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לַעֲבוֹר דִּירָה

In English, we talk about moving from one residence to another. The Hebrew word for residence is דִּירָה ( listen and repeat) – which is also the word for apartment or flat. But to move is literally, לָזוּז ( listen and repeat), and that’s not what we say in Hebrew.
The Hebrew expression is לַעֲבוֹר דִּירָה ( listen and repeat) – literally, to pass residence or to transfer residence. לעבור ( listen and repeat) is an active-simple פָּעַל verb of the root ע.ב.ר, meaning passing or transferring.
For example:
עָבַרְנוּ דִּירָה מִבְּאֵר שֶׁבַע לְאַשְׁדּוֹד.
We moved house from Beer Sheva to Ashdod.
Likewise, a move or a transferring of residence is מַעֲבַר דִּירָה ( listen and repeat).
The word מעבר ( listen and repeat) is also a transition.
For example:
רֹאשׁ חוֹדֶשׁ אָב הוּא הַמַּעֲבָר לְתוֹךְ הָאֲבֵלוּת הַכְּבֵדָה עַל יְרוּשָׁלַיִם.
The start of the (Jewish) month of Av is the transition into the heavy mourning over Jerusalem.

Visit Ktzat Ivrit . / Ami Steinberger

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Ami Steinberger is founder and director of Ulpan La-Inyan.