What happens when there’s a disagreement between us and a service provider about money, arrival time, or about their deadline to finish the work? We check what was agreed upon and point to the facts. Today Guy explains how we do it in Hebrew. As part of our podcast’s 8th birthday celebrations, we are giving all Streetwise Hebrew podcast listeners $50 USD towards Ruben Adery’s full Hebrew pronunciation course. The course consists of 4 modules, 31 high-definition videos, and a bonus vowel audio co...
Dec 07, 2021•12 min•Ep. 352
In Hebrew, עצור means stop!, imperative. When driving in Israel, if you suddenly hear עצור בצד (atsor ba-tsad) blaring from a loudspeaker, you better know what to do. Guy explains. Listen to the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions: Tamrur atsor – Stop sign – תמרור עצור Tamrur – Road sign – תמרור Ktov – Write! (Imp. m.) – כתוב “Atsor ba-tsad” – Pull over to the side – עצור בצד “Volkswagen atsor ba-tsad – Volkswagen, stop on the side – פולקסווגן עצור בצד Atsor li po vaksha’ – P...
Nov 30, 2021•8 min•Ep. 351
In Hebrew, עין הרע means the Evil Eye. There are folks here in Israel who perform ceremonies to get rid of עין הרע. On this episode, Guy explains the word רע (ra), and also discusses nasty gossip and the campaign to rid our society of it. As part of our podcast’s 8th birthday celebrations, we are giving all Streetwise Hebrew podcast listeners $50 USD towards Ruben Adery’s full Hebrew pronunciation course. The course consists of 4 modules, 31 high-definition videos, and a bonus vowel audio course...
Nov 16, 2021•14 min•Ep. 350
The Hebrew word טוב means good. How would we use טוב when speaking to a well-behaving female dog? How about a male dog? The difference, as it turns out, is more than just changing the feminine/masculine form. And how about the saying, ‘for your own good,’ in Hebrew? There’s a lot of goodness in this episode and Guy explains it all. Listen to the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon As part of our podcast’s 8th birthday celebrations, we are giving all Streetwise Hebrew podcast listeners $50 USD towards ...
Nov 02, 2021•12 min•Ep. 349
The Hebrew word אישור can mean to “green light” a new project. So what does a friend request on social media have to do with it? Guy explains. As part of our podcast’s 8th birthday celebrations, we are giving all Streetwise Hebrew podcast listeners $50 USD towards Ruben Adery’s full Hebrew pronunciation course. The course consists of 4 modules, 31 high-definition videos, and a bonus vowel audio course with 400+ common daily practice words. Check out the course material and have the $50 discount ...
Oct 26, 2021•10 min•Ep. 348
Does it make sense to dedicate an entire podcast episode to… nothing? Yes, yes it does! The word כלום, which means “nothing,” often comes in the form of a double negative. Guy explains. As part of our podcast’s 8th birthday celebrations, we are giving all Streetwise Hebrew podcast listeners $50 USD towards Ruben Adery’s full Hebrew pronunciation course. The course consists of 4 modules, 31 high-definition videos, and a bonus vowel audio course with 400+ common daily practice words. Check out the...
Oct 12, 2021•11 min•Ep. 347
Every so often, Israeli tax authorities launch a public campaign targeting tax evaders. So how do we say in Hebrew evaders, evade, evasion, and other goodies from root עלמ in the hif’il verb format? Guy explains. As part of our podcast’s 8th birthday celebrations, we are giving all Streetwise Hebrew podcast listeners $50 USD towards Ruben Adery’s full Hebrew pronunciation course. The course consists of 4 modules, 31 high-definition videos, and a bonus vowel audio course with 400+ common daily pr...
Oct 05, 2021•11 min•Ep. 346
The word נעלם means ‘disappeared’ or ‘is missing.’ In hitpael, the meaning becomes ‘to ignore,’ useful when you need to ignore someone, some thing, or more specifically in our case, dogs. We’ll also cover what to do when you accidentally send someone a text message meant for someone else entirely. As part of our podcast’s 8th birthday celebrations, we are giving all Streetwise Hebrew podcast listeners $50 USD towards Ruben Adery’s full Hebrew pronunciation course. The course consists of 4 module...
