מה לעזאזל
ma la'azazel
The Hebrew phrase for "what the heck" is מה לעזאזל (ma la'azazel).
מה לעזאזל is used to express surprise, frustration or confusion, functioning much like the English expression "what the heck".
Meaning: softer form of "what the hell" (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of מה (what) and לעזאזל (to the devil/to hell).
How does it change in a sentence?
This phrase functions as an interjection and does not change its form based on the subject of the sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
ma la'azazel
Did you know?
- The word עזאזל in this phrase refers to a specific cliff mentioned in the Bible, from which a scapegoat was cast to its death.
- The structure of מה לעזאזל mimics European phrasing, whereas traditional Hebrew expressions of frustration often rely on different linguistic roots.
Examples in context
- מה לעזאזל קרה כאן?ma la'azazel kara kan?What the heck happened here?
Example conversation
Noam and Noa find a strange object in their living room.
- נועם Noamנועה, תסתכלי! מה לעזאזל זה?Noa, tistakli! ma la'azazel ze?Noa, look! What the heck is this?
- נועה Noaאני לא יודעת, זה נראה מוזר.ani lo yoda'at, ze nir'ah muzar.I don't know, it looks strange.
- נועם Noamמי שם את זה פה?mi sam et ze po?Who put this here?
- נועה Noaאולי זה של השכנים.ulay ze shel hashchenim.Maybe it belongs to the neighbors.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries לעזאזל, מה, מה לעזאזל, CC BY-SA 4.0.
