#48 How to Talk ‘Ceasefire’ in Hebrew

07/28/14 • 6 min

Everyone’s talking about הפסקת אש, ceasefire. Let’s get to know the word הפסקה (break) and other words in its family which come from the root פסק.

Hear the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon

New Words and Expressions:

Hafsakat-esh – Ceasefire – הפסקת אש

Hafsaka – Break, stop, halting – הפסקה

“Maga’im intensiviyim lehafsakat esh, ach ha-esh lo poseket” – There are intensive talks for a ceasefire, but the fire won’t stop – מגעים אינטנסיביים להפסקת אש, אך האש לא פוסקת

Hafsakat esh humanitarit – Humanitarian ceasefire – הפסקת אש הומניטרית

Ha-hafsaka ha-gdola – “The big break” – ההפסקה הגדולה

Hifsakti lenasot – I stopped trying – הפסקתי לנסות

Hifsakti le’ashen lifeni shavua – I stopped smoking a week ago – הפסקתי לעשן לפני שבוע

“Choshev lehasik le’ashen? Eize yofi” – Do you think of stopping smoking? That’s great – חושב להפסיק לעשן? איזה יופי

“Kshe’at noga’at bi, ani mafsik lachshov” – When you touch me I stop thinking – כשאת נוגעת בי, אני מפסיק לחשוב

Lo tafsiki lekavot – You will not stop hoping – לא תפסיקי לקוות

Hufsak – Halted, stopped – הופסק

Ha-sherut hufsak – The service was discontinued – השירות הופסק

Piska – Paragraph – פסקה

Psik – Comma – פסיק

Pisuk – Punctuation – פיסוק

Pisuk raglayim – Spreading the legs – פיסוק רגליים

Pasuk – Biblical verse – פסוק

Pesek zman – Time off / Name of a chocolate snack – פסק זמן

Kach pesek zman – Take some time off – קח פסק זמן

Playlist and Clips:

Roy Tal – Hifsakti Lenasot

Boaz Sharabi -Kshe-at Nogaat Bi (lyrics)

Gali Atari – Ha-shir she-yavi lach Ahava (lyrics)

Arik Einstein – Pesek Zman (lyrics)

Everyone’s talking about הפסקת אש, ceasefire. Let’s get to know the word הפסקה (break) and other words in its family which come from the root פסק.

Hear the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon

New Words and Expressions:

Hafsakat-esh – Ceasefire – הפסקת אש

Hafsaka – Break, stop, halting – הפסקה

Hafsakat esh humanitarit – Humanitarian ceasefire – הפסקת אש הומניטרית

Ha-hafsaka ha-gdola – “The big break” – ההפסקה הגדולה

Hifsakti lenasot – I stopped trying – הפסקתי לנסות

Hifsakti le’ashen lifeni shavua – I stopped smoking a week ago – הפסקתי לעשן לפני שבוע

“Choshev lehasik le’ashen? Eize yofi” – Do you think of stopping smoking? That’s great – חושב להפסיק לעשן? איזה יופי

“Kshe’at noga’at bi, ani mafsik lachshov” – When you touch me I stop thinking – כשאת נוגעת בי, אני מפסיק לחשוב

Lo tafsiki lekavot – You will not stop hoping – לא תפסיקי לקוות

Hufsak – Halted, stopped – הופסק

Ha-sherut hufsak – The service was discontinued – השירות הופסק

Piska – Paragraph – פסקה

Psik – Comma – פסיק

Pisuk – Punctuation – פיסוק

Pisuk raglayim – Spreading the legs – פיסוק רגליים

Pasuk – Biblical verse – פסוק

Pesek zman – Time off / Name of a chocolate snack – פסק זמן

Kach pesek zman – Take some time off – קח פסק זמן

Playlist and Clips:

Roy Tal – Hifsakti Lenasot

Boaz Sharabi -Kshe-at Nogaat Bi (lyrics)

Gali Atari – Ha-shir she-yavi lach Ahava (lyrics)

Arik Einstein – Pesek Zman (lyrics)

Previous Episode

#47 What's the First Hebrew Word You Learned?

