Streetwise Hebrew

Let's face it; you don't want to watch that movie your friends are going to see. So how do you say so without a blunt 'no'? The word 'pahot' in Hebrew means “less”, “minus” and a few other things. Guy explains how to use 'pahot' in conversations when you want to let someone down easily.

Words and expressions discussed:

Pahot – Less – פחות

Yoter – More – יותר

Pahot aval od koev – Less, but it still hurts – פחות אבל עוד כואב

Shneinu shavim, pahot o yoter  – We're both equal, more or less  – שנינו שווים, פחות או יותר

Pahot o yoter – More or less – פחות או יותר

Misrad ha'otsar  – The Finance Ministry  – משרד האוצר

Da'ag she-ba-pesach ha-ze – Made sure that for this Passover  – דאג שבפסח הזה

Teshalmu pahot – You'll pay less – תשלמו פחות

Al sal ha-knyot – For your shopping basket – על סל הקניות

Ani pahot ko'es – I am less angry – אני פחות כועס

Pahot mi-sha'a – Less than an hour – פחות משעה

Raheli meshayefet et ha-tsipornayim – Raheli polishes the nails – רחלי משייפת את הציפורניים

Sheva Dakot Shlemot – 7 “full” minutes – שבע דקות שלמות

Ata yahol ledaber? – Can you talk? – אתה יכול לדבר?

Slicha, aval pahot mat'im li karega – Sorry, it's less convenient for me right now. – סליחה, אבל פחות מתאים לי כרגע

Ba lecha seret? Pahot – Do you feel like (watching) a movie? “Less” – בא לך סרט? פחות

Eich haya ha-seret? Pahot hitchabarti – How was the movie? “I connected to it less” – איך היה הסרט? פחות התחברתי

Pahot (math.) – Minus – פחות

Music:

Yehuda Poliker – Pahot Aval Ko'ev (lyrics)
Aviv Geffen – Shneinu Shavim (lyrics)
Misrad Ha'otsar (Ministry of Finance) – Pay less this Passover
Evyatar Banai – Yesh Li Sikuy (lyrics)
Raheli Bar – Nail Artist
Rona Keinan – Mabul (lyrics)

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