How hard is it to learn to speak Hebrew?

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
RaistlinZ

RaistlinZ

Diamond Member
Oct 15, 2001
7,470
9
91
I've been dying to learn a second language for some time. At first, I wanted to learn Spanish but I'm thinking Hebrew would be much more challenging and interesting. How long does it take to learn compared to other languages?
 
C

CrazyLazy

Platinum Member
Jun 21, 2008
2,124
1
0
Why don't you learn a language that a large portion of the population speaks? Spanish, Chinese etc etc. Seems like Hebrew has a pretty limited audience.
 
ConstipatedVigilante

ConstipatedVigilante

Diamond Member
Feb 22, 2006
7,670
1
0
You should really start with a romance language first if English is your first language. I'm taking Chinese right now and it might have been too weird to learn if I hadn't already "learned how to learn" a language with Spanish.
 
SagaLore

SagaLore

Elite Member
Dec 18, 2001
24,036
21
81
My step-dad learned Hebrew. Took him a few years. It sounds like Klingon.
 
CKent

CKent

Diamond Member
Aug 17, 2005
9,020
0
0
Originally posted by: ConstipatedVigilante
You should really start with a romance language first if English is your first language. I'm taking Chinese right now and it might have been too weird to learn if I hadn't already "learned how to learn" a language with Spanish.
Click to expand...
Moreover it'll give him an idea of what he's facing. The Latin-derived european languages share a ton of similarities and it's still hard to learn them. Hebrew would be 10 times as hard, and I can't imagine learning something as alien as Chinese, but then I'm definitely not gifted in this area.
 
Baked

Baked

Lifer
Dec 28, 2004
36,052
17
81
Don't bother, the jews will get wipe out at the beginning of WWIII next year.
 
Baked

Baked

Lifer
Dec 28, 2004
36,052
17
81
Originally posted by: Leros
Originally posted by: Baked
Don't bother, the jews will get wipe out at the beginning of WWIII next year.
Click to expand...

You planning something, Hitler?
Click to expand...

No, but sounds like you missed the McCain Vs. Obama debate.
 
Freshgeardude

Freshgeardude

Diamond Member
Jul 31, 2006
4,506
0
76
Dont listen to all the phlegm stuff. most hebrew isnt like the word Chanuka, which most people say a lot thinking they now know hebrew. I've been to Israel once, and I honestly learnt more in the 2 weeks I was there, than most of what I learned thus far (K-8th grade (went in 8th)). if you know the letters and vowels, which are very easy to learn(2 weeks youll be a pro at it) you can learn to read the language pretty quickly. tbh though, the best way to learn any language is from speaking to someone who speaks it, my hebrew isnt perfect at all, because I dont have that much exposure to hebrew speakers as much as before
 
mrSHEiK124

mrSHEiK124

Lifer
Mar 6, 2004
11,488
2
0
I took Modern Hebrew I/II to pick up the basics a while ago; I speak Arabic though, picking it up was damn easy, very similar grammar and phonetics. Also got props from the professor for being the only person in the class who could pronounce het (Khet) as /h/ rather than /x/, also due to the fact that I can speak Arabic :p

I forgot most of it, I took the classes because I thought it'd be useful overseas (West Bank), and really only had my dad to practice it with since he spoke it for the same reason. If you do end up learning it, try and keep up with reading a newspaper online in Hebrew (Haaretz) or listening to an online Israeli radio station or something.
 
P

paulney

Diamond Member
Sep 24, 2003
6,909
1
0
Hebrew is a pretty simple language in terms of grammar, and for what it's worth, when I did some basic learning, grammatical structures were pretty close to Russian (my native language), so it was fairly easy. Once you learn the alphabet, you can start reading student books (where they place little hints on which vowel is following which consonant). The absence of vowels throws you off a bit, but after a while you get the intuition on how it's supposed to sound. It's not 100% proof though, so sometimes you will sound funny to natives :)

All in all, like others said - not a very practical language to learn. Probably even harder for someone from Roman language group.
 
I

imported_Imp

Diamond Member
Dec 20, 2005
9,148
0
0
Originally posted by: CrazyLazy
Why don't you learn a language that a large portion of the population speaks? Spanish, Chinese etc etc. Seems like Hebrew has a pretty limited audience.
Click to expand...

Thisaone. Spanish, French and Mandarin are the best ones to learn.

I'm trying to learn French now, pissing me off. Even worse is that I took French from grade 4 to 10. After doing nothing with it for 6 years, I'm trying to read my way in.
 
IEC

IEC

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Jun 10, 2004
14,600
6,084
136
Originally posted by: aesthetics
Originally posted by: Baked
Don't bother, the jews will get wipe out at the beginning of WWIII next year.
Click to expand...

Hahah, yesss.

ja wohl mein furor......
Click to expand...

Ja wohl mein Führer.
 
P

potato28

Diamond Member
Jun 27, 2005
8,964
0
0
Originally posted by: Imp
Originally posted by: CrazyLazy
Why don't you learn a language that a large portion of the population speaks? Spanish, Chinese etc etc. Seems like Hebrew has a pretty limited audience.
Click to expand...

Thisaone. Spanish, French and Mandarin are the best ones to learn.

I'm trying to learn French now, pissing me off. Even worse is that I took French from grade 4 to 10. After doing nothing with it for 6 years, I'm trying to read my way in.
Click to expand...

Yea French is a bitch, and I can't imagine learning anything like Chinese or Japanese after the struggle with French.
 
C

cyclistca

Platinum Member
Dec 5, 2000
2,885
11
81
Originally posted by: ConstipatedVigilante
You should really start with a romance language first if English is your first language. I'm taking Chinese right now and it might have been too weird to learn if I hadn't already "learned how to learn" a language with Spanish.
Click to expand...

I didn't know there was a language called Chinese? Is this a new language?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom