Lesson 20 - The Soccer Game

Hebrew Lesson Number 20:

The Soccer Game

One of the things Eran likes most is watching sports, especially soccer. Let's join him for this Hebrew lesson, as he spends some wonderful time at the stadium, watching the game between Israel and Brazil.

It seems that Liat spotted Eran this week tooling around town on his o-fa-no-a.  He couldn’t have been the one with his face painted blue and white and draped in an Israeli flag . . . could he??

Well . . . he might just have been.  It turns out that Eran is passionate about more than just the “cheese cream rule.”  He is also the ultimate soccer fan!  As Eran tells us his story about going to the big game against Brazil, we’ll have the opportunity to learn all about the sport of soccer in Israel . . . and lots of Hebrew as well!

Did you know, for example, that the Hebrew word for “soccer” is actually a combination of two words that together translate to “football”?  So if, in Hebrew, football is soccer . . . what do we call (American) football?  And what is everyone’s favorite thing to eat while at the game?  garinim, of course!  But what on earth are garinim?

We’ll also continue our exploration of the pa-al past tense and noticed some interesting patterns that make the past tense in Hebrew much easier than you might think.  Whew!

Learn Hebrew Pod - Lesson No. 20

Team Conversation from the Lesson:

Eran, Liat and Jonathan

Our Hebrew Teachers

Jonathan: ma shlomech Liat? How was your week? - eych ha-ya ha-shavu-a shelach?

Liat: hi Eran, shalom Yonatan! Thanks for asking - toda she-sha-al-ta.  It's been a very busy week - sha-vu-a me-od amus. We just started shooting 'Hamakom' – 'The Venue', which is an Israeli Television series on which I'm playing. It's a lot of work, getting up very early, spending a lot of time on the set, and always being very focused. But… I love it very much - ani me-od o-hevet et ze! Still, as you and Eran said last week, I'm very happy it's the beginning of the weekend. I can definitely use a few days of rest:))

חתלתול מנמנם

Jonathan: And Eran, what about you? The same day, last week, you seemed very tired…today…you look different, happy, content and energetic. As if you were taking a day off to recharge:)

Eran: a-halan Yonatan, shalom Liat! Oh…I wish I had the option of taking a day off and maybe going le-chof ha-yam - to the beach, like Liat did ba-shavu-a she-avar - last week. Unfortunately, as with Liat, my week has been very hectic…

Jonathan: Still, you look as if you have had a really good time…and knowing you, it probably has something to do with sports, right? - nachon? You are a very enthusiastic soccer fan…

Liat: ken ken Yonatan, I think you're right. Eran, didn't I see you on the street this week, riding your motorcycle, all dressed up in Blue and White?

Jonathan: In Hebrew, Blue is kachol and White is lavan, kachol ve-lavan, these are the colors of the Israeli flag…..Oh ...I know, you went to the big soccer game. That's why you're so happy and relaxed. You probably had a wonderful time.

Eran: Guys - chevre, you're absolutely right! I also had a very hectic week starting a new production at the theater. But Wednesday - yom revi-i I took the second half of the day off. Joined by my good friend Ido, who's as enthusiastic about sport as I am, I went to watch the soccer game between…

כדורגל בצבעי מדינת ישראל

Liat: Wait Eran - chake Eran, why don't you tell us about your experience in a….Hebrew monologue? ma ata omer Yonatan? - What do you say Jonathan?

Jonathan: ani omer she-ze ra-a-yon mezzu-yan! - I say that this is a wonderful idea!

Eran: Why not. Let me tell you all about it :))

שלשום, אני ועידו הלכנו למשחק כדורגל בין ישראל וברזיל.

The day before yesterday, Ido and I went to a soccer game between Israel and Brazil.

*Subscribe to Learn Hebrew Pod - Speaking or Reading Hebrew courses and listen to the ‘The Soccer Game’ monologue here

Some Grammar from This Lesson:

New Vocabulary and Past Tense

קבוצה של בנים

Liat: Or a group of girls.

קבוצה של בנות

Building Blocks

Eran: odadnu et ha-nivcheret shelanu – we cheered for our national top team. Here, I’m not using the ‘a’ but the ‘o’ sound in the first syllable, not a-dad-nu but o-dad-nu, indicating that I’m NOT in the pa-al building block. I'm actually in the pi-el building block, but this is an irregular Hebrew verb in pi-el, so I suggest…

Jonathan: I know…  that we 'deal' with this verb in one of our future Hebrew lessons. Okay, other than that Liat, you said that all of the other verbs were in pa-al, correct?

Liat: Yes Jonathan. The pa-al building block though, has some irregular conjugations, when the root of the verb is comprised of special letters. The verb 'sharnu' does start with an 'a' sound, but as we can hear, it has a slightly different pattern than the verb 'kavashnu', for example. It is in the pa-al, but…

Jonathan: It needs to be reviewed again in the near future: