Streetwise Hebrew

The letter "resh" (ר) is one of the most difficult ones to pronounce when you start learning Hebrew, and it can continue to plague you even when you become quite fluent. How did Israelis come to pronounce the letter "r" like this, how do we produce the sound, and is it the "resh" our forefathers had in mind? Today host Guy Sharett answers all these questions and more, with tips, tongue-twisters and a touch of socio-linguistics!

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New words & expressions:

Hamudim – Cute (pl. masc.) – חמודים

Achshav – Now – עכשיו

Barur – Clear – ברור

Baruch – Blessed – ברוך

Shney shoshanim – Two roses – שני שושנים

Tsarich letsaltsel pa'amayim – You need to ring twice – צריך לצלצל פעמיים

Shma Israel (the "Shema" prayer) – שמע ישראל

"Resh" tongue twister: Parparim rabim pirperu pirpurei pirpurim me'ever le-harim ha-ramim – פרפרים רבים פרפרו פרפורי פרפורים מעבר להרים הרמים

Nirga – Calming down/calmed down (masc.) – נרגע

Say while "gargling": Israel. Margish ("he feels").

Robert rotse lir'ot chaverim be-yom revi'i – Robert wants to see friends on Wednesday – רוברט רוצה לראות חברים ביום רביעי

Eich ata margish hayom? – How are you feeling today? – ?איך אתה מרגיש היום

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

Playlist and clips: Shoshana Damari – Shney Shoshanim (lyrics) Shoshana Damari – Tsarich Letsalsel Pa'amayim (lyrics) Shma Israel – Moshe Hovav (Kol Israel Radio) Gilgula Shel Ha-resh Ha-mitgalgelet (Short documentary about the Israeli "resh") Galey Tsahal IDF Radio news bulletin Gali Atari – Derech Aruka (lyrics) Gali Atari & Sagiv Cohen – Me-hamerchakim (lyrics) Pe'er Tasi – Derech Ha-shalom (lyrics) Nikolai Rimsky Korsakov – Scheherazade Guy's website – Links & Tips

One of the first words Israeli children learn is "kacha" - "like this" - especially when they keep asking "lama?" - "why?" - and their parents don't have the strength to answer. You may even have been told "kacha" by your Hebrew teacher when you asked too many grammar questions. Today host Guy Sharett answers all your questions about "kacha," and gives some examples of how it pops up in Israeli slang.

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New words & expressions:

Atsuv li she-ze kacha – I am sad it's like this – עצוב לי שזה ככה

Lama? Kacha – Why? Just because – למה? ככה

Kacha ze ba-chayim – C'est la vie – ככה זה בחיים

Ma la'asot? – What can you do? – ?מה לעשות

Kmo she-ze haya, kacha she-yihye – As it was, may it be – כמו שזה היה, ככה שיהיה

Kacha ze mushlam – Like this, it's perfect – ככה זה מושלם

Kacha/lo kacha – Like this/not like this – ככה/לא ככה

Titkasher elay ba-boker, kacha nuchal latset mukdam – Call me in the morning, that way we can leave early – תתקשר אליי מוקדם, ככה נוכל לצאת מוקדם

Kach osot kulan – Così fan tutte – Thus do they all (opera) – כך עושות כולן

Kacha hi ba-emtsa – She's kinda in the middle – ככה היא באמצע

Kacha lo bonim homa – This is not how you build a wall – ככה לא בונים חומה

Kacha lo mitnahagim – This is not how you behave – ככה לא מתנהגים

Ma kacha? – How are things? – ?מה ככה

Kacha ah? – So that's the way it is, huh? – ?ככה, הא

Kacha stam – Just like that – ככה סתם

Kacha kacha – So-so – ככה-ככה

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

Playlist and clips: Omer Adam – Atsuv Li She-Ze Kacha (lyrics) Avi Toledano & Irit Anavi – Lama Kacha (lyrics) Ariel Zilber – Milliard Sinim (lyrics) Jacques Dutronc – Et Moi, Et Moi, Et Moi Efrat Gosh – Kmo She-Ze Haya (lyrics) Kaveret – Kacha Hi Ba-Emtsa (lyrics) Sport commentator Yoram Arbel Ha-Tarnegolim – Kacha Stam (lyrics) Shalom Hanoch – Kacha Ve-Kacha (lyrics)

"Hu ta'an" means "he loaded" or "charged," like charging a phone. But it can also mean "he claimed" or "complained." If you want to avoid panic-inducing low battery when you're in Israel, you'd better learn how to talk about charging your phone in Hebrew. Host Guy Sharett takes us through the root - .ט.ע.נ - from which we also get baggage, loaded questions and much more.

