One of the first things we learn to say in a foreign language is “how much does it cost?” But what if we’re the ones who are selling? We have to know how to “charge” as well. Guy helps us get our heads around all these money matters, including how to tell a shopkeeper that we were mistakenly charged for something. Hear the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions: Kama ze ole lanu? – How much does it cost us? – כמה זה עולה לנו Kama ze ole li ba-shura ha-tachtona? – How much does i...
Jul 01, 2025•7 min
Everyone’s talking about הפסקת אש, ceasefire. Let’s get to know the word הפסקה (break) and other words in its family which come from the root פסק. Hear the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions : Hafsakat-esh – Ceasefire – הפסקת אש Hafsaka – Break, stop, halting – הפסקה “Maga’im intensiviyim lehafsakat esh, ach ha-esh lo poseket” – There are intensive talks for a ceasefire, but the fire won’t stop – מגעים אינטנסיביים להפסקת אש, אך האש לא פוסקת Hafsakat esh humanitarit – Humanit...
Jun 24, 2025•6 min
The word זול means cheap and is used in spoken Hebrew in all kinds of interesting ways. For example, what’s זיל הזול? Guy explains. Hear the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions: Zol – Cheap – זול Periferia – Periphery, places outside the big cities – פריפריה Yoker ha-mihya – Cost of living – יוקר המחיה “Ad achshav ha-amira hayta ke’ilu, lechu la-periferia, ba-periferia zol, az hine halachnu laperiferia, ve-pitom po anachnu magi’im lemehirim shel tel aviv.” – Until now everybo...
Jun 17, 2025•9 min•Ep. 439
“I don’t know” is one of the most important things you need to know how to say in any language. Guy explains how to say to someone that you don’t have a clue in Hebrew, and even suggests what you should do with your shoulders and bottom lip while saying it. Hear the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions: Ani lo yode’a / yoda’at – I don’t know – אני לא יודע / אני לא יודעת “Lo yode’a, slicha” – Sorry, I don’t know – לא יודע, סליחה Ani mamash lo yode’a/yoda’at – I really don’t kno...
Jun 10, 2025•8 min
When and how do you properly use the Hebrew root בצע? And where might we hear the phrase, רוצה לשמוע על המבצעים שלנו? Hear the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions: Mivtsa – Military operation – מבצע Mivtsa be-hanuyot – Sale – מבצע בחנויות Ha-mivtsa shel ha-medina – The best sale in the country – המבצע של המדינה Rotse lishmo’a al ha-mivtsaim shelanu?’ – Do you want to hear about our special sales? – רוצה לשמוע על המבצעים שלנו Bitsoo’a – Implementation, execution, carrying out;...
May 13, 2025•7 min•Ep. 438
The word רועד means shivering, shaking, and in this episode Guy explains its meaning and usage. Along the way we learn to say earthquake, and vibrato. Hear the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions: Roed – Trembling, shivering – רועד Kshe-tsiltsalt ra’ad kolech – When you called your voice trembled – כשצלצלת רעד קולך Ha-kol shelach ra’ad – Your voice was trembling – הקול שלך רעד Lir’od me-rov hitragshoot – To tremble out of excitement – לרעוד מרוב התרגשות Roed mi-pahad – Trembl...
Apr 15, 2025•8 min•Ep. 437
The Hebrew word רעל means poison. Its root provides us with interesting words related to the military and to bosses, some of whom make our work environments toxic. Hear the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions: Ra’al – Poison – רעל Re’alim – Poisons – רעלים Ra’al neged achbarim – Mouse poison – רעל נגד עכברים Ra’al neged chuldot – Poison against rats – רעל נגד חולדות Nikuy re’alim – Detoxification – ניקוי רעלים Sadnat nikuy re’alim – Detox workshop – סדנת ניקוי רעלים Raalan – ...
Mar 25, 2025•9 min•Ep. 436
The Hebrew word אירוע means an event, most often a happy event, like a wedding or bar/bat mitzvah. But its usage has changed lately. Guy explains. Hear the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions: Eru’ah yeri – Shooting – אירוע ירי Eru’ah dkira – Stabbing – אירוע דקירה Eru’ah mitgalgel – Developing event – אירוע מתגלגל “Yesh li eru’ah” – I have an event (wedding, bar/bat mitzvah) – יש לי אירוע “Slicha, atem osim eru’im?”- Do you do events? – סליחה, אתם עושים אירועים “Wai, yesh li...
