Lesson 100: The Environment
At B2 you can discuss abstract topics and build an argument. This short opinion text on the environment uses conditionals (“if… then…”) and the logical connectors that hold formal Hebrew together.
A short opinion text
הַיּוֹם, שִׁנּוּי הָאַקְלִים הוּא אַחַת הַבְּעָיוֹת הַגְּדוֹלוֹת בָּעוֹלָם.
hayom, shinui ha’aklim hu achat habe’ayot hagdolot ba’olam.
Today, climate change is one of the biggest problems in the world.
אִם לֹא נִשְׁמֹר עַל הַטֶּבַע, הַדּוֹרוֹת הַבָּאִים יִסְבְּלוּ.
im lo nishmor al hateva, hadorot haba’im yisbelu.
If we don’t protect nature, future generations will suffer.
לָכֵן, כְּדַאי לְמַחְזֵר וְלַחְסֹךְ בְּמַיִם וּבְחַשְׁמַל.
lachen, keday lemachzer ve’lachsoch bemayim uvchashmal.
Therefore, it’s worthwhile to recycle and to save water and electricity.
כָּל אֶחָד יָכוֹל לַעֲזֹר, גַּם בִּצְעָדִים קְטַנִּים.
kol echad yachol la’azor, gam bitsadim ktanim.
Everyone can help, even with small steps.
Grammar: conditionals and connectors
A real conditional in Hebrew uses אִם (im, “if”) + future, then a result in the future:
- אִם לֹא נִשְׁמֹר… יִסְבְּלוּ — im lo nishmor… yisbelu — “if we don’t protect… they will suffer.”
These connectors raise your register and link ideas logically:
| Hebrew | Romanization | English |
|---|---|---|
| לָכֵן | lachen | therefore, so |
| כְּדַאי | keday | it’s worthwhile to |
| בִּגְלַל | biglal | because of |
| לְמְרוֹת | lamrot | despite |
Notice the noun שִׁנּוּי (shinui, “change”), formed from the verb לְשַׁנּוֹת (leshanot, “to change”). Turning verbs into nouns like this is typical of formal, written Hebrew.
Tip: כְּדַאי (keday) and צָרִיךְ (tsarich) are both followed by an infinitive: keday lemachzer (“worth recycling”), tsarich lachsoch (“must save”).
Vocabulary
The environment
| סְבִיבָה | sviva | environment, surroundings |
| אַקְלִים | aklim | climate |
| טֶבַע | teva | nature |
| זִהוּם | zihum | pollution |
Actions
| לְמַחְזֵר | lemachzer | to recycle |
| לַחְסֹךְ | lachsoch | to save, conserve |
| לִשְׁמֹר עַל | lishmor al | to protect, look after |
Abstract nouns
| שִׁנּוּי | shinui | change |
| בְּעָיָה | be’aya | problem |
| דּוֹר | dor | generation |
| חַשְׁמַל | chashmal | electricity |