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That's all I needed! (חסר)

  • Writer: Rut
    Rut
  • Mar 11
  • 1 min read

If you've been learning Hebrew, you've probably come across the root חסר quite a bit. It's one of those versatile roots that pops up all over the place in everyday Israeli speech and writing. Let's dive into how it's used in modern Hebrew.


I made a video on that subject with other examples, maybe you want to take a look at YouTube. In any case, below this article you find the summary of the video as well as the conjugation sheets to download.


Basic Meaning: Missing or Lacking

At its core, חסר means "to lack" or "to be missing." You'll hear it in simple phrases like:

  • I'm short on money (חָסֵר לִי כֶּסֶף)

  • Are you missing something? (? סָר לְךָ מַשֶּׁהוּ)


Common Expressions

Israelis use חסר in a bunch of everyday expressions:

  • Sarcastically: What more do you want? (?מָה חָסֵר לְך)

  •  I don't lack anything / I have everything I need (לֹא חָסֵר לִי כְּלוּם)

  • That's all I need (חָסֵר לִי רַק זֶה)


Adjective Form

The adjective form חָסֵר is super common. You'll hear things like:

  • impatient (חֲסַר סַבְלָנוּת)

  • irresponsible (חֲסַר אַחְרָיוּת)

  • insecure (חֲסַר בִּיטָּחוֹן)


Downloads

Video summary:


 
 
 

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