# נחמד



## Zeevdovtarnegolet

Is this adjective as general and kind of vague as the English "nice, pleasant, lovely?"

Does it mean nice in the sense of kind?

Lovely in the sense of physical loveliness, or just a general positive impression?


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## Tamar

נחמד is nice. It could be any of the things you mentioned:

Kind (but not too kind). 
Someone who looks good (if I say נחמד about a guy, that means he looks fine, nothing more than that...)
And it could also be a general impression over someone (and when your general impression is "okay", "whatever"...)

נחמד is a nice word (too bad there's no smiley for shrugging).


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## Zeevdovtarnegolet

Thanks! I have no doubt it is a nice word, hehe it is just hard when words have so many meanings!  lol  Another one is nifla! Soooo many meanings


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## Tamar

But isn't it the same in English in this case?

נפלא can be translated to several different words, but thet really very similar (but I see your point, I know how it feels...)
For נפלא I'd go with wonderful. That's how I use it.


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## amikama

Tamar said:


> Someone who looks good (if I say נחמד about a guy, that means he looks fine, nothing more than that...)


I would understand הוא בחור נחמד as "he is kind/amiable" or "he's a good person", not necessarily "he looks fine". In other words, in this context נחמד refers to his character, not to his physical look.

On the other hand, if נחמד was said on any object (e.g. זה בית נחמד), it might mean that it looks nice (physically).


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## Tamar

> I would understand הוא בחור נחמד as "he is kind/amiable" or "he's a good person", not necessarily "he looks fine". In other words, in this context נחמד refers to his character, not to his physical look.


Sure, it depends on the context.
I do use נחמד for both meanings. If I talk to a friend about what a guy looks like, about his appearance, and he's "nothing special", I would describe him as נחמד. I guess it's kind like בסדר to me.


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## origumi

Tamar said:


> Sure, it depends on the context.
> I do use נחמד for both meanings. If I talk to a friend about what a guy looks like, about his appearance, and he's "nothing special", I would describe him as נחמד. I guess it's kind like בסדר to me.


It happens also with other words that lost their original positive meaning. For example !סבבה used to be "wonderful" but today if you ask someone "is it ok?", the answer סבבה indicates "well, I can live with it, but I expected more".


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## Ali Smith

Is נֶחְמָד the active participle from להחמד? It seems to be, because it's just like נִכְנָס.

But if it is the active participle from להחמד, shouldn't there be a חטף סגול under the ח and be pronounced nekhemad?


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## Abaye

Ali Smith said:


> But if it is the active participle from להחמד, shouldn't there be a חטף סגול under the ח and be pronounced nekhemad?


You can find the answer in a verb conjugation table.
לוחות נטיית הפועל - האקדמיה ללשון העברית (hebrew-academy.org.il)


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## radagasty

Ali Smith said:


> Is נֶחְמָד the active participle from להחמד?
> Shouldn't there be a חטף סגול under the ח and be pronounced nekhemad?



Yes, נֶחְמָד is indeed the Niph. participle of חַמָד, and that is in fact the expected form, just like נֶחְשָׁב ,נֶחְתָּם ,נֶחְרָץ, etc. It's just that for some verbs, the silent schwa turns into a compound schwa under ח, _e.g._, נֶחֱלָץ, and more generally for I-guttural verbs, _e.g._, נֶעְלָם vs. נֶעֱזָב. Indeed, for פ"א verbs,  the standard vocalisation of the Niph. participle is with the compound schwa, _e.g._, נֶאֱמָן or נֶאֱסָף.


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## Ali Smith

Thank you!
Abaye: The website states that both נֶחְמָד and נֶחֱמָד are acceptable, but do Israelis ever say _nekhemad_?


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## shalom00

I never heard it.


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## Abaye

Ali Smith said:


> do Israelis ever say _nekhemad_?


The bible says it.


> הַנֶּחֱמָדִים מִזָּהָב וּמִפַּז רָב


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