Free Hebrew lessons – May 2011 – Training – Day 67

Hi,
Ma nishma?

In our previous lesson we learned how to say “please speak slower” in formal and informal ways. We also mentioned the phrase “ma nishma” (what’s new?).

Today we will learn the common questions for “how do you feel?”     
 

Today’s menu: Practice Hebrew – Some common questions

Attention: The underlined letters represent the accent.

In our previous lesson I told you that today we will learn how to ask someone how he/she feels, except for what we already learned “ma nishma?”

When we meet someone, we usually ask him/her about his/her situation.

Let’s see the difference between English and Hebrew:

So, when you meet someone and want to ask him this polite question, it is best to use:

Ma shlom^a for masculine and ma shlome^ for feminine, but what if you want to ask about someone’s else situation, like “how is your mother?”

In lesson 21 we learned to say “mom, father, brother, sister, grandmother” and “grandfather,” and in lesson 26 we learned how to say “daughter” and “son.” You can take the table below as a semi refresher for those relatives, and also to learn how to ask the right question.

In these cases, the first two words will be “Ma shlom…” – look at the table below:

* Even though “son” is “ben” and “daughter” is “bat,” we have to add the “the” (the “ha” letter) before the words “ben” and “bat” because they need a “definite article.” We learned about the “definite article” in lesson 7.

Although number of today’s lesson is “67,” the most important number this week is “63.”  Why?  Because, two days ago Israel celebrated its 63rd(!!) Independence Day (Yom Ha’atsmaut). 

I wasn’t around yet on our first Independence Day in 1948, but in my lifetime I have seen Israel grow from a tiny, almost friendless country struggling for survival every day, into a strong, independent democratic country that is a shining example of what can be accomplished with hard work, perservance, and God.  I hope you will join me in this joyous celebration of freedom.

Lehitraot in lesson 68…  ;-)

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Free Hebrew lessons – May 2011 – Training – Day 66

Shalom,
Ma nishma?

In our previous lesson we learned more about adjectives. We learned about “heavy” and “light” (kaved ve’kal), “beautiful” and “ugly” (yafe ve’me^oar) and also about “long” and “short” (aro^ ve’katsar).

Let’s see what we have today…     
 

Today’s menu: Practice Hebrew

Attention: The underlined letters represent the accent.

Before we start the lesson, last week I promised to teach you how to say “please speak slower,” because sometimes it’s necessary when you speak with an Israeli.

I will teach you to say it in two different ways, and my suggestion to you is to remember the second way.

One way to say “please speak slower” is:
   – Bevakasha daber leat when you speak to a man, and
   – Bevakasha dabri leat when you speak to a woman.

The problem with this saying is that it sounds like a command, even though you use the word “bevakasha” (please). That’s because the word “speak” (daber or dabri) is an imperative form.

The other way to say “would you speak slower” is:
   – “Ata mu^an ledaber ktsat yoter leat?” when you speak to a man, and
   – “At mu^ana ledaber ktsat yoter leat?” when you speak to a woman.

Here, it’s more like you are requesting an action, rather than demanding.

I opened this lesson with: “Shalom, ma nishma?”

In lesson 15 I taught you that for “What’s new?” you should ask “ma nishma?”

“Ma nishma?” is not the literal translation for “what’s new?” except for the word “ma” which is “what.”

As we learned in lesson 37, “new” is ^adash (m), or ^adasha (f). On the other hand, “nishma” means “we will hear…”

In this lesson we started to learn some of the subtle distinctions in language; that you can say something using the “right” words, but the meaning is not what you intended.  As always in these lessons, I will teach you the more everyday way to communicate in Hebrew. If you ever have questions, of course I am available through Facebook to address them individually.

I want to keep this lesson short, but next week I will teach you a few more phrases, related to the popular question (what’s new?). Don’t miss it…

Lehitraot in lesson 67…

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Free Hebrew lessons – April 2011 – Training – Day 65

Hi !

I really missed you… 
Last Thursday we didn’t have a lesson, but the holidays are behind us now, so we can continue with our Heblish course.

In our previous lesson we learned about adjectives. We learned about “good” and “bad” (tov ve’ra), “big” and “small” (gadol ve’katan) and also about “happy” and “sad” (samea^ ve’atsuv).

Today we will continue with some new Hebrew adjectives.     
 

Today’s menu: All About Adjectives – Part II.

Attention: The underlined letters represent the accent.

I want to remind you that, although it’s not so important in English, gender is very important in the Hebrew language. In Hebrew a masculine noun requires a masculine adjective, and a feminine noun requires a feminine adjective. 

1)
In English you say heavy.
In Hebrew you should say kaved.

In English you say light.
In Hebrew you should say kal.

* Of course, in English there is another meaning for “light,” but here we are talking about “light” as opposed to “heavy.” 

Example:
   – The rock is heavy – Ha’sela kaved, (rock is masculine)
   – But this little stone is light – Aval ha’even ha’ktana ha’zot, kala. (Stone (even) is feminine, that’s why we must use the feminine form, “ktana,” for “little”).

In our previous lesson, lesson 64, we learned that “small” is “katan” for (m) and ktana for (f). Now you can see that “little” has the same meaning.
 
More words: Rock-sela, but-aval, stone-even.

2)
In English you say beautiful.
In Hebrew you should say yafe. I mentioned this word in lesson 2 and in lesson 19.

In English you say ugly.
In Hebrew you should say me^oar.

Example:
   – The princess is beautiful – Ha’nesi^a yafa,
   – But the witch is ugly – Aval ha’me^ashefa me^oeret.
  
More words: Princess-nesi^a, witch-me^ashefa.

3)
In English you say long.
In Hebrew you should say aro^.

In English you say short.
In Hebrew you should say katsar.

Example:
   – We had a long vacation – Aita lanu ^ufsha aruka. (Vacation, ^ufsha, is feminine)
   – The spring in Israel is short – Ha’aviv be’Israel katsar. (Spring, aviv, is masculine)

 More words: Vacation-^ufsha, spring-aviv.

I really like the way we are fleshing out our Heblish knowledge.  Soon you will be able to carry on a simple conversation with an Israeli. They may smile at your accent, but they will understand what you are saying, and… if they speak slowly, you will be able to understand them! Hey, I need to definitely teach you how to say “please speak slower” in a future lesson, you’ll need that sentence. 

Lehitraot in lesson 66…

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