Learning Hebrew Language
By Mari Juana
@marijuana (570)
Tel Aviv, Israel
December 4, 2015 7:16am CST
I am now in Israel for already 5 and half years and yet my Hebrew is still so poor. Many times when I am asked if I speak good Hebrew. I just tell them I speak just enough to survive but not enough to socialize :) It would be great to speak another foreign language fluently and would be able to communicate with the locals especially with the old people because most of the time they are the ones who cannot speak English and its great to share some small talks with them knowing that little act can affect them a lot.
Unfortunately, I was contented with my little Hebrew vocabulary that I did not exert more effort to learn. It was only when I was reading the Bible that I encountered Psalms 119 which contains all the Hebrew alphabet and each letter's biblical meaning that gave me the inspiration to take the Hebrew language seriously.
Now, I am learning not just to speak the language but how to read and write as well because Hebrew is a Biblical language after all.
21 people like this
18 responses
@marijuana (570)
• Tel Aviv, Israel
4 Dec 15
Probably yes but many would dispute and claim most of the original Bible text were written in Aramaic. Aramaic displaced Hebrew for many purposes among the Jews, a fact reflected in the Bible, where portions of Ezra and Daniel are in Aramaic. Some of the best known stories in biblical literature, including that of Belshazzar’s feast with the famous "handwriting on the wall" are in Aramaic.
1 person likes this
@dpk262006 (58675)
• Delhi, India
14 Dec 15
It is always fruitful to learn a foreign language specially when you are residing in a foreign country. It helps to learn the local language to communicate with local people and to understand them.
We hope that you will be able to master Hebrew (though it is not an easy language) sooner than later.
1 person likes this
@marijuana (570)
• Tel Aviv, Israel
14 Dec 15
Yes indeed - its like addition to your profile :)
1 person likes this
@factorial (977)
• Philippines
5 Dec 15
Wow! How I wish I could learn Hebrew. My brother (a former seminarian) knows a little Hebrew. He can speak fluent Spanish and Latin
1 person likes this
@marijuana (570)
• Tel Aviv, Israel
10 Dec 15
Wow that's a lot of language he knows :) its very hard to learn especially if you don't live here.
1 person likes this
@marijuana (570)
• Tel Aviv, Israel
11 Dec 15
@factorial really? that's amazing!
1 person likes this
@Missmwngi (12926)
• Nairobi, Kenya
4 Dec 15
Waoh that is a good thing. Go for it
2 people like this
@marijuana (570)
• Tel Aviv, Israel
4 Dec 15
Thank you! It is not easy at all but I am doing my best :D
1 person likes this
@marijuana (570)
• Tel Aviv, Israel
5 Dec 15
it's indeed interesting but really hard :) to say verbs in their past ,present and future tenses are kinda too different from the other :) and all words have different masculine and famine form.
1 person likes this
@marijuana (570)
• Tel Aviv, Israel
5 Dec 15
@JudyEv yeah I realized English is far too easy in comparison :)
1 person likes this
@kaka135 (14916)
• Malaysia
5 Dec 15
I think it's interesting but very challenging to learn a foreign language, but since you are staying in Israel, hopefully it will be easier for you to learn the language they commonly use. I always think the easiest and fastest way to learn a foreign language is to stay in the environment with the language, so you have no other choice, but to listen and speak the language, and you will sooner learn and improve.
Good luck in your foreign language learning! 
1 person likes this
@marijuana (570)
• Tel Aviv, Israel
10 Dec 15
Yeah you're right, I got the immunity of being able to communicate English because people I was working with speaks English .. that's why it took me so long to learn :D
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
6 Dec 15
is it because you speak english more than hebrew there?
1 person likes this
@marijuana (570)
• Tel Aviv, Israel
10 Dec 15
Yeah I speak English more because luckily most people I work with speak English.
@LeaPea2417 (36486)
• Toccoa, Georgia
14 Dec 15
It seems like a difficult language to learn,, best of luck on you learning it well.
1 person likes this
@marijuana (570)
• Tel Aviv, Israel
14 Dec 15
Thank you ! It's really hard but I am inspired :)
1 person likes this
@marijuana (570)
• Tel Aviv, Israel
4 Dec 15
it's really very hard . It takes a lots of patience :D
2 people like this
@Drosophila (16573)
• Ireland
4 Dec 15
Hebrew wow! That is most impressive! I wish I am linguistically gifted!
1 person likes this
@marijuana (570)
• Tel Aviv, Israel
5 Dec 15
I think there are really people who learn different language much easier than the others .. they are the gifted ones . For me I have to exert too much effort and patience .
1 person likes this
@antonbunot (11091)
• Calgary, Alberta
6 Dec 15
As long as you speak English fluently and write legibly and grammatically correct, you are just fine . . you don't need to learn Hebrew coz people of the world is obsessed with the English language . . I learned Latin and Spanish in a catholic seminary where I studied since first year high school. Although I speak Spanish quite fluently, it is useless here in Canada. All Spanish-speaking Latino-Canadians respond to me in English when I talk to them in Spanish! 
1 person likes this
@marijuana (570)
• Tel Aviv, Israel
10 Dec 15
I speak English very well but there are times English becomes useless especially if you ride a cab and the driver don't know any english at all . He would scowl at me and say I live in Israel therefore I speak hebrew - so should you :P (ouch) lol
@HebrewGreekStudies (1646)
• Canada
10 Dec 15
Why are you in Israel:)? Are you, or have you made Aliyah? I would recommend shorter sections of say Bereshit or Shmot, the narratives or Shmuel...some of the Psalms are complicated for learners, and the forms for some of the later ones reflect Aramaic which...well, they won't be used as often in daily speech they will be seen as archaic, but some shorter ones will be easier. Success with your studies:)
1 person likes this
@marijuana (570)
• Tel Aviv, Israel
10 Dec 15
Hi there! Your name implies you are a language expert :D No I did not make Aliyah. I'm not a Jew :) I work here. Your recommendations seems too advance for me. I am currently focusing on the common words we use everyday at the moment. Thanks by the way and nice meeting you here :)
1 person likes this
@vickyblogs (341)
• India
5 Dec 15
I've a high regard for this language. The names of God,places, and persons in the Bible are quite interesting. Shalom!
@marijuana (570)
• Tel Aviv, Israel
10 Dec 15
Yeah, when reading the Bible and mentions places , some of them I have visited, it kinda makes it more exciting :)
@marijuana (570)
• Tel Aviv, Israel
5 Dec 15
YEs you can :) there are some guides you could find on the internet.
@slund2041 (3315)
• United States
5 Dec 15
I have never tried to learn Hebrew. I hope you do well learning to speak the language. I can only speak English.
1 person likes this
@marijuana (570)
• Tel Aviv, Israel
10 Dec 15
Thank you, I am able to speak 2 major languages and 2 native dialects and now Hebrew :)
@totobasso (331)
• Canada
10 Dec 15
I love then Bible so I wish that I could speak and read Hebrew. Keep it up!
1 person likes this
