Streetwise Hebrew #64 Ke'Ilu: You Really Can Use It, Like, Anywhere!
The Hebrew word כאילו is one of the words you'll hear most on the streets of Tel Aviv. It means 'as if,' but lots of Israelis use it in the same way we use 'kinda,' or 'like' in English.
So just ke'ilu stick it ke'ilu anywhere ke'ilu in the sentence! Guy Sharett tells us more…
Hear the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon
New Words and Expressions:
Ke'ilu – As if – כאילו
"Lif'amim niraa ke'ilu kol ma she'ani ose ze lashevet bevatei kafe" – Sometimes it seems as if everything I am doing is to sit in cafes – לפעמים נראה כאילו כל מה שאני עושה, זה לשבת בבתי קפה
"Achshav ani margish ke'ilu lo yode'a kloom"- Just now I feel as if I don't know anything – עכשיו אני מרגיש כאילו לא יודע כלום
Ke'eeloo hacham – It's as if he's smart – כאילו חכם
Ke'ilu, mi hu hoshev shehu? – Like, who does he think he is? – כאילו, מי הוא חושב שהוא
"Ani lo yodaat, keilu, baaretz anachnu kol hazman dofkot mesibot". – I don't know, like, in Israel we're having parties all the time – אני לא יודעת, כאילו, בארץ אנחנו כל הזמן דופקות מסיבות
"Bli ke'ilu vekaze, daber elai baroor" – Don't 'kinda' and 'like' me, speak clearly to me – בלי כאילו וכזה, דבר אליי ברור
"Ke'ilu duh" – Like, duh – כאילו דא
"Ke'ilu ein machar" – Like there's no tomorrow – כאילו אין מחר
Laasot be-keilu – To pretend to do something – לעשות בכאילו
Taase be-keilu – Just pretend – תעשה בכאילו
Bo nesachek be'keilu – Let's play in make-believe – בוא נשחק בכאילו
"Ke'ilu awa" – Like, ouch – כאילו אווא
Awa, ai, aww – Ouch – אווא, איי, אוו
Playlist and Clips:
Ivri Lider – Batei Cafe (lyrics)
Shlomo Artzi – Hi Lo Yoda'at Ma Over Alai (lyrics)
Sarit Hadad – Ke'ilu Kaze (lyrics)
Dana Berger – Ke'ilu Ein Machar (lyrics)
Ep. no. 136 and 347 about double negative in Hebrew