# Good luck on your exam



## Jana337

Hello, 

Could anyone help me with this?

Good luck on your exam. I am sure you will do great.

Toda.


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## .Lola.

Ahoj Jano,

I would translate it like this:

Good luck on your exam. =
בהצלחה במבחן
(be-haclacha ba-mivchan)

I am sure you will do great.=
אני בטוחה שתצליח/ תצליחי
(ani betucha she-tacliach/taclichi)

(_tacliach_ is if you're going to write it to a man, _taclichi_ is for woman).

The natives will certainly give you other possibilities how to translate these frazes.


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## Jana337

Děkuji. 

The world is small, isn't it?


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## morgoth2604

Lola's translation is fine, except that I feel בחינה would work better here, I see מבחן more as a test than an exam.


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## .Lola.

Oh yes, morgoth, you're absolutely right. 

Takže, Jano :

  Good luck on your exam. =
בהצלחה בבחינה
(be-haclacha ba-bchina)


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## Gadyc

I agree with Morgorh. But you can use both word as מבחן is more colloquially.


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## scriptum

.Lola. said:


> Good luck on your exam. =
> בהצלחה בבחינה
> (be-haclacha ba-bchina)


שבור רגל. מחזיקה לך אצבעות
[shvor regel. mahhzika lekha etzbaot.]


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## Gadyc

scriptum said:


> שבור רגל. מחזיקה לך אצבעות
> [shvor regel. mahhzika lekha etzbaot.]


 

scriptum, what you mean? (!?)


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## scriptum

Gadyc said:


> scriptum, what you mean? (!?)


 
"Break a leg, I'm holding my fingers for you". Gadyc, are you saying you never heard that? The phrase means "good luck, I am praying for your success". I have been hearing it for many years in two languages. Not that it helped much.


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## Gadyc

Absolutly never - in that meaning at least.

Never late to learn something new.

Do you know the origin of this expression. Seems interesting.

Gadyc.


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## .Lola.

Hello, 
it just crossed my mind that the origin might be slavic again.
In Czech we say "holding my thumbs (for you)" and "break your back".


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## Gadyc

I am not sure. Expressions like this migrate from one country to another and get adapted in their new place to local culture.

As I know, "Holding the fingers" mean crossing the fingers to make a cross sign for good luck. 
Isn't it enough? Why should we break a leg or our back or any other member to permit this luck to apply?

Of course, this can be an adapted meaning of the expression and the origin is different.


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## scriptum

Gadyc said:


> Why should we break a leg or our back or any other member to permit this luck to apply?


To the best of my understanding, the phrase is meant to outwit the devil. When he hears it, he thinks that you are unlucky enough as it is, and that there is no special need to bother about you any more.


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## .Lola.

Gadyc said:


> As I know, "Holding the fingers" mean crossing the fingers to make a cross sign for good luck.



I wonder what gesture Israelis exactly make when saying מחזיק לך אצבעות 

Czechs make a fist (with the thumb inside) when saying "I am holding my thumbs for you" (which is different form the English "I keep my fingers crossed)


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## scriptum

.Lola. said:


> I wonder what gesture Israelies exactly make when saying מחזיק לך אצבעות
> 
> Czechs make a fist (with the thumb inside) when saying "I am holding my thumbs for you" (which is different form the English "I keep my fingers crossed)


I never saw it. The Israelis only promise to hold their fingers, without actually doing it.
But since the verb used is lehahhziq, I think that the imaginary gesture must be the same as the Czech one (or the Russian one, for that matter).


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## .Lola.

Thanks for explanation, scriptum.


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## Gadyc

What I saw is the American way we can see sometimes in movies: holding the 2nd and 3rd finger crossed.
I now remember that in French it's "Holding the thumbs" like Lola describes. I don't remember the gesture.


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## chaya

'break a leg'....this is  commonly used in the theatre to wish Good Luck to an actor before his/her appearance on stage.  

Also, among  some religious Jews the practise of 'crossing your fingers' is  discouraged due to  the belief is that it originates from connection with the cross of Jesus , thereby helping to ward off evil spirits.


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## Ali Smith

טסט _test_ is also used to mean "exam", isn't it? Or is there a difference between it and _mivkhan_? I read the following earlier today:

כן, אני יודע לנהוג אבל עדיין לא סיימתי ללמוד בשיעורי נהיגה. אני צריך 28 שיעורים כדי לגשת לטסט.


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## amikama

טסט is used only for specific types of test/exam, such as driving test. It's not interchangeable with מבחן.
מחר יש לי טסט במתמטיקה


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