Sep 28, 2021•10 min•Ep. 345
The Hebrew word נעלם means ‘disappeared’ or ‘is missing,’ and in order to use it in different contexts, you’ll need to know how to conjugate it. Also, what can science tell us about creating a real cloak of invisibility? Please don’t disappear on us! As part of our podcast’s 8th birthday celebrations, we are giving all Streetwise Hebrew podcast listeners $50 USD towards Ruben Adery’s full Hebrew pronunciation course. The course consists of 4 modules, 31 high-definition videos, and a bonus vowel ...
Sep 21, 2021•11 min•Ep. 344
The Hebrew word נסיעה, which means a ride, drive, or trip, comes in handy in a country like Israel, where it often seems like everyone’s away on a trip or they can’t stop talking about planning their next one. As part of our podcast’s 8th birthday celebrations , we are giving all Streetwise Hebrew podcast listeners $50 USD towards Ruben Adery's full Hebrew pronunciation course. The course consists of 4 modules, 31 high-definition videos, and a bonus vowel audio course with 400+ common daily prac...
Sep 14, 2021•10 min•Ep. 343
Have you been to an inner-child workshop? If not, I think the universe is trying to tell you something. How does the new age lingo of spiritual enlightenment sound in Hebrew? Listen to the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions: Ze lo kara stam’- It didn’t happen just because – זה לא קרה סתם Ruach – Wind, spirit, ghost – רוח Ruchani – Spiritual – רוחני Ruchniki – New agey – רוחניקי Dibur ruchniki – New agey talk – דיבור רוחניקי Ruchnikiyoot – New age-ism – רוחניקיות Ruchnik – Ne...
Aug 24, 2021•10 min•Ep. 342
These days, it seems as if everything is measured by ratings and rankings. Businesses ask us to rate them even before we’ve left their doors. It’s all a bit too much sometimes. So how do we rank something in Hebrew? Guy explains the root דרג which includes within it the Hebrew words for army rank, escalators and the highest echelons. Listen to the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions: Az erkod al madregot ha-rabanut – I’ll dance on the rabbinate stairs – אז ארקוד על מדרגות הרב...
Aug 17, 2021•9 min•Ep. 341
The Hebrew word נוגע means touching and, just like in English, it has both a physical and emotional meaning. The root starts with the letter נ ( nun ), but in certain words based on this root, the נ disappears! Guy explains. Listen to the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions: “Nag’ah ba-shamayim” – She touched the sky – נגעה בשמיים Hu naga – He touched – הוא נגע Hi nag’ah – She touched – היא נגעה “Kashe biladecha” – It’s hard without you – קשה בלעדיך Ki nagata bi – Because I w...
Aug 10, 2021•9 min•Ep. 340
The Hebrew dictionary says that מוצלח means “successful, accomplished.” But as Guy explains, מוצלח has some interesting nuanced uses that you really should discover. Listen to the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions: “Yossi, yeled sheli mutslach” – Yossi, my perfect boy – יוסי, ילד שלי מוצלח Lehatsliach (Hif’il) – To succeed – להצליח Mutslach – Good, excellent, perfect, successful – מוצלח “Eich legadel yeladim mutslachim yoter” – How to raise outstanding children – איך לגדל י...
Jul 27, 2021•8 min•Ep. 339
The Hebrew word להצליח means to succeed , but there’s much more to it than just that. In past tense, we use הצליח to compliment a baker on their delicious cake, the owner of a well-behaved dog and even a parent whose child is an absolute sweetheart. Listen to the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions: Lehatsliach – To succeed in doing something – להצליח “Ya binti tatslichi” – My daughter (Ar.), you’ll make it – יא בנתי תצליחי Tatslichi! Tatsliach! – Good luck – תצליחי, תצליח An...
