כמובן
kamuvando
The English phrase "of course" is translated into Hebrew as כמובן (kamuvando).
כמובן is used to indicate enthusiastic agreement. It can function as a standalone interjection to express agreement or as an adverbial phrase within a sentence to add emphasis.
Meaning: indicates enthusiastic agreement (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a combination of the prefix כ- (meaning as/like) and the root מובן (meaning understood), literally translating to "as understood" or "as is understood".
How do you pronounce it?
kamuvando
Did you know?
- While כמובן expresses agreement, using it to answer a question like 'Can you help me?' can sometimes sound slightly patronizing, as if you are saying 'obviously'.
- In very casual Israeli slang, people often swap כמובן for the word בטח, which can range from a simple 'sure' to a more assertive 'of course'.
- The root of מובן is ב-י-ן, which is the same root used for the Hebrew word for 'intelligence' or 'understanding' (בינה).
Examples in context
- אצביע עבור תום, כמובן.I'll vote for Tom, of course.This sentence shows how to use כמובן as an adverbial phrase within a sentence to add emphasis.Tatoeba #5555443 by fekundulo, translation #5270650 by CK
- כמובן, זה היה רק תירוץ.Of course, that was just an excuse.This sentence demonstrates using כמובן as a standalone interjection.Tatoeba #12055942 by Eldad, translation #12056719 by shekitten
- המורה אמר: "כמובן, אפשר".The teacher said: "Of course, it's possible".Tatoeba #882315 by Eldad, translation #2658116 by Joseph
- 38 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing whether to go to the beach.
- עידו Idoאת רוצה ללכת לים היום?At rotze lalechet layam hayom?Do you want to go to the beach today?
- עגור Adiכמובן! אני ממש רוצה שמש.Kamouvan! Ani mamash rotze shemesh.Of course! I really want some sun.
- עידו Idoאני אבוא לאסוף אותך בעשר.Ani avo l'asof otach be'eser.I will come pick you up at ten.
- עגור Adiמעולה, נתראה אז.Meuleh, nitra'e az.Great, see you then.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
