Streetwise Hebrew

How do we say 'become' in Hebrew? Guy explains the forms of 'nihya,' which is the passive usage of 'lihyot,' or 'to be.'

"Eize bushot" (איזה בושות) is what we Israelis say when we witness an embarrassing event. Remember the time your mother commented on a Facebook photo of you? איזה בושות!

Listen to the All-Hebrew Version of this Episode

New Words and Expressions:

Lama ani tsricha lehitbayesh? - Why should I feel ashamed? - למה אני צריכה להתבייש?

Ze lo busha lihyot atsuv - One shouldn't be ashamed for being sad - זה לא בושה להיות עצוב

BuSHA! - Shame on him/her/them - בושה!

Ha-israeli ha-mecho'ar - The ugly israeli - הישראלי המכוער

Ha-im la-orchim ha-ele ein tipat busha? - Don't these guests have a drop of shame? - האם לאורחים האלה אין טיפת בושה?

Hu asa li bushot - He embarrassed me - הוא עשה לי בושות

Al ta'ase/ta'asi/ta'asu li bushot - Don't embarrass me - אל תעשה/תעשי/תעשו לי בושות

Hityashavti la ba-makom - I (mistakenly) sat in her place - התיישבתי לה במקום

Eize bushot - How embarrassing - איזה בושות

Titbayesh lecha - Shame on you - תתבייש לך

Titbayshi lach - Shame on you (f.) - תתביישי לך

Titbayshu lachem - Shame on you (pl.) - תתביישו לכם

She-yitbayshu - May they be ashamed of themselves - שיתביישו

Ani be'emet smecha she-bat - I am very happy you came - אני באמת שמחה שבאת

Zo be'aya she-harbe nashim sovlot mimena - It's a problem many women suffer from - זו בעיה שהרבה נשים סובלות ממנה

Aval hen mitbayshot ledaber aleha - But they are ashamed to talk about it - אבל הן מתביישות לדבר על זה

Al titbayshu - Don't be shy - אל תתביישו

Lehitbayesh be-mashehu/be-mishehu - To be ashamed of someone of or something - להתבייש במישהו/במשהו

Biyush - Shaming - ביוש

La'asot shaming, levayesh mishehu - To shame someone - לעשות שיימינג, לבייש מישהו

Al tvayesh ah? - "Don't shame us, hey?' - אל תבייש, אה?

Bayshan, bayshanit - Shy - ביישן, ביישנית

Bayshanut - Shyness - ביישנות

Playlist and Clips:

Arik Einstein - Ze Lo Busha Lihyot Atsuv (lyrics)

Ha-israeli ha-mecho'ar (The Ugly Israeli), TV10

Eize bushot

Titbayesh lecha!

"She-yitbayshu!"

Harbe nashim mitbayshot

Biyush = Shaming

Arik Einstein & Shalom Hanoch - Tafasti Rosh al ha-bar (lyrics)

Mili Miran - Ho, marganit (lyrics)

Further listening: Ep. 143 fadiha

If you're communicating with Israelis, the chances are at some point you'll have to write in Hebrew in a WhatsApp group. Don't panic!

The word פשוט (pashut) means "simple" in Hebrew. Knowing that, how would you attempt to say "simplify", "simplicity," or "simpleton"? Guy explains all the complexities behind the seemingly simple root פשט.

Listen to the All-Hebrew Version of this Episode

New Words and Expressions:

Lamdeni et ha-shir ha-pashut - Teach me the simple song - למדני את השיר הפשוט

Ze shir ahava pashut - It's a simple love song - זה שיר אהבה פשוט

Pashut shir ahava - Simply a love song - פשוט שיר אהבה

Kacha ani ohevet otcha, pashut - This is simply how I love you/This is how I love you, in a simple way - ככה אני אוהבת אותך, פשוט

Pashut bati/Bati, pashut - I just came - פשוט באתי/באתי, פשוט

Bayit pashut - A simple house - בית פשוט

Pashut bayit - Simply, a house - פשוט בית

Pashut, pshuta, pshutim, pshutot - Simple - פשוט, פשוטה, פשוטים, פשוטות

Shi'ur moledet - "Homeland class" - שיעור מולדת

"Kach ze haya, pashtut raka" - This is how it was, tender simplicity - כך זה היה, פשטות רכה

Lefashet - To simplify - לפשט

Ten li lefashet lecha et ze - Let me simplify it for you - תן לי לפשט לך את זה

Lehitpashet - To get undressed - להתפשט

Elef israelim higi'u le-hof sagur be-yam ha-melach ve-hitpashtu - 1000 Israelis arrived to a closed beach in the dead sea and got undressed - אלף ישראלים הגיעו לחוף סגור בים המלח והתפשטו

Ha-esh mitpashetet - The fire is spreading - האש מתפשטת

Lehafshit - To take off someone's clothes - להפשיט

Mufshat - abstract - מופשט

Tsiyur mufshat - Abstract painting - ציור מופשט

Omanut mufshetet - Abstract art - אמנות מופשטת

"Ya pshuta" - You simpleton (f.) - יא פשוטה

Playlist and Clips:

Nurit Galron - Lamdeni et Ha-shir ha-pashut (lyrics)

Aya Korem - Shir Ahava Pashut (lyrics)

Shiri Maimon - Kacha pashut (lyrics)

Kaveret - Shi'ur Moledet (lyrics)

Efraim Shamir - Interview

Spencer Tunick in the Dead Sea

Ha-haverim shel Natasha - Al titpashti li (lyrics)

Nitan Ben-Ari - Ha-ish Ha-pashut (lyrics)

One of the most used words in Israeli slang is actually from Arabic. Yalla is used to encourage someone to do something, but with the right intonation you can deliver an array of different notions. Yalla, press ‘play!’

