#2 Bro, How Do You Say "Dude" in Hebrew?

Streetwise Hebrew

TLV1 Studios

Language Learning, Judaism, Religion & Spirituality, Education

4.9 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 20 August 2013

⏱️ 6 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

How do you say 'dude' in Hebrew? You'll hear 'achi' ('brother') on the street all the time, but in which contexts should you use it? Can women say it? Guy Sharett explains.

Words and expressions discussed:

Ahi / ah sheli – My brother, dude – אחי / אח שלי

Gever – Man – גבר

Bendam – Human being – בנאדם

Haver – friend – חבר

Ahi, ma kore? – What's happening, dude? – אחי, מה קורה?

Ma nishma, benadam? – How are you, man? – מה נשמע, בנאדם?

Haverim, ha-shulchan shelachem muchan – Friends, your table is ready – חברים, השולחן שלכם מוכן

Haver, ata haser – Friend, you are missed – חבר, אתה חסר

Hevré – Guys – חבר'ה

Ani im ha-hevré sheli ha-erev – I am with my guys tonight – אני עם החבר'ה שלי הערב

Hashvu az ha-hevré – The guys thought – חשבו אז החבר'ה

Ahoti – My sister – אחותי

"Sister" – Sister – סיסטר

Tagid, tagidi – Tell, say (imp.) – תגיד, תגידי

Playlist and Clips:

Yitzhak Rabin's funeral Nov. 1995 (TV1)

Ha-dag Nachash – Shirat Hasticker (lyrics)

Arik Einstein – Dudu (lyrics)

Miri Masika – Hey, Achoti (lyrics)

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	This is T.L.B. 1.
0:07.0	St. twice. Hebrew.
0:13.0	Hi, it's Guy.
0:14.0	One of my American students who studies Hebrew with me
0:17.0	asked me whether she can use the term
0:19.0	Achi with a guy at the drugstore.
0:21.0	Achi, literally my brother, is used by guys who talk to other guys, just like dude or bro, buddy
0:28.6	in American English or mate in UK English.
0:32.1	I told her it would be weird, it's a guy's word and it made me think, what can she
0:36.8	really say to this guy if she really wants to? But before we talk about her, let's see what
0:42.1	guys can say to other guys.
0:44.0	Achi, and Achili or Achuya, Gevil, which means man,
0:50.0	Benadam, human being, Chaver, friend.
0:55.0	Achimakore?
0:56.8	What's happening, dude?
0:58.0	Literally it means my brother and it came from the military slang.
1:02.0	I say it from time to time and I'm constantly scolded by my
1:05.1	friends for this. They see it as lowering of my language from high Hebrew to the
1:10.1	language of the street. As a gay man some of them also tell me that I'm a
1:14.4	straight wannabe that I'm using conformity terms to please the straight
1:18.2	macho majority of society or that I'm trying to be someone who I'm not.
1:22.6	I just use it when I feel like it and don't really care.
	...

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