Where to throw the packaging in Hebrew
A new tenant asks a neighbor about the containers and sorting in the yard in Hebrew. 8 phrases that the conversation is made of: «סליחה, לאן אני זורק את האריזה הזאת?» — Excuse me, where should I throw this packaging?; «את הקרטון זורקים לפח הכחול, את הפלסטיק ממיינים בנפרד.» — Cardboard goes into the blue bin, and plastic is sorted separately.
How the whole thing sounds
The situation: a new tenant asks a neighbor about the containers and sorting in the yard. First the whole conversation, then each line on its own, with a translation.
- סליחה, לאן אני זורק את האריזה הזאת?слиха, ле-ан ани зорэк эт ха-ариза ха-зот?Excuse me, where should I throw this packaging?
- את הקרטון זורקים לפח הכחול, את הפלסטיק ממיינים בנפרד.эт ха-картон зорким ле-пах ха-кахоль, эт ха-пластик мемайним би-нфрад.Cardboard goes into the blue bin, and plastic is sorted separately.
- ופסולת מסוכנת, למשל צבע?ве-псолет мэсуканет ле-машаль цэва?And hazardous waste, for example paint?
- אותם לוקחים למקום מיוחד, לא למזבלה.отам локхим ле-маком меюхад, ло ле-мизбела.They are taken to a special place, not to the dump.
- אם אני ממיין רק אני, זה עוזר?им ани мемайен рак ани, зэ озэр?If only I sort, does it help?
- זו תרומה אישית, וכל אחת חשובה.зу трума ишит, ве-коль ахат хашува.It is a personal contribution, and everyone matters.
- כלי חד פעמי נזרק אחרי פעם אחת.клей хад паами низарак ахарей фаам ахат.Disposable dishes are thrown away after a single use.
- לכן אנחנו קונים פחות כלי חד פעמי.ле-хен анахну коним пахот клей хад паами.That is why we buy less disposable dishes.
Lines one by one
| Hebrew | Reading | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| סליחה, לאן אני זורק את האריזה הזאת? | слиха, ле-ан ани зорэк эт ха-ариза ха-зот? | Excuse me, where should I throw this packaging? |
| את הקרטון זורקים לפח הכחול, את הפלסטיק ממיינים בנפרד. | эт ха-картон зорким ле-пах ха-кахоль, эт ха-пластик мемайним би-нфрад. | Cardboard goes into the blue bin, and plastic is sorted separately. |
| ופסולת מסוכנת, למשל צבע? | ве-псолет мэсуканет ле-машаль цэва? | And hazardous waste, for example paint? |
| אותם לוקחים למקום מיוחד, לא למזבלה. | отам локхим ле-маком меюхад, ло ле-мизбела. | They are taken to a special place, not to the dump. |
| אם אני ממיין רק אני, זה עוזר? | им ани мемайен рак ани, зэ озэр? | If only I sort, does it help? |
| זו תרומה אישית, וכל אחת חשובה. | зу трума ишит, ве-коль ахат хашува. | It is a personal contribution, and everyone matters. |
| כלי חד פעמי נזרק אחרי פעם אחת. | клей хад паами низарак ахарей фаам ахат. | Disposable dishes are thrown away after a single use. |
| לכן אנחנו קונים פחות כלי חד פעמי. | ле-хен анахну коним пахот клей хад паами. | That is why we buy less disposable dishes. |
How to prepare for a conversation like this
Memorizing the lines is not enough: the other person will say their own thing, not what is written. What helps more is catching the key words by ear and keeping three rescue phrases ready: “I don't understand”, “repeat, please”, “slower”.
And one more thing phrasebooks do not mention: awkwardness gets in the way more than not knowing the words.
- Fear of making mistakes gets in the way of learning a language, and noticeably so. The link turns up study after study, and together those studies cover almost twenty thousand people.checked many timesTeimouri, Goetze & Plonsky, 2019, Studies in Second Language Acquisition 41(2) · 19,933 participants from 23 countries; correlation with results r = −0.36.
- That fear can be dealt with — the methods have been tested and they work.checked many timesXiong et al., 2024, Journal of Language and Social Psychology · 37 studies, anxiety reduced by −0.61. Of the seven conditions examined, only age turned out to matter.
Frequently asked
How do you start a conversation in Hebrew in this situation?
“סליחה, לאן אני זורק את האריזה הזאת?” (слиха, ле-ан ани зорэк эт ха-ариза ха-зот?) — Excuse me, where should I throw this packaging? The first line in such a conversation is almost always the same, and that is the one worth learning: the other person will carry it from there.
What if you did not understand the reply?
Say “I don't understand” and “repeat, please” — both are in the rescue set. Admitting your language is still shaky almost always makes the other person more patient.
Should you memorize the dialogue?
No. It is more useful to catch the key words by ear: the other person will say their own thing, and a memorized line will not always fit their reply.