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New words & expressions:

Rak te'anot ve-drishot – Only complaints and demands – רק טענות ודרישות

Ein li te'anot – I don't have any complaints – אין לי טענות

Lit'on – To claim, charge, load – לטעון

Hu to'en le-aflaya – He claims it is discrimination – הוא טוען לאפליה

To'en (verb) – Load, charge – טוען

Mat'en – Charger – מטען

Yesh lachem be-mikra mat'en le-iphone hamesh? – Do you happen to have an iPhone 5 charger? – ?יש לכם במקרה מטען לאייפון חמש

Mit'an – Baggage, luggage – מטען

Ta mit'an – Trunk (car) – תא מטען

Te'ina (pa'al) – Loading, charging – טעינה

Hat'ana (hif'il) – Loading, charging – הטענה

Ani tsarich lit'on et ha-kartis – I need to charge the card – אני צריך לטעון את הכרטיס

Eich lehita'en be-energia – How to be charged with energy – איך להיטען באנרגיה

Ani ekdach ta'un ga'aguim – I am a pistol loaded with longing – אני אקדח טעון געגועים

Ha-telefon ta'un, kach oto – The mobile is charged, take it – הטלפון טעון, קח אותו

Ha-telefon nit'an achshav – The mobile is being charged now – הטלפון נטען עכשיו

Hu nit'an – It is/was charged – הוא נטען

She'ela te'una – Loaded question – שאלה טעונה

Nosé ta'un – Loaded subject – נושא טעון

Ze ta'un – It's a loaded matter – זה טעון

Ta'un shipur – Needs improvement – טעון שיפור

Hit'in – Charged, loaded – הטעין

Ani tsarich lehat'in et ha-pelefon – I need to charge the mobile – אני צריך להטעין את הפלאפון

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

Playlist and clips: Muki – Medabrim Al Shalom (lyrics) Dudu Tassa – Ani Gitara (lyrics) MK Ahmed Tibi to'en (claims) Eich lehita'en be-energia (How to be charged with energy) Shlomo Artzi – Sadot Shel Irusim (lyrics) Itzhak Klepter - Lokeakh Et HaZman (lyrics)

"Sha...losh, it's me, Guy, from Streetwise Hebrew." Yes, you read right. Three years ago we aired our first episode of StreetWise Hebrew on TLV1 Radio. So this week, Guy talks about "shalosh" - three - and all its related words and phrases. We cover everything from basketball, to math, beer and music, plus we even get to hear some iconic Israeli poetry.

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New words & expressions:

Shalosh arba ve… – Ready, steady, go – ...שלוש ארבע ו

Shalosh arba la-avoda – Yalla, let's work – שלוש ארבע לעבודה

Shloshha hatulim – Three cats (masculine) – שלושה חתולים

Shlish – A third (1/3) – שליש

Efshar shlish me-ha-chavit? – Could I have a third of a liter of draft beer? – ?אפשר שליש מהחבית

Two thirds – Shney-shlish – שני שליש

Shlishi – Third (3rd) – שלישי

Yom shlishi – Tuesday – יום שלישי

Leshalesh – To triple – לשלש

Shlasha – Three-pointer (basketball) – שלשה

Ha-shilush ha-kadosh – The Holy Trinity – השילוש הקדוש

Ha-av, ha-ben ve-ru'ach ha-kodesh – The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit – האב, הבן, ורוח הקודש

