לֵיצָן
leitsánmasculine
The Hebrew word for clown is לֵיצָן (leitsán). Wiktionary also lists ליצנית (leytsanit).
Meaning: performance artist working in a circus (noun)
Ways to say it
| Hebrew | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| לֵיצָן | leitsán | masculine |
| ליצנית | leytsanit | feminine |
The term refers to a performance artist working in a circus.
Which one should you use?
לֵיצָן is the masculine form, while you should use ליצנית when referring specifically to a female clown.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine plural form of clown is ליצנים, and the feminine plural form is ליצניות.
How do you pronounce it?
leitsán
Did you know?
- In certain religious or traditional contexts, the concept of ליצנות (clowning/mockery) is viewed as a spiritual flaw, suggesting that mocking others can lead to being mocked oneself.
- In modern Hebrew slang, the phrase עשינו ממנו ליצן literally means 'we made a clown out of him', used when someone has been thoroughly humiliated or made to look foolish.
- The root of לֵיצָן is connected to the concept of 'mockery' in Hebrew, which gives the word a much sharper, more biting edge in social arguments than the English word 'clown' usually carries.
Examples in context
- אל מי את מדברת, ליצנית?Who're you talking to, clown?This sentence demonstrates how to address a female clown using ליצנית.Tatoeba #2350562 by fekundulo, translation #2369526 by AlanF_US
Example conversation
Noa and Daniel are watching a circus show.
- נועה Noaדניאל, תראה את הלֵיצָן!Daniel, tireh et ha-leitzan!Daniel, look at the clown!
- דניאל Danielהוא עושה תעלולים מצחיקים.Hu ose ta'alulim matzkhikim.He is doing funny tricks.
- נועה Noaאני אוהבת את התשמיש שלו.Ani ohevet et ha-tashmish shelo.I love his costume.
- דניאל Danielהוא באמת לֵיצָן מוכשר.Hu be-emet leitzan mukshar.He really is a talented clown.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “clown” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
