זמן

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See also: ז־מ־ן

Hebrew

Root
ז־מ־ן (z-m-n)

Etymology

Borrowed from Aramaic 𐡆𐡌𐡍𐡀 (zmnʾ).

Pronunciation

Noun

זְמַן (zmánm (plural indefinite זְמַנִּים, singular construct זְמַן־, plural construct זְמַנֵּי־)

  1. (uncountable) time (inevitable passing of events)
    הזמן עובר מהר כשנהנים.haz'mán 'ovér mahér k'shenehením.Time passes fast when having fun.
  2. (countable) a time (duration of time)
    הגעת בזמן רע, אני עסוק.higa't(/a) biz'mán ra', aní 'asúk.You arrived(f/m) at a bad time, I'm busy.
    הקיץ זה זמן מצוין לצאת לחופשה.Summer is an excellent time to go on a vacation.
  3. (by extension) a time (measurement of a quantity of time)
    הרצה קבעה זמן מצוין.haratsá kav'á z'mán m'tsuyán.The runner set an excellent time.
  4. (grammar) a tense (verb form distinguishing time)
    כתבתי זה פועל בזמן עבר.
    katavtí ze po'ál biz'mán 'avár
    כתבתי (katavtí, I wrote) is a verb in the past tense.
  5. (usually in the plural) an era, times
    זמנים קשים.z'maním kashímHard times.

Usage notes

  • The lemma form is also spelled with a kamats under the mem i.e. זְמָן (z'mán).

Declension

Synonyms

Derived terms

References

Yiddish

Etymology

From Hebrew זְמַן (zəman).

Pronunciation

Noun

זמן (zmanm, plural זמנים (zmanim) or זמנען (zmanen)

  1. term (period of time)
    • 1946, I.J. Singer, “אַ ייד אַ מלמד פֿאַרגלוסט זיך צו ווערן אַ מלאך אום פּורים און פֿאַרלירט, נעבעך, אַן אויג”, in Fun a velt vos iz nishto mer:
      יעדן זמן אויפֿסניי, חול־המועד סוכות אָדער חול־המועד פּסח, בין איך געווען זייער האָפֿערדיק, וואָס מען האָט מיך גענומען איין מלמד און אָנגעדונגען צו אַן אַנדערן, גלײבנדיק, אַז דער נייער וועט זיין בעסער ווי דער אַלטער.
      yedn zman oyfsney, khalemoyed sukus oder khalemoyed peysekh, bin ikh geven zeyer hoferdik, vos men hot mikh genumen eyn melamed un ongedungen tsu an andern, gleybndik, az der nayer vet zeyn beser vi der alter.
      Every term anew, during the intermediary periods of Sukkot and Pesach, I was very confident in being taken from one melamed and given to another, believing the new one would be better than the old.
  2. term, semester (part of an academic year)
    Synonym: סעמעסטער (semester)