא נהיה בן אדם

Hi nihyta isha pitom – She suddenly became a woman – היא נהייתה אישה פתאום

Hem nihyu bnei adam – They became adults – הם נהיו בני אדם

Ma nihyet li lady? – Now you're playing a lady? – ?מה נהיית לי ליידי

Hu nihya li angli alek – He's playing a Brit (as if) – הוא נהיה לי אנגלי עאלק

Tir'i im ze nihya – See if it's ready – תראי אם זה נהיה

Looking for the monologue text? It's available to our patrons at patreon.com/streetwisehebrew.

Playlist and clips: Eran Zur – Kayits (lyrics) Ehab Qawasmi – Shu Sar Or Fairouz – Shu Sar Ofir Cohen – Tagidi Ma Nihya (lyrics) Liran Aviv – Ma Nihya (lyrics) Shotei Ha-nevu'a – Yefehfiya (lyrics)