לשמור
lishmor
The Hebrew verb for 'save' is לשמור (lishmor).
לשמור is used to mean saving something for later use, such as food. When you want to express the idea of saving or protecting something, you almost always follow the verb with the preposition על.
Meaning: to help someone to survive, or rescue someone (verb)
Which one should you use?
There is a distinction between different types of saving. While לשמור can mean to save something for later (like food), the verb להציל is the specific word used when you are rescuing a person or saving a life from danger.
How does it change in a sentence?
The present tense masculine singular form of לשמור is שומר. The past tense feminine singular form is שמרה.
How do you pronounce it?
lishmor
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be aware that לשמור has a broader range of meanings than the English word 'save'. It also means 'to keep' (such as keeping a secret) and 'to guard' or 'to watch' (such as a guard).
Did you know?
- When someone tells you שמור על עצמך (save/guard yourself), it is the standard way to say 'take care' or 'stay safe' when saying goodbye.
- The verb לשמור is also the root for the word 'Shabbat', as the Sabbath is a day one 'keeps' or 'observes'.
- The phrase לשמור על is used not only for saving or protecting, but also for 'taking care of' a child or a pet.
Examples in context
- אנו צריכים לשמור קצת עוגה לתום.We should save some cake for Tom.This sentence shows how to use לשמור to mean saving something for a person.Tatoeba #5905442 by fekundulo, translation #1893727 by CK
- אנא שמור על הסודות שלי.Please keep my secrets.
- אני מנסה לחסוך כסף כדי לטייל בעתיד.I am trying to save money to travel in the future.
- אנחנו צריכים לחסוך מים בתקופת היבשה.We need to save water during the dry season.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a rescue mission in a movie.
- עגור Adiהיא תצליח לשמור את כולם?Hi tatsliach lishmor et kulam?Will she succeed in saving everyone?
- נועם Noamאני חושב שכן, היא גיבורה.Ani choshev she-ken, hi gibora.I think so, she is a hero.
- עגור Adiאני מקווה שהיא תבחר לשמור את נועם.Ani mekaveh she-hi tivchar lishmor et Noam.I hope she chooses to save Noam.
- נועם Noamבטח, הם חברים טובים.Betach, hem chaverim tovim.Of course, they are good friends.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