Shalom means ‘peace,’ ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’ – it’s one of the most popular words in Hebrew, and the first one everybody learns. But there are other words, all derived from the root sh.l.m, that are very active in our language. Let’s meet the family!

Hear the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon

New Words and Expressions:

Shalom – Peace, hello, goodbye – שלום

Shalom rav lachem ve-erev tov – Hello and good evening to you – שלום רב וערב טוב

Shalem – Whole – שלם

Ma shlom Tomer? – How is Tomer? – מה שלום תומר

Shlomi, shlomcha, shlomech, shlomo, shloma, shlomenu, shlomchem, shlomam

Ma shlomenu ha-yom? – How are we doing today? – מה שלומנו היום

Shalom aleichem – Peace be upon you – שלום עליכם

Shalom aleichem malachei ha-shalom – Peace be upon you, ministering angels – שלום עליכם, מלאכי השלום

Salam alaykum – Peace be upon you (Arabic) – ٱلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ – סלאם עליכום

Shulem aleichem – Shalom aleichem in Yiddish – שלום עליכם

“Sholem shloem le’olam, b-rogez b-rogez af pa’am” – A Pinky Swear in Hebrew (literal translation: Peace, peace forever, quarrel quarrel never) – שולם שולם לעולם, ברוגז ברוגז אף פעם

Drishat shalom – Regards – דרישת שלום, ד”ש

Timsor dash ba-bayit – Say hi at home – תמסור ד”ש בבית

“Tni li lehashlim et ha-chaser” – Let me complete the loss – תני לי להשלים את החסר

Lehashlim et ha-proyeket – To complete the project – להשלים את הפרוייקט

“Lehashlim im ha-shaon” – To make peace with the clock – להשלים עם השעון

Lehashlim mashehu – To complete something – להשלים משהו

Lehashlim im mishehu – To make peace with someone – להשלים עם מישהו

Le’af echad ein or mushlam – No one has perfect skin – לאף אחד אין עור מושלם

Mushlam – Perfect – מושלם

Yom mushlam – A perfect day – יום מושלם

Playlist and Clips:

Ha-dag Nachash – Shalom, Salam, Peace (lyrics)

TV12 Yonit Levy – News

Idan Yaniv & The Kinderlach – Shalom aleychem (lyrics)

Sholem Aleichem (writer)

Wikipedia about Sholem Aleichem

Rinat & Guy – Sholem, b’rogez (lyrics)

Lahakat Ha-nahal & Yardena Arazi – Drishat Shalom (lyrics)

Eyal Golan – Neshika Ahat Mimech (lyrics)

Kobi Aflalo – Yam Ha-rachamim (lyrics)

Ashley Waxman – Or mushlam (perfect skin)

Ep. no. 61 about acronyms HEB

Next Episode

#49 Sex Words 2: Zayin

The word זַיִן, which is also how we say the 7th letter of the Hebrew alphabet, is defined as the male reproductive organ. It is a word we hear a lot in Hebrew because it is in many slang terms – many of which are not necessarily related to sex.

Today we learn a few of these sayings and find out the connection between the term ‘friends with benefits’ and Austrian composer Franz Schubert.

Listen to the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon

New Words and Expressions:

Zayin – Penis – זין

Koos –Vagina – כוס

“Ha-aretz mitpatachat kmo ha-zayin sheli” – “The country is developing like my dick” – הארץ מתפתחת כמו הזין שלי

Yedidoot – Friendship – ידידות

Yezizoot – “friendship with benefits” – יזיזות

Yadid – Platonic friend – ידיד

Yaziz – Friend with benefit – יזיז

Eize zayin – What a bummer – איזה זין

Eize zayin hu – He is such a prick – איזה זין הוא