להרוג
laharog
The Hebrew verb for 'to slay' is להרוג (laharog).
להרוג means to kill or murder. While it is the standard verb for the act of killing, it is also used in more dramatic or literary contexts, similar to the English use of 'slay'.
Meaning: to kill, murder (verb)
How does it change in a sentence?
The infinitive form להרוג expresses the concept of 'to kill' or 'to slay'. In the present tense, the masculine singular form is הורג, which means 'kills' or 'is killing'.
How do you pronounce it?
laharog
Did you know?
- In modern Israeli slang, the root of להרוג is used in the phrase זה הורג אותי to mean 'it's killing me', but it often refers to being overwhelmed by laughter or exhaustion rather than actual death.
- In certain historical Hebrew contexts, the term for slaying a person could be distinguished from slaying an animal by using the verb להשחוט, which specifically refers to the ritualistic slaughtering of livestock.
- While 'slay' in English can be used as slang to mean 'to do something excellently', using a Hebrew equivalent of 'to kill' in this way would not work and would instead sound violent or nonsensical.
Examples in context
- הם רוצים להרוג את הדרקון.hem rotzim leharog et hadrakon.They want to kill the dragon.
- אסור להרוג חיות בטבע.asur leharog chayot batiba.It is forbidden to kill animals in nature.
Example conversation
Two people are discussing a crime movie.
- עגור Adiלמה הוא רצה להרוג אותה?Lama hu ratsa leharog ota?Why did he want to kill her?
- עידו Idoכי הוא חשב שהיא גנבה ממנו.Ki hu khashav she-hi ganva mimeno.Because he thought she stole from him.
- עגור Adiזה לא סיבה להרוג מישהו.Ze lo siba leharog mishehu.That is no reason to kill someone.
- עידו Idoאת צודקת, זה סרט מאוד עצוב.At tzadeket, ze seret meod atsuv.You are right, it is a very sad movie.