What can we learn from the music-listening habits of Israelis in 2018? Lots of interesting uses of Hebrew words and phrases!

The internet music service Spotify just published data on the most popular music listened to by Israelis in 2018. We take a look at these songs and revisit our archives in order to remind ourselves when and why we used these songs in previous episodes.

Listen to the All-Hebrew Version of this Episode

Spotify Music Lists:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DX7Ey5mhiAT5Z

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DXbt72Q24ypTa

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DX7aj32Qvs6xX

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DWULoGdcP6ILX

New Words and Expressions:

Kmo shnei meshuga'im - Like two crazy people - כמו שני משוגעים

Ani mode - I thank - אני מודה (episode #100)

Mami ze nigmar - Honey it's over - מאמי זה נגמר (episode #121)

Hu gamar - He finished - הוא גמר

Habibi - My darling - חביבי (episode #117)

Yesh od anashim ba-reshima - There are more people on the list - יש עוד אנשים ברשימה

Bo'i, tni li yad ve-nelech - Come, give me your hand and we'll go - בואי, תני לי יד ונלך (episode #184, episode #78)

Al tevatri - Don't give up - אל תוותרי (episode #175)

Al tagid - Don't say - אל תגיד

Halomot tovim - Good dreams - חלומות טובים (episode #199)

Pesek zman - Time out / time off - פסק זמן (episode #48)

Lehafsik - To stop - להפסיק

Hafsaka - Break - הפסקה

Sa le'at - Drive slowly - סע לאט (episode #186)

Sa (m.), se'i (f.), s'oo (pl.) - 'Go!' - סע, סעי, סעו

Lifrok - To unload, to unpack - לפרוק (episode #212)

At poreket kartonim - You're unloading, unpacking cardboards - את פורקת קרטונים

Lahzor bahazara - To come back - לחזור בחזרה (episode #227)

Kor'im li ba-shchuna malkat ha-shoshanim - They call me in the neighborhood the queen of roses - קוראים לי בשכונה מלכת השושנים

Arba lifnot boker lo nirdemet - 4am, I cannot fall asleep - ארבע לפנות בוקר לא נרדמת (episode #179)

Arba'a haverim - Four friends (m. pl.) - ארבעה חברים

Arba haverot - Four friends (f. pl.) - ארבע חברות

Misken - Poor - מסכן (episode #230)

Nu dai lehitmasken - Stop complaining - נו, די להתמסכן

Lo yoda'at ma kore li - I don't know what's happening to me - לא יודעת מה קורה לי (episode #36)

Ma kara? - What happened? - מה קרה?

Ani ma'amin she- - I believe that… - אני מאמין ש... (episode #158)

Playlist and Clips:

Omer Adam - Shnei Meshuga'im (lyrics)

Omer Adam - Mode Ani (lyrics)

Omer Adam - Mami Ze Nigmar (lyrics)

Omer Adam - Tel Aviv (lyrics)

The Idan Raichel Project - Bo'i (lyrics)

Eyal Golan - Tslil Meitar (lyrics)

Eyal Golan - Halomot (lyrics)

Arik Einstein - Pesek Zman (lyrics)

Arik Einstein - Sa Le'at (lyrics)

Tuna & Nechi Nech - Olam Meshuga (lyrics)

Eden Ben-Zaken - Ad she-tahzor ba-hazara (lyrics)

Eden Ben-Zaken - Malkat Ha-shoshanim (lyrics)

Yuval Dayan - She'erioth shel Ha-hayim (lyrics)

Yehudit Ravits - Arba Lifnot Boker (lyrics)

Jane Bordeaux - Rotza Livkot (lyrics on YouTube)

Sarit Hadad - Kshe-ani Itcha Ani Kmo Dag (lyrics)

Ha-dag Nachash – Ani Ma'amin (lyrics)

Netta - Toy (lyrics)

How do you tell someone not to do something in Hebrew? Use 'al' (that's A-L), which means 'don't.' On this episode, Guy explains how to use this little word, and how to say 'just don't.'

Dropped your phone? Did the screen crack? The phone needs fixing! The Hebrew word you'll need to know is tikun, from the root תקנ. Use it when something needs to be fixed.

Tikunim (plural of tikun) also means corrections, amendments, alterations. Not familiar with the תקנ root and its related words? We can fix that!

