איש קטן
ish katan/ʔiːʃ kaˈtan/word by word
The English phrase "little man" is translated into Hebrew as איש קטן (ish katan).
This phrase is used to describe a person who is small in stature or someone who lacks power and influence.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is ish katan and the IPA is /ʔiːʃ kaˈtan/.
Did you know?
- The word קטן (katan), meaning 'small', shares an ancient root with the Ge'ez word for 'thick' or 'solid', suggesting a linguistic evolution from physical density to perceived scale.
- In some religious contexts, the term קטן refers to a boy who has not yet reached the age of legal responsibility under Jewish law.
- Because קטן (katan) can also mean 'young' in certain contexts, a person might mistake איש קטן for 'a young man' if the context is not clear.
Examples in context
- הוא רק איש קטן בעולם הזה.hu rak ish katan ba'olam ha'ze.He is just a little man in this world.
- הוא נראה כמו איש קטן וחלש.hu nira kemo ish katan ve'chalash.He looks like a little, weak man.
Example conversation
Two colleagues are discussing a timid coworker.
- עגור Adiראית איך הוא נסוג אחורה בשיחה?Ra'it eich hu nasug achora basicha?Did you see how he backed away in the conversation?
- דניאל Danielכן, הוא תמיד מתנהג כמו איש קטן.Ken, hu tamid mitha-neg kmo ish katan.Yes, he always acts like a little man.
- עגור Adiזה פשוט חבל, יש לו רעיונות טובים.Ze pashut chaval, yesh lo ra'ayonot tovim.It's just a pity, he has good ideas.
- דניאל Danielהוא פשוט מפחד מהסמכות.Hu pashut mefached mehasamchut.He is just afraid of authority.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (איש, קטן) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries איש, קטן, CC BY-SA 4.0.
