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Cymelo- you must understand that hebrew has different rules, and like every language, base on culture history and street. We don't have in hebrew, for example "past perfect" or "present perfect" and even our formal way to say something it's simple. As people wrote here you can always add "בבקשה" "תודה". We ask question as a sentence, that why when translate literally to english its sound like an order.. you can also ask אפשר.. which is "may I get". Good luck with your studies!
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Does רוצֶה mean both "want" and "would like"? Is there a distinction?
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I think that to express "would like" you should say "הייתי רוצה".
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You should be aware though that in Israel saying אני רוצה is the polite form of the request. Even a בבקשׁה or תודה I don't remember hearing often at the end of such a request. Saying הייתי רוצה would simply be ridiculous. There was an entire Streetwise Hebrew podcast episode on this exact topic, though I'm not sure if I can provide a direct link.
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I love streetwise Hebrew ! Here's his channel https://www.youtube.com/user/StreetWiseHebrew
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Being kind is not ridiculous. And as someone who lives in Israel now, I can guarantee you that asking something by "אני רוצה" is quite rude, or at least I perceive it as rude.
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Well, you're simply wrong, Cymelo. אני רוצה is the polite form of the request. This is the opinion of a native speaker. Listen to Guy Sharett's "Streetwise Hebrew" episode on "Politeness in Hebrew" from 15 Oct 2013.
Never did I say being kind is ridiculous, but that using הייתי רוצה is ridiculous. Oh, and I live in Israel as well.
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Guy Sharett is a native speaker and a radio broadcaster. Your non-native opinion directly contradicts his.
You can disagree all you like. It's pointless. You might like to tell the Israelis how to be more polite, but can't tell the Israelis how to speak Hebrew.
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In case of being polite, most people would just say: "...אפשר בבקשה" (may I have please...). I think that settles it.
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אני נוטה להסכים עם השיפוט של צ'ימלו לגבי "אני רוצה", זה דבר מאוד ילדותי ולא מנומס להגיד, מבוגרים יגידו בדרך כלל "אפשר לקבל" "יש לך" או משהו כזה "הייתי רוצה" זה טיפה חייזרי או אוטיסטי, אולי זה יכול לעבור במסעדה ...
חוץ מזה, שדרני רדיו בדרך כלל מנותקים לגמרי מהשפה, בבלשנות יש בדיחה שאומרת שאם אתה רוצה לדעת איזה תהליכים לשוניים קרו בשנות השמונים תקרא חוברת הדרכה לשדרני רדיו משנות השבעים.
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I have to disagree. I think that it's better to stick with "הייתי רוצה", or at least say at the end of the sentence "בבקשה". If someone would ask something from me with "אני רוצה" I'd feel that the request is quite rude and too direct. Anyway, this is my take on it.
You perceive it as rude. Doesn't mean it is. I think my teacher at Ulpan Or knew a bit more Hebrew than you....
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Usually, we say "אני רוצה" and use "תודה" or "בבקשה" in order to make it more polite. Personally, when I ask for something in a restaurant, cafe, etc. I phrase it -
"אפשר בבקשה לקבל..." or "אשמח לקבל..."
This form is considered polite in Israel and yet does not sound flowery or rediculous.
My dear fellow you are wrong, years ago I used that construction in TA and was laughed at for it...
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I spent a few years living in Israel some years ago, and would say "אני רוצה" in Hebrew but "I would like" in English. DL accepted "would like" in the exercise, and I think appropriately so. There is nothing rude about saying "רוצה" in Hebrew. The problem comes from using a literal translation which often doesn't quite work. Although "would like" might not be the most literal translation of the Hebrew, it's generally a better translation to use for most situations. "אני רוצה" sounds fine in Hebrew, but "I want" is more likely to sound like a demand in English rather than a request.
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I've read this is why people think Israelis are blunt, because of the way the language translates into English: http://therayve.blogspot.com/2010/09/are-israelis-rude-learning-not-to-be.html?m=1
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Please would someone help me with the pronunciation of this sentence? "רוצה גזרים" sounds like "rotzig zrim" to me. The ה sounds like an "i" to me is that the correct pronunciation or am I just hearing wrong?
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Does הייתי רוצה have a use outside of a request? I was also taught that it translates to "I would like" on Pimsleur, and I want to know if this is just wrong or is resrticted to a particular context that I dont understand.
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כמה הייתי רוצה: https://youtu.be/Ka_jidh9ReU (By band, cookie levana (white cookie).
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Hi, so funny to see the exchanges here ! My teacher told us too that Israelis were rather direct. And that this can be felt as a bit impolite for foreigners
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If you want to see the lyrics, I got the #lyrics for "כמה הייתי רוצה" by קוקי לבנה on Musixmatch https://www.musixmatch.com/lyrics/%D7%A7%D7%95%D7%A7%D7%99-%D7%9C%D7%91%D7%A0%D7%94/%D7%9B%D7%9E%D7%94-%D7%94%D7%99%D7%99%D7%AA%D7%99-%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%A6%D7%94?utm_source=application&utm_campaign=api&utm_medium=musixmatch-android%3A1409607702271
