יום ראשון, 2 אוגוסט 2026Sunday, August 2, 2026
Follow Us
יום ראשון, י״ט אב תשפ״וSunday, August 2, 2026
Follow Us

Sections

Categories:

How to Say 'Uncertainty' in Hebrew

By Ami Steinberger

|

June 12, 2013, 1 PM ET

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 .

More Articles

NEWS

Raising Confident Kids

By Rifka Schonfeld

NEWS

Watch Out for the Weed Whacker

By Rabbi Meir Orlian

NEWS

Daf Yomi

By Rabbi Yaakov Klass

Serials

Getzlight - Chapter V

By Ruchama Feuerman

View all

Sponsored Posts

cross