Mar 11, 2025•10 min•Ep. 435
The Hebrew word פרסס is what you’d use in a sentence to ask a driver to make a U-turn. But what does it mean in slang? Guy explains. Hear the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions: Pniya, pniyot – Turn, turns – פנייה, פניות Pniya yamina/smola – Right/left turn – פנייה ימינה/שמאלה Pniyat parsa – U-turn – פניית פרסה “Ata yachol la’asot po parsa vaksha?” – Could you please make a u-turn here? – אתה יכול לעשות פה פרסה (ב)בקשה Ve-ein eich lefarses – There’s no way to make a u-turn –...
Feb 18, 2025•10 min•Ep. 434
The Hebrew word לפנות means to turn, like to turn right or left. But we use לפנות for other things as well, like when we need to contact our municipality or to tell someone to stop texting us. Hear the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions: Lifnot – To turn – לפנות Pné – Turn (Imp., m.) – פנה Pni – Turn (Imp. f.) – פני Pné/pni yamina – Turn right – פנה/פני ימינה Pnu le-rofe ha-mishpacha shelachem – Contact your family doctor – פנו לרופא המשפחה שלכם Pnu le- – Turn to someone – פ...
Feb 04, 2025•10 min•Ep. 433
The Hebrew word הפתעה means “surprise.” Don’t be surprised if by the end of this episode you’ll know several uses of הפתעה to impress your Israeli friends. Oh, and everybody knows what a ביצת הפתעה is, right? Hear the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions: Hafta’ah – Surprise – הפתעה Mesibat hafta’ah – Surprise party – מסיבת הפתעה Yesh li haftaah bishvilcha/bishvilech – I have a surprise for you – יש לי הפתעה בשבילך Hafta’at ha-me’ah – The surprise of the century – הפתעת המאה H...
Dec 03, 2024•9 min•Ep. 432
From antique cars to very slow, local buses, Guy picks up where we left off in the last episode and explains additional בניינים from the root אספ. Hear the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions: Asfanoot – Collecting (a collection) – אספנות Rechev asfanoot – Antique car – רכב אספנות Richvei asfanoot – Antique cars – רכבי אספנות Hit’asafnoo kan ha-erev – We gathered here tonight – התאספנו כאן הערב “anashim matchilim lehitasef ba-kikar” – People are starting to gather by the squa...
Oct 22, 2024•7 min•Ep. 431
The Hebrew word לאסוף is to collect, to gather. We use this verb in supermarkets, airports, and when we talk about people with unique collections. Hear the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions: Esof – Collect, gather (Imp.) – אֱסוף “Esof et ha-ma’asim” – Collect the deeds – אֱסוף את המעשים Asif – Harvest – אסיף Le’esof kesef – To collect money – לאסוף כסף Anachnu osfim kesef kedei liknot la matana – We collect money in order to buy her a gift – אנחנו אוספים כסף כדי לקנות לה מת...
Oct 15, 2024•11 min•Ep. 430
What’s the right way to pack a suitcase and what should you say to airport security when asked about your packed bags? From the root ארז we get the Hebrew words for packaging, gift boxes and more. Guy explains. Hear the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions: Hu araz – He packed – הוא ארז Arazta/arazt levad – Have you packed it yourself? – ארזת לבד “Ve-laanot shuv va-shuv et otan tshuvot” – And answer the same questions again and again – ולענות שוב ושוב את אותן התשובות “Orezet e...
Sep 17, 2024•11 min•Ep. 429
How do you watch your favorite television series? And what genre do you like most? Guy explains all things TV series in Hebrew, and what verbs go along with them. Hear the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions: Sidra – Series – סדרה Sidrat televizya – A TV series – סדרת טלוויזיה Sidrat ha-televizya – The TV series – סדרת הטלוויזיה Sidra shel eru’im – Series of events – סדרת אירועים Sidrat mikrei pesha – Series of crimes – סדרת מקרי פשע Sidrat sadna’ot – Series of workshops – סד...
