S/o s/o funny mistakes American Israelis make

Wolfsbane

Mon, Dec 12 2022, 1:10 pm

top mom wrote:

Where you're going?
What you're doing?
Don't know what it's translated from, but why skip the "are you"? Can't Believe It

And I probably have many more

There is no Hebrew equivalent for "is" or "are."

Editing to add that when the language you're translating from doesn't have a word that serves an equivalent function, it's particularly difficult for second-language speakers because you can't just say "replace x in your language with y in the other language."

ora_43

Mon, Dec 12 2022, 1:56 pm

Yeah 'because that' is one that really sticks around, at least in my family. Even the older kids who are making an effort still slip up.

I remember one of my kids slipping up in Hebrew because of English - ima, מתי are you coming to להרים אותי מהגן

amother

Forsythia

Mon, Dec 12 2022, 2:10 pm

This is the reverse:
My sister-in-law's English teacher was an Israeli woman. She asked the class to define 'bus' and said אוטובוס was wrong. Nobody could think of any other meaning. Eventually she announced , 'a bus! You find it in the busroom! You take a bus in it!' Alas, she meant אמבטיה Can't Believe It

dena613

Mon, Dec 12 2022, 5:18 pm

Lol the last one with the bus made me laugh!

A funny one
Instead of "mi shahaya sham"
As in "the person who was there said/did xyz"
As "who dat was der..."

dena613

Mon, Dec 12 2022, 5:19 pm

The Israeli teacher who taught Israelis English was announcing each day, "Good afternoon pupils!"

amother

Pearl

Mon, Dec 12 2022, 5:24 pm

I'm rolling these are way funnier than the Hebrew mistakes.
Probably because my mother tongue is English though I speak very good Hebrew

amother

Wine

Mon, Dec 12 2022, 5:58 pm

In seminary I tutored a couple of elementary-school Israeli boys in English/ the ABC’s. The first day I came to tutor the younger one (I think he was 6 maybe) he said to me, “There’s vun letter I vant you to teach to me!”

I asked which letter.

He said, “LMNOP!”

Rappel

Mon, Dec 12 2022, 6:34 pm

DD explained to me all about the firemen whom worked in the Beit Hamikdash and put out fires there and rebuilt it.
(She heard מכבים, but understood כבאים! )

She was also singing me Chanukah songs tonight.
"לבנים, לבנים, נקבצו עלי..." Smile

So very modern, these anti-white lyrics!

Wolfsbane

Mon, Dec 12 2022, 7:26 pm

dena613 wrote:

The Israeli teacher who taught Israelis English was announcing each day, "Good afternoon pupils!"

Not technically wrong

amother

Aubergine

Mon, Dec 12 2022, 7:27 pm

amother Bottlebrush wrote:

Obligatory "this thread is in poor taste and offensive" post.

amother

Hosta

Mon, Dec 12 2022, 8:54 pm

My 3 yr old asked his ganenet תפילי לי את הקלמנטינה שלי and got a drasha about how we don't throw food on the floor.......

(תפיל means to throw down. He meant to peel.)

amother

Gladiolus

Mon, Dec 12 2022, 8:55 pm

dena613 wrote:

The Israeli teacher who taught Israelis English was announcing each day, "Good afternoon pupils!"

Not sure whats funny about this one? Teachers often say that in the UK...

amother

Acacia

Mon, Dec 12 2022, 9:25 pm

amother Bottlebrush wrote:

Obligatory "this thread is in poor taste and offensive" post.

No, only if it’s about cleaning ladies. All else is ok.

Rappel

Mon, Dec 12 2022, 9:36 pm

Wolfsbane wrote:

Not technically wrong

You're right. But it sounds funny to anyone whom didn't learn their English purely through the bagruyot. By the same token, every closet is a "cupboard" to an educated Israeli.

salt

Tue, Dec 13 2022, 12:19 am

miriamg wrote:

Ordered to come to the Bar Mitzvah "הזמין"

Also save on that someone mentioned earlier.

What's crazy is that sometimes I find myself speaking like that because I'm exposed to it all the time

Or 'can you invite me some new underwear from Next.'

salt

Tue, Dec 13 2022, 12:21 am

amother Wine wrote:

I heard my DD's friend singing the alphabet (not Anglo, she's real Israeli)
she sang : kel M N O P

(as in , you can't say Hashem's name L)

LOL

salt

Tue, Dec 13 2022, 12:26 am

amother OP wrote:

That other thread reminded of funny/annoying mistakes my kids make in English. (American Israeli second generation)
The one that bothers me most is when they say: because that...
Translated straight from: בגלל ש...

Also why can't they remember to pronounce th correctly, I know they can but it's still always ff as in birfday.

I'm sure there's more I'm blanking this second.

Share yours!

My DS once thought he was being so accurate - he was saying something about a 'thig' - I didn't know what he meant - he said 'you know a תאנה', - he thought it was with a TH and he really made the effort to say it properly.