# shama



## gred

I am reading a book in Spanish and they make the statement that the Hebrew word "shamá" means both to listen and to understand.  Can someone confirm and enlighten me further?


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## Carrot Ironfoundersson

Mostly it means "to hear", rarely "to listen".


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## gred

So, one would rarely use "to listen."  But what about "understand"?  That could be literally translated understand also, or it could be a case of the word being described in context in the Torah or Bible, where "to hear" infers more, to press attention, listen, and even take action as a result.  It is difficult to know from the book, especially when I know no Hebrew.


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## tFighterPilot

Shama = Heard
Hekshiv = Listened
Hevin = Understood


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## Aoyama

*Shama* is the passed root. Infinitive is li*shmoa*, present is *shoméa *.
Shama would be declined as shamati (I heard), shamata (you heard -masculine) etc. The accent in "sham*á*" is "Spanish style", it has no meaning in Hebrew.
Understand = laavin (inf.), mevin (pres.), mouvan (p.p) evan (past) /ev*a*nti, ev*a*nta ....


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## gred

Thanks for all your help. I take it now that the Spanish author doesn´t know as much Hebrew as he indicates. He very definitely states that shama is not only to hear, but to understand and comprehend. The book is on the Jewish/Torah/Kabalah roots of some Spanish proverbs.  Some of his text is even in Hebrew script.


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## Aoyama

Saying that lishmoa (the correct way to mention this verb in Hebrew, shama is only the past root) means to "understand" is just being influenced by Spanish "entender" (cf. French "entendre") which can mean both "listen" and "understand". You also know the difference between to listen and to hear, or to watch and to see ...
For the rest "Jewish/Torah/Kabalah roots of some Spanish proverbs.  Some of his text is even in Hebrew script.... ". Well, everybody can mix and cook is own paella ...


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## شيري

In biblical Hebrew it can also mean to obey. In modern Hebrew, the root would still be used for that but with a different conjugation (nishma). I don't know if that's closer to "understand".


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## origumi

شيري said:


> In biblical Hebrew it can also mean to obey.


Also in modern Hebrew: שמע בקולו.


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## Aoyama

شيري said:


> In modern Hebrew, the root would still be used for that [obey] but with a different conjugation (nishma)


Is that what you find in "ma nishma ?" ...


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## Carrot Ironfoundersson

> Is that what you find in "ma nishma ?" ...



In ?מה נשמע it's _what is heard?, _whereas להישמע למישהו means _to heed/obey someone_. Just two different meanings of להישמע.


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## Aoyama

Right, מה נשמע is more like "what's new, what's up", though true the literal meaning is "what is heard" . But also, lishmoa (sorry, can't write Hebrew with this PC) and להישמע must be different.


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## Carrot Ironfoundersson

> Right, *מה נשמע is more like "what's new, what's up"*, though true the literal meaning is "what is heard"



Of course.



> But also, lishmoa (sorry, can't write Hebrew with this PC) and להישמע must be different



In case of "to hear" לשמוע is active and להישמע - passive. Or maybe I got your question wrong...


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## Aoyama

No, thank you for the answer, about the difference between active and passive. "To be heard" can be understood as "to be listened to", thus "to be obeyed" ...


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## utopia

Actually in modern Hebrew, Lishmoa means to understand only (as I know that) in dialogue, for example, I talk to my daughter and tell her to pick her toys up:

תאספי את הצעצועים שלך, שמעת אותי?

she might answer - שמעתי (אותך) 

this can most certainly mean "understand".


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## Aoyama

Well, that would mean to me : "did you hear me ?" - "yes, I did (hear you)". You could argue that this could also mean "you must obey me" - "I will" ...


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