#157 ”You Want a Juice?” “No”: Translating Israeli Brevity

Streetwise Hebrew

TLV1 Studios

Israel, Tlv1, Religion & Spirituality, Language Learning, Education, Language, Judaism, Hebrew, Streetwise

4.9 • 988 Ratings

🗓️ 31 January 2017

⏱️ 8 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

We have all had conversations with Israelis bereft of the common courtesies - thank you, please, or polite excuses. On this episode, host Guy Sharett explains exactly what is going on in the Israeli brain when answering our offers or questions in what seems to be curt, abrupt, and even rude ways.

Hear the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon

New Words and Expressions:

Nimus – Politeness – נימוס

Sicha menumeset – Polite conversation – שיחה מנומסת

Efshar espresso vaksha? – May I have an espresso please? – אפשר אספרסו בַקְשָה

“Nahutz li gever menumas” – I need a polite man – נחוץ לי גבר מנומס

Rotse kafe? Lo – Do you want coffee? No – רוצה קפה? לא

Efshar laredet? Ken – May I get off here? Yes – אפשר לרדת? כן

Ba lecha mitz? Lo – Do you feel like juice? No – בא לך מיץ? לא

Nifgashim ba-spontani? Lo, asuk – Wanna meet now spontaneously? No, I am busy – נפגשים בספונטני? לא, עסוק

Ani rotse havita – I’d like an omelet please – אני רוצה חביתה

Adoni – Sir – אדוני

Gvirti – Maam – גבירתי

“Ramkolim menumasim”- Polite loudspeakers – רמקולים מנומסים

Playlist and Clips:

Shlomo Artzi & Astar Shamir – Brit Lo Muteret (lyrics)

Yossi Banai & Yona Atari – Rina (lyrics)

Meir Ariel – Terminal (lyrics)

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	This is T.L.B. 1.
0:10.0	St.C. is T.C.C.C.
0:11.0	Why?
0:12.0	Hebrew.
0:13.0	Shalom, it's me Guy with Street-wise Hebrew. Zicha mele mele
0:24.0	a mese
0:25.0	a mele my heart felle a lot
0:28.0	bé your day
0:30.0	Sicha menum meet a polite conversation lovely song today I'd like to talk about what
0:36.0	he said and what he actually meant and I'm thinking a lot about these things in the last
0:41.0	few months as my boyfriend is French and I'm from Israel
0:44.0	and I noticed cultural differences I'm sure many of you already noticed.
0:48.1	I remember back when I studied in London I was at someone's home and she asked me,
0:53.8	would you like some tea?
0:55.2	Or it was more like, would you like some tea?
0:58.2	And I answered, no.
1:00.2	There was a bit of a silence until I said, I mean no thank you. I could have also said yes without adding please.
1:08.0	Why do we Israelis do that just because we enjoy being rude? No. In Israel and in Hebrew using too many
1:16.4	Bivakashaz and Todaz, please and thank yous, is considered too polite.
1:22.1	What's wrong with being too polite?
1:24.0	It's not only this.
1:25.0	In our psyche, we feel we're not close to the person
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from TLV1 Studios, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of TLV1 Studios and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.