Meshulash – Triangle – Muthalath (Arabic) – مثلث – משולש

Meshulash yeshar zavit – Right angle triangle – משולש ישר זווית

Meshulash shve shokayim – Isosceles triangle – משולש שווה שוקיים

More be-eize kfar ba-meshulash – A teacher in a village in the "Meshulash" – מורה באיזה כפר במשולש

Meshulash ahava, meshulash romanti - Love triangle – Muthalath al-hubb (Arabic) – مثلث الحب – משולש אהבה

Kfitsa meshuleshet – Triple jump – קפיצה משולשת

Shlishiya, shlishiyat – Trio, triplet, ménage à trois – שלישייה

Shilshom – The day before yesterday – שלשום

Ki-tmol shilshom – Just like yesterday – כתמול שלשום

Shirei sof ha-derech – Lea Goldberg:

למד את שפתותי ברכה ושיר הלל בהתחדש זמנך עם בוקר ועם ליל לבל יהיה יומי כתמול שלשום לבל יהיה עלי יומי הרגל

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

Playlist and clips: Arik Einstein & Shem Tov Levy – Shalosh Arba La-Avoda (lyrics) Ran Ve-Nama - Balada Al Shlosha Hatulim (lyrics) Father Carlson Meir Ariel - Shir Ke'ev (lyrics) Egyptian couples therapist – Love triangle Israel TV1 News bulletin – Triple jump Advanced Techniques On Triangle (music) Shalosh Trio – Jerusalem State Of Mind Shlishiyat Gesher Ha-Yarkon (live concert) Shem Tov Levy – Shirey Sof Ha-Derech (lyrics)

In Israel you'll come across plenty of people who get carried away, overreact to things, or go over the top. How do you deal with these people? What should you say to them in Hebrew? Guy explains what you should say when you're overcharged for something that should be really cheap, and what you should do with your hands when someone is saying something totally exaggerated.

Hear the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon

New Words and Expressions:

Al tagzim/tagzimi/tagzimu – Don't exaggerate – אל תגזים/תגזימי/תגזימו

At magzima – You exaggerate – את מגזימה

Dai, ata magzim – Stop it, you exaggerate – די, אתה מגזים

Lo tsarich lehagzim – There's no need to exaggerate – לא צריך להגזים

Hagzama – Exaggeration – הגזמה

"Ani tsarich lomar, ve-im ktsat hagzama" – I must say, and with a bit of exaggeration – אני צריך לומר, ועם קצת הגזמה

Eize hagzamot – Such an exaggeration – איזה הגזמות

Moogzam – Exaggerated – מוגזם

Ipoor moogzam – Too much makeup – איפור מוגזם

Ze ma-ze moogzam – It's way too much – זה מה-זה מוגזם

Achalti be-keta moogzam – I ate way too much – אכלתי בקטע מוגזם

Ai yai – You're getting carried away (exclamation) – איי יאי

Ai yai, mi she-yishmah – You're getting carried away – איי יאי, מי שישמע

"Mi she-yishma, efshar lachshov mi at" – Who do you think you are? (You're not that special) – מי שישמע, אפשר לחשוב מי את

Ani nischefet – I am getting carried away – אני נסחפת

Nischafta/Nischaft/nischaftem – You got carried away – נסחפת/נסחפת/נסחפתם

Nahar sochef – Sweeping river – נהר סוחף

Eize hisachfut – That's so over the top – איזה היסחפות

Mamash – As if – ממש

"Ani yotze be-xamesh ba-boker kedey lihyot batua'ach she-ani agi'a le-yerushalayim lifnei shmoneh" – I am leaving at 5am to be sure I'll make it to Jerusalem before 8am – אני יוצא בחמש בבוקר כדי להיות בטוח שאני אגיע לירושלים לפני שמונה

Playlist and Clips:

Hava Alberstein – Machshava Tova (lyrics)

Ran Efron – Rak Od Yom (lyrics)

Yossi Banai – Hatsotsrat Ha-tehila (lyrics)

Georges Brassens – Les Trompettes de la Renommée

Sarit Haddad – Or Kochav (lyrics)

Ep. no. 69 Hommage to Paris HEB

Ep. no. 132 about keta HEB

Ep. no. 175 about Al, don't HEB

Today we're getting negative. Double negative, in fact. After some Hebrew words like כלום ("nothing") or אף פעם ("never") we also have to use לא ("no"). So, unlike in English, we use two negation words. Guy takes us through the rules, mentioning English, French and Portuguese as he goes. Oh, and while we're learning, we also get to listen to some beautiful French and Brazilian songs.

