לקנות
liknot
The Hebrew verb for 'buy' is לקנות (liknot).
The verb לקנות is used to express the act of obtaining something with money. In common usage, the infinitive לקנות is often followed directly by the object being purchased, similar to the structure in English.
Meaning: to obtain something with money (verb)
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb changes depending on the tense and person.
How do you pronounce it?
liknot
Did you know?
- If you are 'buying' a story or an excuse, Hebrew speakers might say you are 'swallowing' it rather than 'buying' it.
- In Israel, the phrase לקנות is often used colloquially to mean 'to be fooled'. If someone says קנית אותי (kanita oti), they are telling you that they fell for your trick or joke.
- When speaking about buying a 'deal' or a 'bargain', Israelis often use the word מבצע (mivtza), which literally means 'an operation' or 'an exercise'.
Examples in context
- מה אתה רוצה לקנות?What do you want to buy?This sentence shows how to use לקנות to ask about a desire to purchase something.Tatoeba #1482635 by MrShoval, translation #703319 by papabear
- הוא רצה לקנות ספר.He wanted to buy a book.This sentence illustrates using לקנות to describe a past intention to buy a book.Tatoeba #1807680 by Eldad, translation #2564519 by CH
- אין הרבה מה לקנות.There's nothing much to buy.This sentence demonstrates using לקנות to express that there is not much available for purchase.Tatoeba #4678578 by fekundulo, translation #3272270 by CM
- כמה עולה?How much does it cost?
- 384 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Itay and Rotem are at a supermarket.
- איתי Itayרוטם, אני צריך לקנות חלב.Rotem, ani tsarikh liknot khalav.Rotem, I need to buy milk.
- רוטם Rotemגם אני רוצה לקנות מיץ.Gam ani rotse liknot mits.I want to buy juice too.
- איתי Itayאיפה אפשר לקנות את זה?Efo efshar liknot et ze?Where can we buy it?
- רוטם Rotemהמיצים נמצאים שם.Hamitsim nimtsa'im sham.The juices are over there.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