Sep 10, 2024•8 min•Ep. 428
The Hebrew word יוזמה means initiative. We also use יוזמה when talking about new educational or social projects. Using the verb ליזום, we Israelis often give unsolicited advice to family, friends, and even passersby, telling them to take some initiative in their life! Hear the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions: Yozma – Initiative – יוזמה Ein lo yozma, hu hasar yozma – He lacks initiative – אין לו יוזמה, הוא חסר יוזמה Ein la yozma, hi hasrat yozma – She lacks initiative – אי...
Sep 03, 2024•7 min•Ep. 427
The Paris 2024 Olympics are here! What Hebrew words and phrases must we know in order to understand the broadcasts and fully enjoy the games? The hardest of them might just be טניס שולחן. Stam! Hear the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions: Ha-mischakim ha-olimpyiim – The olympic games – המשחקים האולימפיים Ha-olimpiada – The Olympics – האולימפיאדה Atem ro’eem ta-olimpiada? – Do you watch the olympics? – אתם רואים ת’אולימפיאדה Agav – By the way – אגב Tacharut, tacharuyot – Comp...
Jul 30, 2024•8 min•Ep. 426
The Hebrew word מתווך means a real estate agent. Some people really really dislike מתווכים. Let’s learn why. Hear the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions: Metavech (dirot) – Real estate agent – מתווך Metavech – Mediator, middleman – מתווך Ha-metavech ba-sichot – The mediator in the talks – המתווך בשיחות “Halo halo halo, ani lo metavech beynechem” – Hey, I am not mediating between you guys – הלו, הלו, הלו, אני לא מתווך ביניכם “Metavchim ze am” – Real estate agents are a specif...
Jul 23, 2024•9 min•Ep. 425
Imagine this: You are walking your dog in the ‘Viv and, out of nowhere, someone comes up to you, clearly wanting to speak about something important. Their lips are moving. They are saying something. What are they likely to say to a dog owner like you? Hear the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions: Zachar o nekava? – Is it male or female? – זכר או נקבה Ben kama hu / bat kama hi? – How old is he/she? – בן כמה הוא, בת כמה היא Hi bat arba / Hu ben arba – She/He is four years old –...
Jul 09, 2024•7 min•Ep. 424
You’re eyeing the cheddar cheese at a Tel Avivi deli. Now comes the big question: How do you ask the seller to give you 100 grams of it in Hebrew? Hear the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions: Lishkol – To weigh – לשקול Ani shokel / shokelet 63 kilo – I weigh 63kg – אני שוקל / שוקלת 63 ק”ג Ani shokel/shokelet et ha’optsiot sheli – I am weighing my options – אני שוקל / שוקלת את האופציות שלי Shakalti – I weighed – שקלתי Kama ata shokel, kama at shokelet? – How much do you weigh...
Jun 25, 2024•9 min•Ep. 423
The Hebrew word משקל means both weight and the device we use to measure weight, a scale. Whoa! That complicates things. How do we utilize this word in all its possible uses? Guy explains. Hear the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions: Mishkal – Weight, scale – משקל Shomrei mishkal – Weight Watchers – שומרי משקל Odef mishkal / mishkal yeter – Excess weight, overweight – עודף משקל / משקל יתר Mishkal odef – Overweight (suitcase) – משקל עודף Horadat mishkal / yerida ba-mishkal – W...
Jun 18, 2024•8 min•Ep. 422
How do we respond when someone thanks us in Hebrew? What are the equivalents of, ‘you’re welcome’, ‘don’t mention it’ and ‘it’s nothing’? Guy explains. Hear the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions: Al lo davar – You’re welcome – על לא דבר En be’ad ma, en al ma – You’re welcome – אין בעד מה Bevakasha – Please / here you are / you’re welcome – בבקשה Ein be’aya – No problem – אין בעיה Tafsik, dai / tafsiki, dai – Stop it, enough – תפסיק/תפסיקי, די Higzamta / higzamt / higzamtem ...
Jun 11, 2024•7 min•Ep. 421
The words stinky, smelly, and stench , exist in all languages. But in Hebrew these words can also be used as slurs. And while you absolutely should not use them in such manner, you do need to know their use. Hear the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions: Masri’ach – Stinky, smelly – מסריח Sirachon – Stench – סירחון Eize sirachon – What a foul smell – איזה סירחון Ptsatsat sirachon – Stink bomb – פצצת סירחון Gvinot masrichot – Smelly cheeses – גבינות מסריחות “Russiya masricha, t...
