לדבר
ledaber
To speak in Hebrew is לדבר (ledaber).
This verb is used to express the ability to communicate in a language, which is typically done by combining לדבר with the name of the language. When you want to express speaking with a person, use the infinitive לדבר followed by the preposition עם. To express speaking about a specific topic, use the infinitive לדבר followed by the preposition על.
Meaning: to be able to communicate in a language (verb)
How does it change in a sentence?
In the present tense, the verb changes based on the gender and number of the subject. The masculine singular form is מדבר, and the feminine singular form is מדברת. For groups, the masculine plural form is מדברים and the feminine plural form is מדברות.
How do you pronounce it?
ledaber
Did you know?
- The root of לדבר is ד-ב-ר, which is also the basis for the word דברים meaning 'things' or 'words'.
- In modern slang, if someone is 'speaking' or 'talking nonsense', you might hear the phrase מדבר שטויות, which literally translates to 'speaking stupid things'.
- In modern Israeli slang, the phrase לדבר בשפה של… can be used to mean 'speaking the same language' in a metaphorical sense, referring to shared values rather than a literal tongue.
Examples in context
- עם מי תרצה לדבר?Who would you like to speak with?The first sentence is useful for asking who someone would like to speak with using לדבר.Tatoeba #2202075 by Eldad, translation #1557588 by CM
- עם מי תרצי לדבר?Who would you like to speak to?The second sentence is useful for asking who someone would like to speak to using לדבר.Tatoeba #2202076 by Eldad, translation #1557590 by CM
- תן לי לדבר איתם.Let me speak to them.The third sentence is useful for asking to let someone speak to them using לדבר.Tatoeba #5812412 by fekundulo, translation #3906868 by CH
- אנא תן לי תור לדבר.Please give me a turn to speak.
- אני מתכנת כרגע אבל אני יכול לדבר על מגוון נושאים.I am a programmer at the moment, but I can speak about a variety of subjects.
- היא יודעת לדבר עברית מצוין.She knows how to speak Hebrew excellently.
- 333 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Agur and Itai are talking about language skills at a cafe.
- עגור Adiאיתי, אתה יודע לדבר אנגלית?itay, ata yodea ledaber anglit?Itai, do you know how to speak English?
- איתי Itayכן, אני יודע לדבר קצת.ken, ani yodea ledaber ktsat.Yes, I know how to speak a little.
- עגור Adiזה מצוין, אני רוצה לדבר איתך באנגלית.ze mtzuyan, ani rotza ledaber itcha be'anglit.That's excellent, I want to speak English with you.
- איתי Itayבשמחה, עגור.besimcha, agur.With pleasure, Agur.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
