Can you keep a secret? You will not believe what I heard. Well, it’s really no secret, but if you did have one, how would you express that? Let’s start with a rumor that has been going around and you want to know if it’s true…
שְׁמוּעוֹת אוֹמְרוֹת שְׁאתה לומד עברית – Rumor has it that you’re learning Hebrew
שְׁמוּעָה – rumor (literally “rumors”)
אוֹמְרוֹת – says
שְׁ – that (used as a conjunction)
Yes, it’s true, you are learning Hebrew. So …
כן, אני לומד עברית, אַל תְּסַפֵּר לְאַף אֶחָד.Yes, I’m learning Hebrew, don’t tell anyone.
אַל – Don’t; at, to
תְּסַפֵּר – tell (masculine form from the verb לְסַפֵּר)
תְּסַפֵּרִי – tell (feminine form from the verb לְסַפֵּר)
לְאַף אֶחָד – no one
זֶה לְגַמְרֵי בֵּינִי לְבֵינְךָ – This is strictly between you and me.
לְגַמְרֵי – completely, totally
בֵּינִי – between ; amongst
בֵּינִי לְבֵינְךָ – between you and me (you may also hear בֵּינֵינוּ)
Other ways to talk about rumors and secrets
אַתָּה לְעוֹלָם לוֹא תַּאֲמִין מַה… – You’ll never believe what…
אַתְּ לְעוֹלָם לוֹא תַּאֲמִינִי מַה… – You’ll never believe what…
שָׁמַעְתָּ על…? – Did you hear about…?
שָׁמַעְתְּ על…? – Did you hear about…?
צִיפּוֹר קְטַנָּה לָחֲשָׁה לִי שֽׁ… – A little bird told me that….
Maybe a rumor is not true?
מַה אַתָּה אוֹמֵר! – I don’t believe it!
אֲנִי לֹא מַאֲמִין! – I don’t believe it!
There’s a shorter way to say you don’t believe what is being told to you:
בְּחַיֶּיךָ – You don’t say! / I don’t believe it! (to a male)
בְּחַיַּיִךְ – You don’t say! / I don’t believe it! (to a female)
But if you still swear it’s true:
בְּחַיַיִ – I swear to you!, on my life!
