שושן
shoshan
The English word "lily" is translated into Hebrew as שושן (shoshan).
שושן refers to the flower in the genus Lilium.
Meaning: flower in the genus Lilium (noun)
Which one should you use?
While שושן refers to the botanical flower, the name לִילִי is a modern Hebrew name used for people, transliterated from the English 'Lily'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of שושן is שושנים.
How do you pronounce it?
shoshan
Did you know?
- The word שושן is an ancient loanword that travelled through multiple languages, starting from Elamite and moving into Egyptian before entering Hebrew.
- In ancient biblical Hebrew, שושן was often used as a generic term for various fragrant white flowers, not strictly those in the genus Lilium.
- The Hebrew Bible frequently mentions שושנים in the Song of Songs, where they symbolize beauty and love rather than just a botanical specimen.
Examples in context
- אַתְּ רוֹקֶדֶת בֵּין הַשָּׁוֹשַׁנִיּוֹת הַאֲדֹמוֹת.You are dancing among the red lilies.
- יש לי שושן בתוך האגרטל.yesh li shoshan betoch ha-agartal.I have a lily in the vase.
- הוא קנה שושן אדום.hu kana shoshan adom.He bought a red lily.
Example conversation
Daniel and Rotem are walking through a botanical garden.
- דניאל Danielרוטם, תסתכלי על השושן היפה הזה.Rotem, tistakli al hashoshan hayafe haze.Rotem, look at this beautiful lily.
- רוטם Rotemהוא באמת נראה מדהים, דניאל.hu be'emet nir'a madhim, Daniel.It really looks amazing, Daniel.
- דניאל Danielאני חושב שזה סוג נדיר של שושן.ani choshev sheze sug nadir shel shoshan.I think it is a rare type of lily.
- רוטם Rotemבוא נצלם אותו לפני שנלך.bo natsalem oto lifnei shenelekh.Let's photograph it before we go.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries שושן, CC BY-SA 4.0.
