Lesson 75: Following a Recipe
Recipes are the friendliest way to meet the imperative — the “do this!” form — because every step is a command. Add a few sequencing words and you can follow (or give) any set of instructions.
A simple salad
מַתְכּוֹן לְסָלָט פָּשׁוּט:
matkon lesalat pashut:
A recipe for a simple salad:
קֹדֶם, חֲתֹךְ עַגְבָנִיּוֹת וּמְלָפְפוֹנִים.
kodem, chatoch agvaniyot umelafefonim.
First, cut tomatoes and cucumbers.
אַחַר כָּךְ, הוֹסֵף שֶׁמֶן זַיִת וּמֶלַח.
achar kach, hosef shemen zayit umelach.
Then, add olive oil and salt.
עַרְבֵּב הַכֹּל הֵיטֵב.
arbev hakol heitev.
Mix everything well.
לְבַסּוֹף, הַגֵּשׁ וְתֶהֱנֶה!
levasof, hagesh vetehene!
Finally, serve and enjoy!
Grammar: the imperative
The imperative is the command form. For a man, the masculine-singular forms are short and punchy:
| Infinitive | Imperative | English |
|---|---|---|
| לַחְתֹּךְ | חֲתֹךְ! chatoch! | cut! |
| לְהוֹסִיף | הוֹסֵף! hosef! | add! |
| לְעַרְבֵּב | עַרְבֵּב! arbev! | mix! |
Chain the steps with sequencing words: קֹדֶם (kodem, “first”), אַחַר כָּךְ (achar kach, “then”), לְבַסּוֹף (levasof, “finally”).
Tip: In everyday speech Israelis often replace the imperative with the future: תַּחְתֹּךְ (tachtoch, “you’ll cut”) sounds softer than the crisp חֲתֹךְ.
Vocabulary
In the kitchen
| מַתְכּוֹן | matkon | recipe |
| כַּף | kaf | spoon, tablespoon |
| כּוֹס | kos | cup, glass |
| שֶׁמֶן | shemen | oil |
| מֶלַח | melach | salt |
Cooking verbs
| לַחְתֹּךְ | lachtoch | to cut |
| לְהוֹסִיף | lehosif | to add |
| לְעַרְבֵּב | le’arbev | to mix |
Sequencing
| קֹדֶם | kodem | first |
| לְבַסּוֹף | levasof | finally |