Listen to the All-Hebrew Version of this Episode

New Words and Expressions:

Tikunchik, hendimen - Handyman - תיקונצ'יק, הנדימן

Tikun, tikunim - Repair, repairs, corrections - תיקון, תיקונים

Im at margisha mekulkelet, ani ha-tikun shelach - If you feel broken, I am your fix, your repair - אם את מרגישה מקולקלת, אני התיקון שלך

Tikun ta'ut - Error correction - תיקון טעות

Tikunim - Amendments, alterations - תיקונים

Tikkun olam - "Repair of the world" - תיקון עולם

Letaken - To repair, to fix - לתקן

Ani lo yachol letaken et ha-olam - I cannot repair the world - אני לא יכול לתקן את העולם

Tsarich letaken et ha-tanur - We need to fix the oven - צריך לתקן את התנור

Mi yachol letaken li et ha-tris - Who could fix my window blinds - מי יכול לתקן לי את התריס

Tukan - Fixed / It was fixed - תוקן

Ha-takala tukna - The fault was fixed - התקלה תוקנה

Takalat ha-itut tukna - The signaling fault was fixed - תקלת האיתות תוקנה

Tuknu - They were fixed - תוקנו

Madrich hatkanat ma'arechet bayit chaham - Manual for a smart home system installation - מדריך התקנת מערכת בית חכם

Hatkana - Installation - התקנה

Lehatkin - To install - להתקין

Matkin - Installer - מתקין

Hutkan - It was installed - הותקן

Mutkan - Installed - מותקן

Lo mutkenet li ha-aplikatsia - The app is not installed (on my device) - לא מותקנת לי האפליקציה

Takin - Normal, ok - תקין

Ha-kol takin - Everything is ok - הכל תקין

Bdikat dam - Blood test - בדיקת דם

Yesh sham mashehu lo takin - There is something that is not okay - יש שם משהו לא תקין

Ze lo takin - It's not ok - זה לא תקין

Playlist and Clips:

Tikunchik Tamir - Commercial

Itay Pearl - Ha-tikun (lyrics)

Tikkun Olam - Rabbi Jill Jacobs

Tikkun olam, Wikipedia

Maor Edry - Letaken et ha-olam (lyrics)

Ha-takala tukna - The fault was fixed

Hatkana - Installation

Boaz Shar'abi - Tikunim

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.

Listen to the All-Hebrew Version of this Episode

Check out TLV1's WhyWhyWhy! True Stories from Israel podcast

New Words and Expressions:

Rikuz - Concentration - ריכוז

Yesh yetsirot retsinioyt she-mevakshot rikuz male be-ozniyot - There are serious works (of music), that demand full concentration, with earphones - יש יצירות רציניות שמבקשות ריכוז מלא באוזניות

Ehad mi-kol asara yeladim sovel me-hafra'at keshev ve-rikuz - One in every 10 children suffers from ADD Attention deficit disorder - אחד מכל עשרה ילדים סובל מהפרעת קשב וריכוז

Mahane rikuz - A concentration camp - מחנה ריכוז

Lerakez - To gather, to assemble - לרכז

Merakez - He gathers / Coordinator - מרכז

Rakaz - Coordinator - רכז

Merkaz - Center - מרכז

Merukaz - Concentrated - מרוכז

Ani be-emtsa mashehu, ani lo merukaz - I am in the middle of something, I cannot focus right now - אני באמצע משהו, אני לא מרוכז

Amart she-ani tamid merukaz be-atsmi - You said that I am always concentrated on myself (self-centered) - אמרת שאני תמיד מרוכז בעצמי

Gel super merukaz - Super concentrated laundry gel - ג'ל סופר מרוכז

Lehitrakez be-mashehu - To concentrate on something - תתרכז במשהו

Titrakez "retsach" - Try hard to concentrate - תתרכז רצח

Titrakzi (f.), titrakzu (pl.) - Concentrate! - תתרכזי, תתרכזו

Ani rotse she-ha-shavu'a nitrakez be-ze - This week I'd like us to focus on this - אני רוצה שהשבוע נתרכז בזה

Lehitmaked - To focus - להתמקד

Moked sherut lakochot - Customer service center - מוקד שירות לקוחות

Merkazi - Central - מרכזי

Ha-tahana ha-merkazit - The central bus station - התחנה המרכזית

Playlist and Clips:

Mati Caspi - Shirim be-mitz agvaniyot (lyrics)

Hafra'at keshev ve-rikuz - ADD - TV1

Machane rikuz - Concentration Camp

Nadav Guedj - Ulai Nedaber (lyrics on YouTube)

Jel Merukaz - Concentrated gel commercial

Anahnu ba-mapa - Titrakez, concentrate, imperative, masculine

Zaguri Imperia - Titrakzi, concentrate, imperative, feminine

Nestea - Titrakzu, concentrate, imperative, plural

Ha-tahana ha-merkazit - The Central Bus Station (Kan TV)

Lahakat Ha-nachal - Sarit Ha-saparit (lyrics)

TLV1's WhyWhyWhy! Podcast

Making your Hebrew sound truly conversational is an important but tricky skill. How do you start a new topic, for instance?