נחמד מאוד
nechmad me'od
The Hebrew phrase for "very nice" is נחמד מאוד (nechmad me'od).
נחמד מאוד is an expression used to describe someone or something as pleasant or agreeable.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the adjective נחמד (nice) followed by the adverb מְאוֹד (very).
Which one should you use?
While נחמד מאוד is common, placing the adverb before the adjective as מאוד נחמד is also grammatically correct and carries the same meaning.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective must agree in gender with the person or object being described, so use נחמדה מאוד for a female. To describe a group of men or a mixed-gender group as very nice, use the plural form נחמדים מאוד. To describe a group of women as very nice, use the feminine plural form נחמדות מאוד.
How do you pronounce it?
nechmad me'od
Did you know?
- In modern Israeli slang, saying נחמד (nice) with a specific falling intonation can actually be a veiled way of saying something is mediocre or underwhelming.
- While נחמד means 'nice', its root is shared with the word for 'desire' or 'covet'. In Biblical Hebrew, the word was used to describe something physically beautiful or precious rather than just a pleasant personality.
- The word מאוד shares an ancient linguistic ancestor with the Akkadian word 𒈠𒀪𒁕 (ma'du).
Examples in context
- אבא שלך נראה נחמד מאוד.Your father seems very nice.This sentence shows how to use נחמד מאוד to describe a person.Tatoeba #1812898 by Eldad, translation #70966 by CK
- הוא נחמד מאוד, ולכן אני אוהבת לעבוד אתו.He's very nice, which is why I like working with him.This sentence illustrates using נחמד מאוד to explain why one enjoys working with someone.Tatoeba #1351746 by Eldad, translation #1042661 by GPHemsley
- המלון הזה נחמד מאוד.ha-malon ha-ze nekhmad me'od.This hotel is very nice.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Itay and Agur are discussing a new cafe they visited.
- איתי Itayמה חשבת על בית הקפה החדש?Ma hashavt al beit hakafe hakhadash?What did you think of the new cafe?
- עגור Adiהיה שם נחמד מאוד.Haya sham nehmad me'od.It was very nice there.
- איתי Itayגם המלצר היה נחמד מאוד.Gam hameltzar haya nehmad me'od.The waiter was also very nice.
- עגור Adiנכון, בוא נחזור לשם שוב.Nakhon, bo nakhzor lesham shuv.True, let's go back there again.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries מאוד, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