Jun 04, 2024•9 min•Ep. 420
From face and voice recognition, to identifying with a character from a book, for these and others linguistic uses we utilize the Hebrew root זהה. And how do we say, “Shazam, can you recognize this song?” Guy explains. Hear the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions: Zihuy panim – Face recognition – זיהוי פנים Zihuy plili – Forensics – זיהוי פלילי Mazap, Ma’abada le-zihuy plili – Forensics lab – מעבדה לזיהוי פלילי Mazapnikim – The forensics guys – מז”פניקים Zihuy koli – Voice re...
Apr 30, 2024•11 min•Ep. 419
The Hebrew word זהות means identity. It’s a word we Israelis use many times throughout the day, like any time we call customer service in Israel. Any guesses as to why? Hear the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions: Zehut – Identity – זהות “Zehut achat la-boker, achat la-laila” – One identity for the morning, one for the night – זהות אחת לבוקר, אחת ללילה Teudat zehut – ID – תעודת זהות, ת.ז Teudat zehut biometrit hachama – A smart biometric identity card – תעודת זהות ביומטרית ח...
Apr 16, 2024•13 min•Ep. 418
It happens to all of us: we have a task to accomplish and we promise ourselves to do it right after this one last thing. So how did an entire week pass by so quickly and yet we’re staring at an even longer to-do list? Let’s talk about procrastination in Hebrew. Hear the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions: Dachyanoot – Procrastination – דחיינוּת Dachyan, dachyanit – Procrastinator – דחיין, דחיינית “Ha-yom ulai nidche et bo ha-laila” – Today we might postpone the arrival of th...
Apr 09, 2024•9 min•Ep. 417
The Hebrew words להתיישב and לשבת are both translated as ‘to sit down’, but they are not used in the same manner. And how are these words related to the West Bank? Guy explains. Hear the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions: “Bo maher, hayeshiva kvar hitchila” – Come quick, the meeting has already started – בוא מהר, הישיבה כבר התחילה Lehityashev – To sit down – להתיישב Hu yashav be-bet cafe – He sat in a cafe – הוא ישב בבית קפה Hu hityashev leyadi – He just sat down next to me...
Mar 19, 2024•11 min•Ep. 416
The word לשבת means to sit, and there’s a plethora of uses for this verb in Hebrew. We’ll be talking about jails and cafes, dog trainers, Ottoman Jews, and restaurant hosts, all in the same episode! Hear the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions: Yoshev – Sitting – יושב Yoshev al ha-gader – Sitting on the fence – יושב על הגדר Yoshev alai bool – It fits me perfectly – יושב עליי בול Ze yoshev aleicha/alayich bool – It fits you perfectly – יושב עליך/עלייך בול Eich ze yoshev alai? ...
Mar 12, 2024•12 min•Ep. 415
The Hebrew word ארץ means land/country. But it changes when we add prepositions to it. It’s also an important word if you are training your dog to lie on the floor. Guy explains. Hear the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions: Eretz – Land, country – ארץ Eretz Israel – The land of israel – ארץ ישראל Be-khol ha-aretz – All over the country – בכל הארץ Kadur ha-aretz – The earth, the globe – כדור הארץ, כדה”א Shatu’ah – Flat – שטוחַ Boor ve-am ha-aretz – Ignorant – בור ועם הארץ Mel...
Mar 05, 2024•12 min•Ep. 414
So you’ve learned some Hebrew verbs and nouns, but now you’re not sure how to properly address your 80 year old neighbor. Ma’am? גברתי? Mrs. Cohen? גברת כהן? Or is it fine to just use her first name? Hear the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions: Adoni ha-shofet / Kvodo – Your honor (m.) – אדוני השופט / כבודו Gvirti ha-shofetet / kvoda – Your honor (f.) – גברתי השופטת / כבודה Adoni – Sir – אדוני Gvirti – Ma’am – גברתי Mar Cohen – Mr. Cohen – מר כהן Gveret Cohen – Ms. Cohen – ג...
Feb 13, 2024•10 min•Ep. 413
