Streetwise Hebrew #144 Master of slang you will 'become'
Repeat the mantra: I will become a fluent Hebrew speaker. But how do we say 'become' in Hebrew? 'Nihya,' which is passive of Hebrew verb 'lihyot,' or 'to be.' TLV1's language Jedi Guy Sharett explains.
New words & expressions:
Pitom nihya kayits – Suddenly it became summer – פתאום נהיה קיץ
Nihya – It has become – נהיה
Ma nihya (niya)? – What's going on? – ?מה נהיה
Shu sar? (Arabic) – What's happened? – شو صار؟
Shu sar ma'ak? (Arabic) – What's happened with you? – شو صار معك؟
Ma nihya im + mishu – What's with + someone – מה נהיה עם + מישהו
Ma nihya?! – What's going on?! – ?!מה נהיה
Tagidi, ma nihya itach – Tell me (f.), what's going on with you – תגידי, מה נהיה איתך
Ma nihya itcha, itach, itchem, itchen – What's with you (m.), you (f.), you (pl. m), you (pl. f) – מה נהיה איתך, איתך, איתכם, איתכן
Ma nihya mimeni? – What has become of me? – ?מה נהיה ממני
Ma nihya ita? – What's with her? – ?מה נהיה איתה
Ma nihya mimena? – What's happened to her? – ?מה נהיה ממנה
Hu nihya me'atsben ba-zman ha-acharon – He has become irritating lately – הוא נהיה מעצבן בזמן האחרון
Hu nihya ben adam – He became a man (mature, adult) – הוא נהיה בן אדם
Hi nihyta isha pitom – She suddenly became a woman – היא נהייתה אישה פתאום
Hem nihyu bnei adam – They became adults – הם נהיו בני אדם
Ma nihyet li lady? – Now you're playing a lady? – ?מה נהיית לי ליידי
Hu nihya li angli alek – He's playing a Brit (as if) – הוא נהיה לי אנגלי עאלק
Tir'i im ze nihya – See if it's ready – תראי אם זה נהיה
Looking for the monologue text? It's available to our patrons at patreon.com/streetwisehebrew.
Playlist and clips: Eran Zur – Kayits (lyrics) Ehab Qawasmi – Shu Sar Or Fairouz – Shu Sar Ofir Cohen – Tagidi Ma Nihya (lyrics) Liran Aviv – Ma Nihya (lyrics) Shotei Ha-nevu'a – Yefehfiya (lyrics)