Israel is a beautiful country with an exquisite mix of culture, food, and history. That’s why it’s always fun to know about all the interesting proverbs and sayings locals use all the time.

The best thing about foreign proverbs is that they rarely make sense when translated into English. However, we’re going to try our best to make these fun proverbs a part of your daily vocabulary!

Y’alla Balagan

When translated word-to-word, this saying means “let’s go mess.” But don’t worry, it’s not an invitation for a rowdy food fight, but merely a way to let everyone know you’re ready to go.

You’ll often find y’alla balagan shouted on the way to a club or right before you’re going to do something crazy with the lads. We would even call this saying a call to action, urging you to do fun things you’re apprehensive about!

Le’echol Seret

This saying quite literally translates to “to eat a movie.” However, don’t take this as a compliment or an invitation to a dinner date!

Le’echol Seret means you’re acting like a movie director or film star, seeking drama and action. In short, it’s just a very poetic way of calling you a drama queen and asking you to tone it down.

Af Al Atzmecha

This famous saying has a dual meaning, but both are not to be taken as compliments. The saying translates to “flying on yourself,” which may sound very confusing in English.

To fly on yourself has two meanings in Hebrew. First, it means that you’re getting too excited over nothing. The other means that you think far too highly of yourself. Either way, if you hear these words, we recommend being a bit humbler!

Mag’il T’Shualim

This saying is a rather peculiar one. It translates to ‘to disgust the foxes,’ which begs the question, who is out there grossing out cute foxes? While we don’t have an answer to that question, we can tell you how you can use this saying!

Mag’il T’Shualim is used to describe something as ugly, or you guessed it, disgusting. So the next time you hear about something or someone disgusting the foxes, it would be best to avoid the situation altogether!

Hebrew is an unpredictable yet beautiful language. If you would like to learn more sayings, or simply have a better grasp of the language, get in touch with us, at Ulpan Or. We provide Hebrew language learning online for all age groups. We also have a 25% discount on our beginner-friendly course valid till the end of January. Contact us today for more information.