Hear the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon

New Words and Expressions:

"Me-olam lo shachati otcha" – I have never forgotten you – מעולם לא שכחתי אותך

"Af pa'am lo ted'ee" – Never will you know – אף פעם לא תדעי

Af pa'am lo hayiti be-… – I have never been to… – אף פעם לא הייתי ב

Af pa'am lo ahavti kach af achat – I have never loved anyone like this – אף פעם לא אהבתי כך אף אחת

Af echad lo yodea – Nobody knows – אף אחד לא יודע

"Achshav lo mitgorer bo af echad" – Now nobody lives there – עכשיו לא מתגורר בו אף אחד

Lo yacholti la'asot im ze klum – I couldn't do anything with it – לא יכולתי לעשות עם זה כלום

Kloom / Lo chloom – Nothing – כלום/לא כלום

Im einech le-tsidi az ani lo chlum – If you're not on my side, I am nothing – אם אינך לצידי אז אני לא כלום

"Shum davar lo yadu'a" – Nothing is known – שום דבר לא ידוע

Playlist and Clips:

Dalida – Je n'ai jamais, jamais pu t'oublier

Shlomo Artzi – Af Paam Lo Ted'i (lyrics)

Dani Robas – Ze Lo Ani (lyrics)

Meir Ariel – Af Echad Lo Yode'a (lyrics)

Balada al Adon Kim'at ve-gveret Kvar – Yehudit Ravitz (lyrics)

Project Runway

Ilan Wirtzberg – Lo Yacholti La'asot Im Ze Klum (lyrics)

Samba Bi-shnayim – Mati Caspi & Yehudit Ravitz (lyrics)

Vinicius de Moraes, Maria Creuza & Toquinho – Samba Em Prelúdio

Arik Lavie – Ze Kore (lyrics)

Carolina – Af Echad Lo Ba Li (lyrics)

Whether it's telling someone they did well, asking the cost, or lashing out at someone, "yatsata" (from "latset" – to "go out"/"come out") plays an important role in everyday Hebrew slang. Host Guy Sharett teaches us a few of these useful idioms, which you won't find in your dictionary.

Hear the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon

New Words and Expressions:

"Britanya rotsa latset me-ha ichud ha-eropi" – The UK wants to exit from the EU – בריטניה רוצה לצאת מהאיחוד האירופי

Yatsata gadol – You came out great – יצאת גדול

"Asher, lo rak tsadik yatsata, yatsata anak" – You didn't just come out great, you came out huge – אשר, לא רק צדיק יצאת, יצאת ענק

Anak – Huge, gigantic – ענק

Yatsata tsadik – You came out a saint – יצאת צדיק

Yatsata be-zol – You got off easy – יצאת בזול

"Boyna, yatsata be-zol" – Dude, you came off easy – בוא'נה, יצאת בזול

Lo yatsa li – I didn't get a chance – לא יצא לי

Slicha, od lo yatsa li – Sorry, I didn't get a chance to do it yet – סליחה, עוד לא יצא לי

Im yotse lecha – If you get a chance – אם יוצא לך

Rak im yotse lecha – Only if you get a chance – רק אם יוצא לך

Ma yatsa lecha mi-ze? – What did you gain from it? – מה יצא לך מזה

Nu, ve-ma yatsa lecha ba-sof mi-ze? – So, what did you gain from it at the end? – נו, ומה יצא לך בסוף מזה

Ma yatsa ba-sof im X – What happened to X at the end? – מה יצא בסוף עם מישהו

Kama yatsa ba-sof? / Kama yatsa? – How much did it come out at the end? – כמה יצא / כמה יצא בסוף

Kama kama? – What's the score? – כמה כמה

Ma Yatsata alay? – Why are you attacking me? – מה יצאת עליי

Playlist and Clips:

Yatsata Tsadik TV Show

Noam Yakobson – Yatsata be-zol (lyrics)

Yoav Yitshak – Ma Yatsa Lecha Mi-ze (lyrics)

Ha-dorbanim – Yatsanu Lirkod (lyrics)

Ep. no. 26 about 'can you?'