Jul 20, 2021•9 min•Ep. 338
Nothing pairs better with a hot and humid Israeli summer than מזגן, air conditioning. So what should we say to the taxi driver who's got all the windows rolled down? And why did the air temperature in our trains make such big national headlines? Listen to the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions: Mazgan – Air conditioning – מזגן “Erkondishen” – “air condition” – אייר קונדישן “Efshar mazgan?” – Could you put on the aircon? – אפשר מזגן Ata yachol lasim mazgan ‘vaksha? – Could yo...
Jul 13, 2021•9 min•Ep. 337
What does the phrase תן לו להתבשל (‘ten lo lehitbashel’) mean? As Guy will explain, we can use the verb להתבשל, which means to let something cook, not only when speaking about vegetables, but also about… people! Listen to the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions: “Ke-chol she-tachtechu yoter katan, ze yitbashel yoter maher” – The smaller you cut it, the faster it will cook – ככל שתחתכו יותר קטן, זה יתבשל יותר מהר Marak katom – Orange soup – מרק כתום Ha-yerakot sheli mamash hit...
Jun 29, 2021•10 min•Ep. 336
The Hebrew word בישול means cooking, but it is also used on the football field and in police investigations. Interesting, right? Bonus: A special Israeli-Berliner way to ask for the bill. Listen to the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/posts/52521863 New Words and Expressions: Levashel – To cook – לבשל Ha-yom kulanu nidrashim levashel harbe yoter ba-bayit – Today we all have to cook much more at home – היום כולנו נדרשים לבשל הרבה יותר בבית Ve-be-yichud bishvilchem yatsarnu et...
Jun 22, 2021•9 min•Ep. 335
The Hebrew word העברה ( ha’avara ) means a transfer of something or someone, usually from one place to another. The transfer could involve money, digital files, and even… football players! Listen to the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/streetwisehebrew New Words and Expressions: Ha’avara – Transfer, transferring, removing – העברה Ha’avarat ksafim be-touch – Money transfer with one click – העברת כספים בטאץ’ Haavarot ksafim – Money transfers – העברות כספים Taase / taasi li haa...
Jun 15, 2021•8 min•Ep. 334
The Hebrew word להעביר is a verb we use a lot. It helps us pass our מונית שירות fare to the driver, forward emails to colleagues, transfer money to friends or family, and even nudge our significant other to change the TV channel. Guy explains. Listen to the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions: Monit sherut – Shared taxi – מונית שירות Ata yachol lehaavir vakasha? – Could you please pass it on? – ?את יכול להעביר בבקשה At yechola lehaavir vaksha? – Could you please pass it on? –...
Jun 01, 2021•11 min•Ep. 333
We pick up from where we last left off with the Hebrew root ע.ב.ר. And in this episode, we focus on verbs from binyan paal. Plus, Guy reveals a special mantra to recite when driving through an intersection, just as your traffic light is about to turn red. Listen to the All-Hebrew Version on Patreon New Words and Expressions: “Hi lo yodaat ma over alai” – She doesn’t know what I am going through – היא לא יודעת מה עובר עליי Ma over aleicha/alayich, ha-kol beseder? – What’s going on with you, is ev...
May 25, 2021•11 min•Ep. 332
There is a lot of ground to cover with the Hebrew root ע.ב.ר., so we will dedicate the next few episodes to it. This episode is all about its nouns. We talk about the weather, border crossing, chord transitions, allergies, airport transit, and even cover some history about immigrants from the 1950’s. Listen to the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions: Avar – Past tense – עבר Hu avar – He passed, crossed – הוא עבר Maavar Taba – The Taba Crossing – מעבר טאבה Maavar gvul – Border...
May 18, 2021•10 min•Ep. 331
After the terrible tragedy in Har Meron, public calls to find those responsible, האשמים, grow louder. In order to better understand what’s going on in Israeli media, Guy felt it was necessary to cover the word אשמה and its shoresh אשמ. This episode is all about blame, guilt, charges and allegations. Listen to the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions: “Ani achrai, aval achrayut ein perusha ashma” – I am responsible, but responsibility does not mean blame – אני אחראי, אבל אחריות...
