I could be fired for this! (Updated and with new words)
Mar 25 '01 (Updated Mar 31 '01)
The Bottom Line Make sure you check a Jewish calendar for holidays before you make a short visit to Israel or you may end up with many days of nothing open.
In the Israeli public school system, when teaching English or French or any language which uses a different alphabet system, one thing for which a teacher can be fired on the spot is transliterating from one language to another. To write the English word "red" with the sound representations in Hebrew letters is not allowed.
But I figure that: 1) I'm an English teacher so they can't come after me for the way I teach Hebrew. 2) My boss makes me check her email because she hates computers. I should be safe. Since I feel secure about this, I feel free to offer you a short glossary or transliterated Hebrew phrases.
Hebrew is at the same time one of the most ancient and one of the most modern languages spoken in today's world. It fell into disuse as a spoken language when the second Temple was destroyed in 70 C.E. and the Jews entered into the era of the Diaspora. However, the language continued to be used for religious purposes. It was re-established as a modern living language in Israel. It is the official language of more than two-million people. Hebrew is, therefore, one of the oldest and the youngest spoken languages in use today.
Here are some Hebrew phrases you might find useful if you come to Israel.
I've tried to spell them with words that sound like the syllables of the phrases here. Wherever I have used a "ch" it represents a "hard-h" which is slightly gutteral. If you can't manage it, treat it as a regular "h" sound.
Hebrew has different forms depending on the gender and number of people to whom you are working. I have not given different forms here for number, but I have where it is important for gender. If you want to use this list, only talk to one person at a time.
Basic Phrases for Meeting and Greeting
Shalom - This is a great all purpose greeting. It works for hello or goodbye.
bow-care tóe-v good morning
air-ev tóe-v good evening.
ma shloam cha - How are you? when speaking to a man.
ma shloam may-ach? - How are you? when speaking to a woman.
Ma cha-dahsh?- What's new?
toe-dah - thank you
toe-dah rah-bah - Thanks a lot, thank you very much.
Na-eem may-ode - Pleased to meet you.
Be-vah-keh-shah - Please.
L'Heat-rah-oat - See you later.
Getting Help In English
Aht m'dah bare-it ahn-gleet? Do you speak English? to a woman
Ah-tah m'dah bare ahn-gleet? Do you speak English? to a man
Ah-knee low m'dah bare eve-reet. I don't speak Hebrew. if you're a man
Ah knee low m'dah bare-it eve-reet. I don't speak Hebrew. if you're a woman.
Other Everyday Expressions
ken - yes
low - no
toe-v - good
low toe-v - bad
na-hone - right/correct
low na-hone - incorrect
B'em-et? - really? literally In truth?
mah-zeh? What's this?
mah-zeh b'eve-reet? - What's this in Hebrew?
Ay-foe ....? Where is....?
calm-a oh-leh zay? How much is this?
chesh-bone - a bill.
ye-mina - right (direction)
pe-nay ye-mina - turn right
smo-lah - left
pe-nay smo-lah - turn left
slee-cha - excuse me. (This is used when passing in front of someone, when pushing ahead of or by someone, when stepping over to get to a seat, etc.)
Ah- doe-n - Mr. (ah-doe-n Schwartz = Mr. Schwartz)
Ah - Doe-knee - Sir (when addressing someone without using a name such as when trying to get the attention of a stranger on a bus.)
g'vair-it - Miss/Mrs. (when said with a name. g'vair-it Schwartz = Mrs. Schwartz.)
g'vair-tee - Ma'am (when addressing someone without using a name, when addressing a stranger on the bus.)
reh-gah - wait! (a command) You will often see this said as someone puts their thumb together with their first two fingers.
La-bree-oat - to your health (used when someone sneezes or by shop keepers when you purchase food to eat right away.)
Bah-ruch ha-shem - "bless the name" Thank G-d. (Used mostly by Jews. Very common in Jerusalem, less common in Tel Aviv.)
Foods
Felafel - balls made of fried garbonzo beans.
Hummus - either garbanzo beans or the sauce made from them
tehina - sesame seed sauce
pee-tah - pocket bread
le-chem - bread
chahl-vah - milk
tay - tea
kah-fay - coffee
g'vee-nah - cheese
bah-sar - beef
oaf - chicken
sah-laht - salad
toast - can be either toast or a toasted sandwich.
Toast g'vee-nah - cheese toast. Sometimes a grilled cheese sandwich, but more often a sandwich with cheese and other fillings cooked in a press.
Bay-gull-ah - a bagel shaped bread, but not what you probably know as a bagel
new-tel-lah - a chocolate/hazelnut spread. very yummy. This is a brand name though there are several varieties available.
show-koe - chocolate milk
show-koe chahm - hot chocolate
yi-yin ah-dome - red wine
yi-yin lah-vahn - white wine
A few other words - just because...
gah-meesh - flexible. When in Israel, it is important to be gahmeesh...to go with the flow.
ball-eh-gon - a mess. The traffic in Tel Aviv can be described as a ball-eh-gon.
kacha-kacha - so-so. How are you feeling? Not good, not bad...kacha-kacha.
b'say-dur - okay/alright (literally "in order")
kohl b'say-dur - everything's okay. (literally "all in order")
sim-choe-neet - vegetarian. If you are a sim-choe-neet, you can eat felafel, but not schwarma. I only learned this word after being served a plate of chicken livers by a new friend who didn't know that "ah-nee sim-choe-neet".
Some words change meaning depending on context. For example Be-vah-ke-shah means "please," or "it's okay/alright," or "go ahead," or "you go first," or "you are welcome." I hope this is helpful.
Street signs in Israel are almost all in both Hebrew and English which makes getting around easier. Many people do speak English, especially in the areas visited by tourists.
I hope this makes your visit to Israel easier, and if you're someone I've met on line, I hope to have a chance to meet you when you visit here in real life.
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
naphtalia
|
 in Restaurants & Gourmet |
 - Top 100 |
|
Location: Somewhere in Southern California for Now
Reviews written: 1574
Trusted by: 450 members
About Me:
Just cause you got the monkey off your back doesn't mean the_circus has left town.
|
|
|
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.