Hebrew Idioms and Expressions

Hello everyone, and welcome to the new episode of the podcast "Yalla: Learning Hebrew with Steph". I'm Steph, and today we're going to talk about something I think is really interesting and a lot of fun: idioms and expressions in Hebrew and English. If you're learning Hebrew, you probably know that you can't translate every word from English into Hebrew, especially when it comes to idioms and expressions. An idiom is an expression or sentence whose meaning is different from its literal words. For example, in English when we say "it's raining cats and dogs", we don't actually mean that animals are falling from the sky; we mean it's raining really hard. Every language has expressions like these, and Hebrew has plenty of them. Something I find really interesting is that some of these expressions are almost the same in English and Hebrew. Some share the same intention or meaning but use different words, and some have the same meaning but describe a completely different situation. Today I'll talk about several expressions I love, why I think they're interesting, and why learning them is an important step in learning Hebrew (spoiler: these are expressions people use every single day). The idea for this episode came from one specific expression I heard. In English, when we want to describe someone as humble and practical, we say they're "down to earth". In Hebrew you say "im haraglayim al hakarka", which means "with the feet on the ground". The meaning is the same, but the words are different. When I noticed that, I thought to myself: which other Hebrew expressions share the same meaning as English ones but use different words? And that's how the idea for this episode was born. OK, let's start with the group I find the most interesting: expressions that are almost the same in Hebrew and English, but with small differences. The first expression is "lalechet al beitzim". The literal translation is "to walk on eggs". In English we say eggshells instead of just eggs. The meaning is the same: to be careful about what you do or say. The next expression is "lipol bein hakisa'ot". The literal translation is "to fall between the chairs". In English we say "to fall between the cracks". Both mean that something or someone has been forgotten or missed, usually because of a problem with a system. I prefer the Hebrew expression because it's clearer, and it's much easier to picture someone trying to sit down on a chair and slipping between the chairs. The last expression in this group is "liftoach daf chadash", which means "to open a new page". In English we say "to turn over a new leaf". In both cases we use it when we mean to start something new, in a better way. In Hebrew we say "page" (daf), while in English we say "leaf" (aleh). I think the Hebrew makes more sense: opening a new page feels more natural and represents a fresh start better. In English it's not really clear why we say "leaf". What do you think, which one do you prefer? Now let's move to the next group: expressions that have the same meaning but describe something completely different. The first is "lishbor et harosh". Translated literally it means "to break your head", but in English we say "to rack your brain". Both mean to think really hard about something. This is something my husband Alon uses all the time, but he doesn't say it in Hebrew, he says it in English: "Don't break your head on it." Because he says it so often, I've started saying it myself. And speaking of heads, the next expression is a little funny: "le'echol et harosh". A simple translation is "to eat someone's head". The closest English expression is "to chew someone's ear off", used when someone won't stop talking. I find it fascinating that both Hebrew and English reach for a body part, and both use a verb about eating it. To me, the Hebrew version feels more aggressive. The last expression in this part is "pa'am beyovel". The literal translation is "once in a jubilee", but in English we say "once in a blue moon". Both refer to something that doesn't happen regularly. In Hebrew we use "yovel", which is 50 years, and in English it's a blue moon. Both paint a beautiful picture and both mean something rare. OK, let's continue to the last and most surprising group: expressions that are exactly the same in English and Hebrew and really describe the same situation. The first is "lishbor et hakerach", or "to break the ice" in English. Just like in English, in Hebrew we use it when we talk about making people feel more comfortable, usually when meeting someone new. Another is "or bektze hamin'hara", which is exactly like the English "light at the end of the tunnel". I think this one is really beautiful, because it brings so much hope to any situation: even if things don't look good right now, you can believe they'll be better in the future. Another expression is "lashevet al hagader", or "to sit on the fence" in English. In both languages it describes someone who won't pick a side. What's interesting here is that there's a very popular song by Arik Einstein called "Yoshev al hagader" (Sitting on the Fence). In it he sings about someone with one foot here and one foot there, perfectly happy not to choose. I highly recommend listening to it. It's really lovely that all these expressions are exactly the same. They make me wonder: how did this happen? How can expressions from two such different languages end up exactly the same? It shows me that even though the languages are so different, the people who speak them think in a similar way. If there's one thing I've learned from all this, it's that we need to stop translating word for word. When you hear new expressions in Hebrew, don't try to translate each word; try to understand the full meaning of the expression and the context it's used in. All in all, expressions in a new language are interesting, they're fun to learn, and they make learning so much more interesting. That's all for today's episode. I really hope you enjoyed it and learned something new about Hebrew expressions. If you know more interesting Hebrew expressions, I'd love to hear from you. You can post a message on my website or comment here on the podcast. I'll put a link to my website in the podcast description. Finally, if you have questions or ideas for topics I could cover on the podcast, feel free to send me a message. And of course, you can find the transcript of the podcast on my website, www.hebrew-with-steph.com. Thank you so much for listening to another episode of the podcast "Yalla: Learning Hebrew with Steph", and until next time, take care and keep learning.