מניאק
manyak
The Hebrew word for jerk is מניאק (manyak).
מניאק is used to describe an unlikable or contemptible person. While it can function as a direct insult, it is also frequently used among close friends in a hyperbolic or joking way to describe someone who did something slightly annoying or 'badass'.
Meaning: unlikable person (noun)
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
מניאק is a slang term.
How does it change in a sentence?
To refer to a female jerk, use the feminine form מניאקה. The plural form of the noun is מניאקים.
How do you pronounce it?
manyak
Did you know?
- The word מניאק is not native to Hebrew but was borrowed from the Italian word 'maniaco'.
- In Israeli slang, calling a friend מניאק can actually be a high compliment, often used to express awe when someone performs a clever or impressive trick.
- The term מניאק is part of a wider Mediterranean slang trend where the word for 'maniac' evolved into a general term for a 'jerk' in languages like Greek and Turkish.
Examples in context
- הוא ממש מניאק.hu mamash menyak.He is a real jerk.
- אל תהיה מניאק איתי.al tihiye menyak iti.Don't be a jerk to me.
- הבוס שלו מניאק רציני.habos shelo menyak retzini.His boss is a serious jerk.
Example conversation
Noa tells Itay about a rude man she met.
- נועה Noaהמוכר בחנות היה ממש מניאק.Ha-mocher ba-hanut haya mamash manyak.The clerk at the store was a real jerk.
- איתי Itayמה הוא עשה?Ma hu asa?What did he do?
- נועה Noaהוא צעק עליי בלי סיבה.Hu tza'ak alay bli siba.He yelled at me for no reason.
- איתי Itayבאמת, איזה מניאק.Be'emet, eize manyak.Seriously, what a jerk.
