Hebrew written in english letters8/5/2023 ![]() ![]() Hebrew has phonemes (sounds) that don’t exist in English. It needs to be added that in Hebrew some vowels are in fact written out, so you won’t be left entirely without clues. The language works together to make it very easy to guess which vowels are used in an even unknown word - much easier than if we gave you a list of vowel-less words in English: The rest of the grammatical system is adjusted to match the “missing vowels” characteristic. Hebrew belongs to a different family of languages, and has a lot of features that European languages don’t. It’s not the same however as removing vowels from English. If you hear this claim without knowing anything else about the language, it can sound a bit scary. We all learned how to decode several types of Latin scripts - each person’s handwriting! ✍️ If you can decode your coworkers’ fridge notes, and your teacher’s essay comments, you’ll have no problem adjusting to the Hebrew cursive. ![]() Notice that this is actually not so different from the situation in English. Why have so two types of alphabets? you might ask. Most of the letters in cursive look nearly exactly the same as their print version. That’s 27 symbols x 2 to learn! □ Well, not really. Modern Hebrew exists in two slightly different forms: printed and handwritten. After half an hour of squinting over Hebrew, reading - even a paper on neuroscience! - will feel like a breeze. Let’s see the benefits here though: you’ll get in touch with your inner child, and appreciate how easy it is to read the Latin script. You’ll be departing from the cosy surroundings of the familiar-looking Latin letters □ You’ll feel like you’re back in primary school, exerting effort to read a simple three-letter word. We get it, a new alphabet comes with a whole set of new symbols. Why Hebrew alphabet is hard New system - new symbols ![]() This is a very helpful trait to cultivate to later be able to stay focused on hard grammar classes □Ģ. Nurture your soulįocusing on writing new characters is a meditative activity - paying attention to calligraphic details and new shapes reminds you to enjoy the moment, and stay in the present. When reading in one of these languages, your brain first needs to determine the language the text is written in, and only then activate the “decoding” system responsible for this particular tongue.Ī completely different alphabet generates a unique mind space for the language - the Hebrew language knowledge algorithm will be activated only when you see a specific set of characters. Avoid confusionĪssociating a language with a new system of characters makes it less likely for you to confuse Hebrew with languages you already know.įor example, let’s say you speak both French and Portuguese, which both use the Latin alphabet. If you’re interested in politics, learning the language will have an added benefit of allowing you to read articles in Hebrew, and investigate the public opinion through personal blogs, comments on forums or websites. More obvious reasons for learning the alphabet are similar to those motivating learning the language, such as gaining the ability to access a wealth of Israeli culture. Tracing new shapes, and associating new sounds to previously meaningless characters comes with a sense of mystical discovery □ Read blogs Combine it with a greeting and a word for please, and you will be able to go to a cafe, pick up a menu and order without uttering an English word, feeling totally Israeli □ Be coolĪdmit it, there is a certain cool factor associated with learning a new script. Learning the characters will be enough to let you decode a large part of a basic menu, where many words are similar to English ones (תה, tea קפה, coffee), and many others are transliterations of well known products (קוקה קולה, coke). Let’s see some examples of what the Hebrew alphabet can help you achieve. In other words: it helps you to feel more like an insider.Įven if your plan is only to visit an Israeli shuk (market) during a week-long trip, there are still plenty benefits to learning to read the Hebrew alphabet, in both its printed and hand written form. The code to this treasury is the Hebrew alphabet and we will help you crack it □Īn alphabet is a gateway to understanding the language - the ability to read it gives you confidence, and allows you to understand your surroundings better. Deep inside you know that behind the wall of the Hebrew alphabet lies a land flowing with milk and honey - a wealth of new novels, comic books, hip-hop songs, poetry, political blogs, and subreddits to read. It has a totally different set of characters, sprinkled with mysterious dots and dashes, like a bagel with sesame seeds. At a first glance the Hebrew alphabet presents an unsurmountable challenge. Learners of Hebrew, whether Modern or Biblical (Ancient), are often intimidated by the first step they’re required to take - learning the alphabet. ![]()
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