The Hebrew word גדול, ‘big,’ and its root, g.d.l, have made a huge career in written and spoken Hebrew. Let’s meet the family today; from mustaches and fast food chains, to towers and plastic surgery. Hear the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon Ne

#33 The Evil Eye (Rerun)

12 days ago 6m 42s

The Hebrew word עין means eye. How do we say it in plural? What is עין הרע? And how do we say ‘The apple of my eye’ in Hebrew? Hear the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions: Ayin – Eye – עין Einayim – Eyes – עיניים “Al tich

#61 Addicted to Acronyms (Rerun)

26 days ago 9m 49s

We love using ראשי תיבות - acronyms - in modern Hebrew. We take the initials and between the last two letters we add inverted commas (two apostrophes) to show that it's an acronym rather than an ordinary word. Guy explains that the transformati

#41 Atsor! (Rerun)

Dec 17th, 2024 6m 1s

Sometimes you need to ask a driver, or anyone really, “Could you stop here, please?” Today we’ll learn how to say it in Hebrew, and we’ll also find out what it has to do with bowel movements. Hear the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words a

#43 How to Dump Someone in Hebrew (Rerun)

Dec 10th, 2024 6m 44s

Lizrok means ‘to throw’ in Hebrew, but how is it used in relationship lingo? Oh, and who is the most famous ‘Varda’ in Israel? Hear the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions: “Ve-chamesh shanim itach zarakti la-pach” – And f

Surprise!

Dec 3rd, 2024 8m 58s

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 Patr

#6 Ata or At? (Rerun)

Nov 19th, 2024 5m 54s

In Hebrew, the default form is the masculine form. But what happens when a navigation application speaks to women as if they were guys? Hear the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions: Maslul – Route – מסלול Ya’ad – Destinati

#35 Why? What Happened? (Rerun)

Nov 5th, 2024 5m 50s

The Hebrew phrase, למה מה קרה, can be literally translated as, “why, what happened.” What do we mean by this expression and how do you use it? Hear the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions: Ze koreh – It’s happening – זה

#82 Is It Worth It? (Rerun)

Oct 29th, 2024 8m 3s

Israelis love tips and recommendations in order to speed up their decision making. So it’s no surprise that the word כדאי – ‘it’s worth it’ – is so popular in everyday use. How do we tell our friends they should totally check out a certain bar?

Antique Cars and Stamp Collections

Oct 22nd, 2024 6m 34s

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 coll

Doll Collector

Oct 15th, 2024 10m 51s

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.)

#99 Shoulda Coulda Woulda (Rerun)

Sep 24th, 2024 8m 51s

Hebrew has this interesting structure: Verb “haya” (past tense of “to be”) plus a conjugated verb in the present, like “hayiti holech.” It can mean several different things, and host Guy Sharett teaches us all of them, including some conditiona

Are You All Packed?

Sep 17th, 2024 11m 7s

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 Pa

A Strange Series of Events

Sep 10th, 2024 7m 33s

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 – Serie

Take Some Initiative!

Sep 3rd, 2024 7m 1s

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 i

#81 You’re Suddenly Learning Hebrew? No Way! (Rerun)

Aug 27th, 2024 7m 49s

What do Israelis mean when they say “ma pit’om”? What about just “pit’om,” all by itself? We hear it all the time in spoken Hebrew, and Guy will explain it all. Hear the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions: Pit’om -Suddenl

#77 Election Finger-Pointing (Rerun)

Aug 20th, 2024 7m 56s

There's lots of talk about looming elections, so today we’ll talk about voting in Hebrew. Guy also explains how it’s connected to the word for finger - אצבע. Hear the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions: Lehatsbi’a – To vo

#71 Fine-Tune Your Hebrew With “Be’Etsem” (Rerun)

Aug 13th, 2024 6m 58s

Be’etsem, which means ‘actually,’ is comprised of preposition ‘be’ -בְּ plus the word etsem, which is an ‘object,’ ‘essence,’ or ‘gist’… but also a ‘bone.’ What? Guy Sharett explains all. And what is, be’etsem, the difference between small talk

#94 Please Press Pound. You’re on Ma’ane Koli (Rerun)

Aug 6th, 2024 6m 39s

How many times have you called a company or a bank and had to deal with מענה קולי, an automated answering service? Today we’ll learn words and phrases you’ll be hearing while waiting on the telephone line, plus a tip how to quickly reach a real

The Olympics Are Here!

Jul 30th, 2024 7m 39s

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

Are You a Real Estate Agent?

Jul 23rd, 2024 8m 36s

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, m

#13 Kombina (Rerun)

Jul 16th, 2024 5m 54s

Kombina is one of the most salient features of Israeli society. In order to survive in this country, one needs to fend for oneself, using all possible means: Contacts, resourcefulness and creative ideas. Some Israelis say we are even ‘Medinat K

Can I Pet Your Dog?

Jul 9th, 2024 7m 28s

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 li

#31 Train (Rerun)

Jul 2nd, 2024 6m 40s

Let’s talk about trains in Hebrew. What’s the root of רכבת, and how is it related to horse riding? Also, what do we call the Jerusalem Light rail in Hebrew and in Arabic? Hear the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon New Words and Expressions: Rakev

Weighing Your Options

Jun 25th, 2024 8m 30s

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 An