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Jul 18, 2012

how to say "a bit sweet" in Hebrew


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מְתַקְתַּק




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Yesterday's entry introduced the Hebrew word for to tick - לְתַקְתֵּק (leh-tahk-TEK), whose present-tense (active participle) masculine-singular form is מְתַקְתֵּק (meh-tahk-TEK). Though yesterday's word sounds a lot like today's, the two mean completely different things. Moreover, מתקתֵק comes from English, while today's entry, מְתַקְתַּק (meh-tahk-TAHK), comes from an authentic Hebrew root. Here's a comparison on the two.


On רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה - Rosh Hashanah (rohsh hah-shah-NAH), Jews wish one another a שָׁנָה טוֹבָה וּמְתוּקָה - a good and sweet year (shah-NAH toh-VAH oo-meh-too-KAH). 


The word for sweet is מָתוֹק (mah-TOHK) in the masculine and מְתוּקָה (meh-too-KAH in the feminine).


To say something is a bit sweet or lightly sweet, you'd use the word מְתַקְתַּק (meh-tahk-TAHK) in the masculine and מְתַקְתְּקָה (meh-tahk-teh-KAH) in the feminine. מתקתק is a diminutive form of מתוק.

For example:



סָלָט יְרָקוֹת עִם חִטָּה מְתַקְתַּק
a lightly-sweet vegetable salad with wheat


פַּשְׁטִידַת תַּפּוּחֵי אֲדָמָה מְתַקְתְּקָה
a lightly-sweet potato quiche



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