This week we’re celebrating half a million downloads of our podcast, so Guy decided to dedicate this episode to חצי – “half” in Hebrew. From telling the time, to sports, to fashion, “hetsi” gets everywhere. But when do we say “hetsi” and when “hatsi”? Listen to find out.
Hear the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon
New Words and Expressions:
Hatsi/hetsi, hatsa’eem – Half, halves – חצי, חצאים
“Omrim li she-ani hatsi benadam ve-hi hatsi meshuga’at” – They tell me I am half a person, and she’s half crazy – אומרים לי שאני חצי בנאדם והיא חצי משוגעת
“Hatsi olam soneh hatsi” – Half the world hates the other half – חצי עולם שונא חצי
“Tsarat rabim hatsi nechama”- Misery loves company – צרת רבים חצי נחמה
Matsati li heder va-hetsi – I found myself a one-and-a-half-room apartment – מצאתי לי חדר וחצי
Hamesh va-hetsi – Half past five – חמש וחצי
Hatsi daka – Half a minute, just a moment – חצי דקה
Ten li hatsi daka – Give me a moment – תן לי חצי דקה
Hatsi gmar – Semifinals – חצי גמר
Mahatsit – Half – מחצית
Ba-machatsit ha-rishona – In the first half – במחצית הראשונה
Hatsi ee – Peninsula – חצי אי
Hetzi ko’ach – “Half power”, so-so – חצי כוח
“Eich lahafoch simla le-hatsait” – How to turn a dress into a skirt – איך להפוך שמלה לחצאית
Hatsot – Midnight – חצות
Kvar aharey hatsot – It’s already after midnight – כבר אחרי חצות
Ma’avar hatsaya – Pedestrian crossing – מעבר חצייה
Hatsiyat kavim – Crossing the line – חצית קווים
Nechtsa – Was split into two, crossed – נחצה
Hetsi-hetsi – Fifty-fifty (when splitting the bill into two) – חצי-חצי
Playlist and Clips:
Nimrod Lev & Orly Perl – Ze Kol Ha-kesem (lyrics)
Shlomo Artzi – Tachat Shmey Yam Ha-tichon (lyrics)
Yehuda Poliker – Halon La-yam Ha-tichon (lyrics)
Ha-paitan reality show – Hatsi ha-gmar (Semi final)
Style Guru Studio – How to turn a dress into a skirt
Ilanit – Acharey Hatsot (lyrics)
TV12 – MK Shelly Yehimovich on hatsiyat kavim
