Hebrew Language Blog

Hebrew Verbs in Action: Binyan pa’al Posted by Ayana on Feb 18, 2019

Hebrew verbs are composed of roots and verbal stems. The basis of every verb is the root, which is comprised of three letters. The verbal stems – the בּׅנְיָנׅים (bin-ya-nim) – are the patterns that shape the roots into actual words. בִּנְיָן (bin-yan) is a firm structure of prefix, suffix and punctuation, into which the…

Hebrew Grammar: Diseases Posted by Ayana on Feb 4, 2019

The Hebrew language consists of patterns: verbs (called בנינים) and nouns (called משקלים). Those fixed patterns – בניינים and משקלים – form a frame to the numerous Hebrew roots. The prefixes and/or suffixes of the patterns are permanent, and the root just integrated into it. Some of the patterns also attribute meaning to the word.…

The Train to Eilat Posted by Ayana on Jan 21, 2019

Eilat is Israel’s southernmost city, located far away from the country’s main population centers. Situating on the Red Sea shores, Eilat is a popular resort town. The mountainous desert landscape, the beautiful bay, and the summer sun that shines all through the year attract more than 2 million visitors every year. Most of them are…

A Wave of Price Hikes in Israel – Useful Vocabulary Posted by Ayana on Jan 7, 2019

Cost of living = יֹוקֶר הַמִּחְיָה Israel’s high cost of living (יֹוקֶר הַמִּחְיָה) has been a major concern in recent decades. It sparked several large scale protests (מְחָאוֹת) over the years, drove Israelis to leave the country and try their luck abroad, and became a top issue during every government election. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem…

How to Use the Hebrew Word for Bench Posted by Ayana on Dec 17, 2018

Review the vocabulary below and try to read this short Hebrew story. Use the following translation, and if you have any question leave me a comment. Bench (masculine) = סַפְסָל (saf-sal) The bench = הַסַּפְסָל (a-saf-sal) Demonstrative pronouns for bench – זֶה, הוּא This bench = הַסַּפְסָל הַזֶּה That bench = הַסַּפְסָל הַהוּא Benches =…