It's not always easy to be "different" – שונה – but Guy tackles this word and its offshoots head-on. He explains how we get "change" and "strange" from the same root, and how to say "it's all the same to me."

Hear the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon

New Words and Expressions:

Shoneh – Different – שונה

Ze shoneh be-ze she… – It's different in that… – זה שונה בזה ש

Be-ma ata shone mimenu – How do you differ from him? – במה אתה שונה ממנו

"Etmol hayit shona" – Yesterday you were different – אתמול היית שונה

"At ha-yom shona" – Today you're different (f.) – את היום שונה

Shinooy, shinooyim – Change, changes – שינוי, שינויים

Shinooyey mezeg ha-avir – The weather changes – שינויי מזג האוויר

Ata yachol lehagid li she-ze lo meshaneh – You can tell me that it doesn't make a difference – אתה יכול להגיד לי שזה לא משנה

Leshanot – To change – לשנות

Lo meshaneh – It doesn't make a difference – לא משנה

Lo mshane li ('lo m'shaneh') – It's ok for me either way – לא משנה לי

Hu kol ha-zman meshaneh et da'ato – He keeps changing his mind – הוא כל הזמן משנה את דעתו

Hi kol ha-zman meshana et ha-taarich shel ha-tisa shela – She keeps changing the date of her flight – היא כל הזמן משנה את תאריך הטיסה שלה

Leshanot (to change) conjugated in the past: Shiniti, shinita, shinit, shina, shinta, shininu, shinitem, shinu – שיניתי, שינית, שינית, שינה, שינתה, שינינו, שיניתם, שינו

Tagid, yeshaneh lecha im zeh yihye etsli? – Say, would it make a difference if we met at my place? – תגיד, ישנה לך אם זה יהיה אצלי

Meshuneh, Meshuna, meshunim, meshunot – Strange, weird – משונה, משונה, משונים, משונות

Yesh lo drachim meshunot – He's got funny ways – יש לו דרכים משונות

Yesh od zman lehishtanot – There's still time to change oneself – יש עוד זמן להשתנות

Min ha-katseh el ha-katseh – From one extreme to the other – מן הקצה אל הקצה

Lehishtanot – To be changed, to go through a change – להשתנות

Hu mamash hishtana – He has really changed – הוא ממש השתנה

Ha-ir hishtanta – The city has changed – העיר השתנתה

Ha-chayim hishtanu – Life has changed – החיים השתנו

Playlist and Clips:

Shimi Tavori – Etmol Hayit Shona (lyrics)

Gabi Shushan – Yalda Ktana (lyrics)

Shlomo Artzi – Shinuyey Mezeg Ha-avir (lyrics)

Dana International – Ani Lo Yechola Bil'adecha (lyrics)

Shlomo Artzi – Af Pa'am Lo Ted'i (lyrics)

Shlomo Artzi – Gever Holech Le-ibud (lyrics)

Gidi Gov – Inyan shel Zman (lyrics)

We're airing pieces of the Skype chat host Guy Sharett had with some of our Patrons in March. In this, "Part 3" of the chat, we hear different ways to say how tired we are in Hebrew, and our Patrons tell us how difficult they think Hebrew is to learn compared to other languages.

If you missed the first two parts, go back and have a listen before continuing with today's show: Part 1; Part 2.

Exclusive Content for Patrons

We're airing pieces of the Skype chat host Guy Sharett had with some of our Patrons in March. In this, "Part 2" of the chat, we hear some small anecdotes from our patrons' daily lives, including start-up secrets and server mishaps, and Guy explains some grammatical points as we go along. If you missed "Part 1," go back and have a listen before continuing with today's show.

Exclusive Content for Patrons