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Hebrew Lesson Number 4

Nationality and Language



Every year, people from around the globe visit Israel. What is your nationality? What languages do you speak? (We know Hebrew will soon be on the list!)


Welcome to Learn Hebrew Pod 

Fourth Lesson!


Hello and welcome to our fourth special subscribers’ Audio/Visual Hebrew learning sessions. 

During this lesson and throughout our future programs, we will be exploring and deepening our knowledge of the Hebrew language and the uniqueness of its grammar. 

We will provide you with some additional useful and necessary vocabulary, as well as fun exercises.


יונתן שטרנברג

Jonathan Sternberg

Learn Hebrew Pod Founder and Lead Teacher


Both the extra vocabulary and mainly the special attention we are going to put into the grammar aspect of this audio/visual sessions are dedicated and designed for the purpose of enriching our reading and speaking Hebrew skills. 


לימוד מקוון של עברית

Learning Hebrew Online


Our anticipated goal, which we estimate, will be no less than having the ability to conduct a useful & simple Hebrew conversation in three to four months of practice and a much more complex one in less than a year of studies.


Learn Hebrew Pod - Lesson No. 4




Introduction to Lesson 4: 

Welcome to Israel! 

Spend a few days visiting Yerushalayim--Jerusalem.  You’ll be amazed at how many languages you hear:  English, Russian, French, German, Italian, Arabic . . . the list goes on and on.  Oh, and Hebrew, of course!


ירושליים

Jerusalem


Israel is truly an international destination.  Thousands of people come to visit each year.  Some even come to stay!

In today’s Hebrew audio/visual A, B and C lessons, we’ll develop a rich Hebrew vocabulary for talking about nationality and language.  Then you can use the special Around the Globe - misaviv la-olam game on the Learn Hebrew Pod website to extend your knowledge even more.


מסביב לעולם

Around the Globe


So here’s a question . . . How do you ask a question in Hebrew - keyzzad sho-alim she-ela be-Ivrit?  

By the end of this Hebrew audio/visual lesson, you’ll know how!

You’ll also know - atem ted-u -  more about helping verbs in Hebrew--or rather that they seem to be “missing in action.”  

Finally, you’ll develop - atem tefatchu - a strong understanding of all the subjective singular pronouns.  (Ah . . . so that’s why the kids come home from Hebrew school saying hu is he and hi is she!)



So stick with us at Learn Hebrew Pod and come to visit us soon in Israel.  

Tell us where you’re from and what languages you speak - eyzo safa atem medabrim.  

When we ask you, “ata medaber ivrit?” the answer is sure to be YES!





Some Hebrew Grammar from This Lesson: 

Yes/No Questions



       

Jonathan: The fact that we don’t use the “to be” verb in Hebrew, will also affect the way we ask a question in Hebrew.

In English, we say:

“You are Israeli” or “you are French”.

When asking a question, we just replace the order of the “to be” verb with the pronoun:

“Are you Israeli?”, “Are you French?”



Listen to the way Liat tells Eran “you are Israeli”, and then, how would she ask him “are you Israeli?”:

Liat: For saying in Hebrew - “you are Israeli” I would say - “ata isra-eli!”

For asking in Hebrew - “are you Isreali?” I would ask - “ata Israeli?”

Jonathan:  Exactly! They are the same!  The only difference is the intonation of the voice which is used when asking a question.

“ata isra-eli!”

“ata Israeli?”



Now Eran, please tell Liat “you are Israeli”, then please ask her “are you Israeli?”

Eran: For saying in Hebrew - “you are Israeli” I would say - “at Israelit!”

For asking in Hebrew - “are you Isreali?” I would ask - “at Israelit?”



Jonathan: Let’s do the same by using another nationality. Let’s say French. 

French in Hebrew is zzarfati” when talking to a male and zzarfati-ya” when talking to a female.

Liat: For saying in Hebrew - “you are French” I would say - “ata Zzarfati!”

For asking in Hebrew - “are you French?” I would ask - “ata Zzarfati?”



Eran: For saying in Hebrew - “you are French” I would say - “at Zzarfatiya!”

For asking in Hebrew - “are you French?” I would ask - “at Zzarfatiya?”

Jonathan: Good! Now let’s use another word from the dialogue, and combine it with what we’ve just learned.  When we went through our new vocabulary, we learned that…


?אני צרפתי

*Read and listen to the full grammar discussion by using the Learn Hebrew Pod unique Audio/Visual Hebrew learning sessions - Lessons A, B and C at the top of this page.