meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Streetwise Hebrew

#62 Learning Hebrew? It's 'Davka' Easy!

Streetwise Hebrew

TLV1 Studios

Language Learning, Judaism, Religion & Spirituality, Education

4.9 โ€ข 1.1K Ratings

๐Ÿ—“๏ธ 25 November 2014

โฑ๏ธ 6 minutes

๐Ÿงพ๏ธ Download transcript

Summary

The Hebrew word ื“ื•ื•ืงื does not have a direct English translation. Sometimes it means "actually" (as opposed to what you might think). At other times it means "particularly." So what does the saying ืœืขืฉื•ืช ื“ื•ื•ืงืย (to do a ื“ื•ื•ืงื) mean?

Hear the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon

ย 

New Words and Expressions:

Davka โ€“ Actually, as opposed to what you may think โ€“ ื“ื•ื•ืงื

"ze lo kashe bichlal, ze davka kal" โ€“ It's not hard at all, it's actually easy โ€“ ื–ื” ืœื ืงืฉื” ื‘ื›ืœืœ, ื–ื” ื“ื•ื•ืงื ืงืœ

"Eich ze kara li, lama davka itcha?" โ€“ How did it happen to me, why am I with you โ€“ ืื™ืš ื–ื” ืงืจื” ืœื™, ืœืžื” ื“ื•ื•ืงื ืื™ืชืš

"Lama achshav davka kshe-tov li, at kol kach meshuna?" โ€“ Why now, when I am actually happy, you're acting weird โ€“ ืœืžื” ืขื›ืฉื™ื•, ื“ื•ื•ืงื ื›ืฉื˜ื•ื‘ ืœื™, ืืช ื›ืœ ื›ืš ืžืฉื•ื ื”

Lehargiz, lehach'is โ€“ To irritate โ€“ ืœื”ืจื’ื™ื–, ืœื”ื›ืขื™ืก

Laasot davka โ€“ Out of spite โ€“ ืœืขืฉื•ืช ื“ื•ื•ืงื

Lav davka โ€“ Not necessarily โ€“ ืœืื• ื“ื•ื•ืงื

Davkaย ani ochel shokolad ba-boker โ€“ I, of all people, eat chocolate in the morning โ€“ย ื“ื•ื•ืงืย ืื ื™ ืื•ื›ืœ ืฉื•ืงื•ืœื“ ื‘ื‘ื•ืงืจ

Aniย davkaย ochel shokolad ba-boker โ€“ As opposed to what you think, I actually eat chocolate in the morning โ€“ ืื ื™ ื“ื•ื•ืงื ืื•ื›ืœ ืฉื•ืงื•ืœื“ ื‘ื‘ื•ืงืจ

Ani ochelย davkaย shokolad ba-boker โ€“ Of all things one can have for breakfast, I choose to have chocolate for breakfast โ€“ ืื ื™ ืื•ื›ืœย ื“ื•ื•ืงืย ย ืฉื•ืงื•ืœื“ ื‘ื‘ื•ืงืจ

Ani ochel shokoladย davkaย baboker โ€“ I specifically choose to have chocolate in the morning (I have my own reasons) โ€“ ืื ื™ ืื•ื›ืœ ืฉื•ืงื•ืœื“ย ื“ื•ื•ืงืย ื‘ื‘ื•ืงืจ

Ani davkaย besederย โ€“ I am actually okay (you expected to hear I am not well) โ€“ ืื ื™ย ื“ื•ื•ืงืย ื‘ืกื“ืจ

Lama lakachat davka otcha la-tafkid? โ€“ Why should we hire you, of all people? โ€“ ืœืžื” ืœืงื—ืช ื“ื•ื•ืงื ืื•ืชืš ืœืชืคืงื™ื“

Davka shachor, mi-kol hatsvaim? โ€“ You have to get black, out of all colors? โ€“ ื“ื•ื•ืงื ืฉื—ื•ืจ, ืžื›ืœ ื”ืฆื‘ืขื™ื

Hu davka lo mamash ratsa โ€“ He actually didn't really want to โ€“ ื”ื•ื ื“ื•ื•ืงื ืœื ืžืžืฉ ืจืฆื”

Davka lo haya kaze nora โ€“ It actually wasn't that bad โ€“ ื“ื•ื•ืงื ืœื ื”ื™ื” ื›ื–ื” ื ื•ืจื

Davka yesh li chalav hayom โ€“ As opposed to what you think, I do have milk today โ€“ ื“ื•ื•ืงื ื™ืฉ ืœื™ ื—ืœื‘ ื”ื™ื•ื

ย 

Playlist and Clips:

Bli Sodot โ€“ Ze lo kashe, ze davka kal

Dafna Armoni โ€“ Lama Davka Itcha?ย (lyrics)

Ethnix โ€“ Lama Achshavย (lyrics)

Avi Toledano & Irit Anavi โ€“ Lama Kachaย (lyrics)

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

This is T.L.B. 1.

0:05.0

St. Why?

0:07.0

Shiloh. It's me Guy from Streetwise Hebrew.

0:11.0

Karen Joy Fuller from Richmond, Virginia wrote me in

0:14.6

Hebrew on my Facebook page streetwise Hebrew and asked me to talk about the word

0:18.6

Davka. Thanks for the idea, Karen and well done your Hebrew is great.

0:22.4

Kolakavod. Davka! Dalit! Thanks for the idea, Karen, and well done, your Hebrew is great.

0:22.6

Kolakavod.

0:23.6

Davka, Dalit, vavav, Kuf alif, is an important word in colloquial Hebrew.

0:28.9

Even immigrants from the US use it when they say something in English and use

0:33.3

Davka. There's no direct translation to English but it can mean sometimes

0:37.7

something like as opposed to what you think like here.

0:40.9

The loca shebicha. The davka cal.

0:44.0

The locushet, the davka cal.

0:47.0

The locushet de davka cal.

0:49.0

It's not hard, it's actually easy.

0:51.0

This is from the Blisso dot children's show from the educational TV channel. So

0:55.5

Davka Cal, it's actually easy as opposed to what you think. Sometimes Davka is exactly

1:01.9

not what I was expecting. How did it happen to me? Why d'avkavah Ih.

1:15.0

How did it happen to me?

1:19.0

Echzakar,

1:20.0

Rale, Lama davkavk Ih,

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

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.

Copyright ยฉ Tapesearch 2026.