How to Say 'Uncertainty' in Hebrew

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June 12, 2013, 1 PM ET

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אִי-וַדָּאוּת

Human beings have a need for clarity and organization - we seek certainty in order to relax and go about our day. While certainty, in Hebrew, is וַדָּאוּת (listen and repeat), uncertainty is אִי-וַדָּאוּת (listen and repeat). For example:

קָשֶׁה אָבָל הֶכְרֵחִי לִחְיוֹת עִם אִי-וַדָּאוּת.

It's difficult but necessary to live with uncertainty. listen A lack of certainty is חֹסֶר וַדָּאוּת (listen and repeat), so that the sentence could also be written:

קָשֶׁה אָבָל הֶכְרֵחִי לִחְיוֹת עִם חֹסֶר-וַדָּאוּת.

It's difficult but necessary to live with a lack of certainty. listen ודאות (listen and repeat) is related to the expression, !בְּוַדַּאי (listen and repeat) - certainly! and, in its original form in Mishnaic Hebrew, וַדַּאי (listen and repeat) - also certainly. The word אִי (listen and repeat), when affixed to a word such as ודאות, negates that word and is the equivalent of un- or in- in English. But when אי appears on its own, it means island. Visit Ktzat Ivrit .