אפשר

See also: אפֿשר

Hebrew

Etymology 1

Root
א־פ־שׁ־ר (ʾ-p-sh-r)

Pronunciation

• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /efˈʃaʁ/

Adjective

אֶפְשָׁר • (efshár)

1. (impersonal) Possible: being a possibility; not impossible.
   • 2010 February 12, רותם שטרקמן (Rotem Starkman), “כמה במבה אפשר לקנות ב-22 מיליון שקל” (káma bámba efshár liknot b'-22 milyón shékel, “How much Bamba is it possible to buy with 22 million shekels”), in TheMarker.
2. (impersonal) Possible, permitted, allowed.

Usage notes

• This adjective is often used "impersonally", that is, without a personal subject.

Derived terms

• אפשרות (efsharút)
• אפשרי (efsharí)
• כְּכָל הָאֶפְשָׁר (k'khol ha'efshár)

Adverb

אֶפְשָׁר • (efshár)

1. (Ashkenazi Hebrew) perhaps, maybe

   Synonym: אוּלַי (ulái)

Descendants

• → Yiddish: אפֿשר (efsher)

References

• “אפשר” in the Hebrew Terms Database of the Academy of Hebrew Language

Etymology 2

From the root א־פ־שׁ־ר ('-p-sh-r), extracted from the above.

Pronunciation

• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ifˈʃeʁ/

Verb

אִפְשֵׁר • (ifshér) (pi'el construction)

1. (transitive) To permit: to enable, to make possible.
2. (transitive) To permit (an action): to grant permission for.

Usage notes

• The verbs אִפְשֵׁר (ifshér, “to permit”), הִרְשָׁה (hirshá, “to allow”), and נָתַן (natán, “to let”) are all synonymous in denotation, but vary in their level of formality.

Conjugation

Conjugation of איפשר / אִפְשֵׁר (see also Appendix:Hebrew verbs) 

non-finite forms		to-infinitive: לְאַפְשֵׁר action noun: איפשור / אִפְשׁוּר
finite forms		singular		plural
		m.	f.	m.	f.
past	first	איפשרתי / אִפְשַׁרְתִּי		איפשרנו / אִפְשַׁרְנוּ
	second	איפשרת / אִפְשַׁרְתָּ	איפשרת / אִפְשַׁרְתְּ	איפשרתם / אִפְשַׁרְתֶּם	איפשרתן / אִפְשַׁרְתֶּן
	third	איפשר / אִפְשֵׁר	איפשרה / אִפְשְׁרָה	איפשרו / אִפְשְׁרוּ
present		מְאַפְשֵׁר	מְאַפְשֶׁרֶת	מְאַפְשְׁרִים	מְאַפְשְׁרוֹת
future	first	אֲאַפְשֵׁר		נְאַפְשֵׁר
	second	תְּאַפְשֵׁר	תְּאַפְשְׁרִי	תְּאַפְשְׁרוּ	תְּאַפְשֵׁרְנָה1
	third	יְאַפְשֵׁר	תְּאַפְשֵׁר	יְאַפְשְׁרוּ	תְּאַפְשֵׁרְנָה1
imperative		אַפְשֵׁר	אַפְשְׁרִי	אַפְשְׁרוּ	אַפְשֵׁרְנָה1
notes		Rare in Modern Hebrew.

Synonyms

• (permit): הִרְשָׁה (hirshá, “to allow”), נָתַן (natán, “to let”)

Yiddish

Adverb

אפשר • (efsher)

1. (nonstandard) Unpointed form of אפֿשר (efsher).