#111 It's All in the Game

Streetwise Hebrew

TLV1 Studios

Language Learning, Judaism, Religion & Spirituality, Education

4.9 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 12 May 2026

⏱️ 9 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The word משחק can mean so many things in Hebrew – from a game, a match, or a toy, to acting in a movie or a play. Guy explains this root, שֹחק, and teaches us how to thank a good friend who brought coffee to our office desk without even being asked.

Hear the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon

New Words and Expressions:

Lesachek – To play a game, to play with a toy, to play in a movie – לשחק

"Lo lesachek im lev shel gever" – Don't play with a guy's heart – לא לשחק עם לב של גבר

Mesachek be-esh – Playing with fire – משחק באש

Hu mesachek tafkid – He's playing a role – הוא משחק תפקיד

Hu tamid mesachek et ha-rasha – He always plays the villain – הוא תמיד משחק את הרשע

Sichakta / sichakt / sichaktem ota be'emet – You've really played it – שיחקת אותה באמת

"Sichakta ota im ha-espresso ha-ze" – You really outdid yourself with this espresso – שיחקת אותה עם האספרסו הזה

Lesachek ota metumtam – To play it dumb – לשחק אותה מטומטם

Eize sichuk – What a play – איזה שיחוק

"Ze ha-kol rak mischak shel dma'ot" – It's all a game of tears – זה הכל רק משחק של דמעות

Mischak – Toy, game, play, match, acting – משחק

"Amru lo she-hachayim ze lo mischak" – They told him that life is not a game – אמרו לו שהחיים זה לא משחק

Mischak kaduregel – Football game – משחק כדורגל

Mischak klafim – Card game – משחק קלפים

Mischakei ha-kes – Game of Thrones – משחקי הכס

Mischak mesukan – Dangerous game – משחק מסוכן

Mischak machur – Fixed game – משחק מכור

Mischakiya – Playroom – משחקייה

Sachkan – Actor, player – שחקן

Sachkanit – Actress, player – שחקנית

Ha-seret mesuchak lo tov – The movie is not well acted – הסרט משוחק לא טוב

Ha-mischak lo mashehu – The acting is not great – המשחק לא משהו

Ramai – Cheater – רמאי

Shakran – Liar – שקרן

Idiot, debil, mefager, metumtam, dafuk – Jerk – אידיוט, דביל, מפגר, מטומטם, דפוק

Playlist and Clips:

Eyal Golan – Lev shel Gever (lyrics)

Arik Einstein – Sus Etz (lyrics)

Nikmat Ha-tractor – Mischak shel Dma'ot (lyrics)

Arik Einstein – Amru Lo (lyrics)

Adriano Celentano – Azzurro

Ep. no. 172 about dafuk

Ep. no. 248 about shakran (liar) HEB

Ep. no. 338 about lehatsli'ach (succeed) HEB

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	This is TLB1.
0:10.4	Shalom.
0:12.9	Shalom.
0:13.8	It's me, Guy, from Streetwise Hebrew.
0:15.9	Josh Rosenthal wrote me a really interesting message.
0:19.1	He said he was in Israel this summer for about three weeks,
0:22.3	stayed on a kibbutz, where he taught some teenagers to play spades, which is an American card
0:27.3	game. I didn't know. Anyway, Josh writes that they loved the game and didn't want to stop playing,
0:33.4	but he figured out at some point that they were table talking.
0:46.2	So Josh writes, basically they were talking about the game during the play by telling each other in Hebrew what cards they had and what they were going to play.
0:54.7	And Josh writes, I would be much obliged if you did an episode on playing cards, games in general, and maybe a few insults like cheater or jerk, so I can retaliate on my next visit.
0:59.4	I'll try to help, Josh.
1:00.6	Thanks for sharing this funny anecdote.
1:06.5	Al-Lesachekim-Shikov is to play a game. Let's take aibre in the regashore.
1:18.3	Leshachek, Lamed Sin, Chet Kuf is to play, to play a game, to play with a toy, or to play in a movie or theater.
1:19.5	This is P.L.
1:22.6	So just like, Lederber, Lesachek.
1:25.4	Same vowel, Lederber, lesachek.
1:27.7	Here in this song, Eyal Golan sings, Loll Lestachekim Leve Shal Gever. Don't play with a guy's heart.
1:32.6	Some other expressions,
1:33.9	Messach Be Esh, playing with fire.
1:36.7	He messachek Tafkid, he's playing a role.
	...

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