May 04, 2021•9 min•Ep. 330
This episode is all about the location of the stress we place on spoken Hebrew words and names, and what happens when we shift that emphasis around. Guy explains why the way Israelis and Americans say “Mazal Tov” differs so greatly, and how these shifts in stress play out in the spoken language. Listen to the All-Hebrew Version on Patreon New Words and Expressions: Ta’am – Word stress, emphasis – טעם MoSHE – Stressed at the end of the word MOshe – Stressed in the beginning of the word Hat’ama – ...
Apr 27, 2021•11 min•Ep. 329
This is the fourth and final episode dedicated to ק-ד-מ, the root that keeps on giving. How do we say, “right of way,” “unprecedented prices” and the “Pre-Eurovision contest” in Hebrew? Or how about, “I was here before you, lady!”? Listen to the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions: Kadima – Forward, onward – קדימה Zchut kdima – Right of way – זכות קדימה Matan zchut kdima – Giving the right of way – מתן זכות קדימה Kodem – Before – קודם Ani hayiti kodem – I was here first – אני...
Apr 13, 2021•9 min•Ep. 328
Believe it or not, we Israelis aren’t always running late. Some of us even tend to arrive ahead of schedule. Yes, you read that right! In Hebrew, we have a special verb which means to arrive ahead of time . Guy explains. Hear the All-Hebrew Version of this Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions: Lehakdim – To be early, to show up early – להקדים Lif’amim anachnu makdimim – Sometimes we arrive ahead of time – לפעמים אנחנו מקדימים Efshar ulai lehakdim tipa? Ze beseder im ani akdim tipa? – Is ...
Apr 06, 2021•9 min•Ep. 327
“Hey! Check out my Facebook page, and my Twitter, oh, and my TikTok account, and don’t forget my Instagram page.” In Hebrew this is called קידום עצמי, self promotion. On this episode, Guy explains words and phrases related to promotion , all derived from the root ק-ד-מ. Listen to the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions: Kidum – Promotion – קידום Hu kibel kidum, hi kibla kidum – He/She got a promotion – הוא קיבל קידום, היא קיבלה קידום Kidum mechirot – Sales promotion – קידום מ...
Mar 23, 2021•7 min•Ep. 326
There’s a fairly new Hebrew slang term out in the wild which means “move on!” We Israelis say, תתקדם! The root קדמ in the binyan hitpael form will be our focus today, as Guy explains what advanced level courses and a mobile app upgrade have to do with קדמ. Listen to the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions: Mitkadem – Advanced – מתקדם Yoel mesamen she-kedai lehitkadem le’evran – Yoel signals we should start moving towards them – יואל מסמן שכדאי להתקדם לעברן Titkadem, titkadem,...
Mar 16, 2021•9 min•Ep. 325
Everyone’s talking about חיסונים, vaccinations, and so will we! Guy uses this trending topic as another opportunity to review the Hebrew verb format combo we all should know by heart: piel-pual-hitpael. To get your weekly dose, just press play! Listen to the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions: Chisun – Vaccine – חיסון Shtei menot chisun – Two vaccine doses – שתי מנות חיסון Mana – Portion, dose – מנה “Ha-choref chashuv Lechasen et ha-yeladim” – This winter it’s important to v...
Mar 09, 2021•11 min•Ep. 324
There are so many ways to say, “You’ve gotta be kidding me,” in Hebrew. In this episode, we’ll learn a few of them and learn how we write LOL in Hebrew. Listen to the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions: Lits’hok – To laugh – לצחוק Tsochek mi she-tsochek aharon – He who laughs last, laughs best – צוחק מי שצוחק אחרון Al titschak/titschaki alai – Don’t laugh at me – אל תצחק/תצחקי עליי Litshok al mishehu – To laugh at someone – לצחוק על מישהו Ata tsohek alai? – Are you kidding m...
Feb 23, 2021•10 min•Ep. 323
