“Let’s stay in touch,” “Something has to change,” “It’s not you, it’s me” – all languages have these disingenuous, non-committal and empty phrases. So how do we say them in Hebrew?

Words and expressions discussed:

Ata achshav kvar lo muchan lehitchayev – אַתָּה עַכְשָיו כְּבָר לֹא מוּכָן לְהִתְחַיֵיב

Mechuyavoot – מְחוּיָיבוּת

Chayav – חַיָּיב

Mashehu chayav le-hishtanot –מָשֶהוּ חַיָּיב לְהִשְתַנוֹת

Ani chayav lalechet –אֲנִי חַיָּיב לָלֶכֶת

Kama ani chayav/ chayevet lecha? ?כמה אֲנִי חַיָּיב / חַיֶּיבֶת לְךָ

Nedaber me-halev – נְדַבֵּר מֵהַלֵּב

Az nedaber –אָז נְדַבֵּר

Daber iti – דַּבֵּר אִיתִי

Nihye bekesher –נִהיֵה בְּקֶשֶר

Ani rotsa lifgosh otcha spontani –אֲנִי רוֹצָה לְפְגוֹש אוֹתְךָ סְפּוֹנְטָנִי

Ani spontani -אֲנִי סְפּוֹנְטָנִי

Anachnu od nir’ee et ha-yamim ha-‘acherim –אֲנַחְנוּ עוֹד נִרְאֶה אֶת הַיָּמִים הָאֲחֵרִים

Tsochakim et ha-aviv, ha-ahavot, ha-neurim ve’et ha-dvarim asher shachachnu kvar eich hem nir’im- צוֹחֲקִים אֶת הָאָבִיב, הָאֲהָבוֹת, הַנְּעוּרִים וְאֶת הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֵׁר כְּבָר שָׁכַחנוּ אֵיךְ הֵם נִרְאִים

Music:

Sarit Hadad – Ha-ke’ev ha-ze (Lyrics)

Ravi Shankar & George Harrison – Shanti Mantra

Yirmi Kaplan – Mashehu chayav le-hishtanot (Lyrics)

Shlomo Artzi – Nedaber me-halev (Lyrics)

Sarit Hadad – Chosevet Alecha (Lyrics)

Lahakat Pikud Merkaz – Ha-yamim ha-acherim (Lyrics)

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Photo by Guy Sharett: “It’s not you, it’s me.”