מתוק שלי
matok sheli
In Hebrew, the phrase for "sweetie" is מתוק שלי (matok sheli).
מתוק שלי is a term of endearment used to address a loved one or a child.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the adjective מתוק (matok), meaning "sweet" and the possessive pronoun שלי (sheli), meaning "my" or "mine".
Which one should you use?
Unlike the English word "sweetie", the Hebrew adjective must agree in gender with the person being addressed. Use מתוק שלי for males and מתוקה שלי for females.
How does it change in a sentence?
To address a female as "sweetie", the masculine adjective מתוק changes to the feminine form מתוקה. If you are addressing multiple people affectionately, use the plural form מתוקים שלי.
How do you pronounce it?
matok sheli
Did you know?
- The adjective מתוק shares the same ancient Proto-Semitic root as the Ugaritic word 𐎎𐎚𐎖, meaning 'sweet'.
- In Israeli culture, terms of endearment like מתוקה (matoka) are sometimes used by strangers in service settings, such as a shopkeeper addressing a customer, to create a friendly atmosphere.
- Hebrew has several other 'taste-based' terms of endearment, such as סוכר (sukar), meaning 'sugar', which is used similarly to 'sweetie'.
Examples in context
- אתה מתוק שלי.You're my sweetie.This sentence demonstrates the use of מתוק שלי.Tatoeba #2622070 by Olya, translation #2631817 by Joseph
- היי, מתוק!Hey, sweetie!
- תודה רבה, מתוק שלי.toda raba, matok sheli.Thank you very much, my sweetie.
Example conversation
Ido and Noa are talking at home after a long day.
- עידו Idoנועה, את רוצה משהו לשתות?Noa, at rotza mashehu lishtot?Noa, do you want something to drink?
- נועה Noaכן, תודה לך, מתוק שלי.ken, toda lecha, matok sheli.Yes, thank you, my sweetie.
- עידו Idoאני מביא לך מים עכשיו.ani mevi lach mayim achshav.I'll bring you some water now.
- נועה Noaאתה באמת נהדר, עידו.ata be'emet nehedar, Ido.You are really wonderful, Ido.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries מתוק, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
