לציית
letzayet
The Hebrew word for to abide is לציית (letzayet).
While the English 'abide' can mean to tolerate something, the Hebrew verb לציית specifically carries the meaning of 'to obey' or 'to comply with' a rule or authority.
Meaning: bear patiently, tolerate (verb)
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb לציית requires the preposition ל (le-) to indicate what is being obeyed or abided by. For example, לציית ל… means 'to abide by' or 'to obey' something.
How do you pronounce it?
letzayet
Did you know?
- If you want to say you are 'abiding' or 'living' in a place, you would never use לציית. Instead, you would use לגור or לשכון, as לציית is strictly reserved for complying with commands or laws.
- In modern Israeli culture, the word לציית is often associated with military or police contexts, making it feel much more formal and rigid than 'following' a suggestion.
- The root of the verb לציית is צ-י-ה, which is tied to the idea of command and instruction. This links the act of 'abiding' directly to the concept of a directive or an order.
Examples in context
- אתה חייב לציית לחוק.You have to abide by the laws.This sentence shows how to use לציית with the laws.Tatoeba #1461731 by MrShoval, translation #467346 by sacredceltic
- הם צריכים לציית לחוקים.They have got to abide by the rules.This sentence shows how to use לציית with the rules.Tatoeba #6017371 by fekundulo, translation #3139334 by AlanF_US
- אֲנִי שׁוֹמֵר אֶת הַחֻקִּיםI abide by the law
Example conversation
Noa and Noam are discussing strict household rules.
- נועה Noaקשה לי מאוד לציית לכל החוקים פה.Kashe li me-od letsayyet le-kol ha-khukim po.It is very hard for me to abide by all the rules here.
- נועם Noamאני מסכים איתך, זה באמת מוגזם.Ani maskim itakh, ze be-emet mugzam.I agree with you, it really is excessive.
- נועה Noaאתה חושב שנצליח לציית להם עד סוף השבוע?Atah khoshev she-natsliakh letsayyet lahem ad sof ha-shavua?Do you think we will manage to abide by them until the end of the week?
- נועם Noamאין לי מושג, נועה.Ein li mushag, Noa.I have no idea, Noa.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
