# Help with Hebrew Translation

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-hebrew-translation/746048>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 13, 2016, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-hebrew-translation/746048 "2016-02-13T21:12:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\
**Post date:** [February 13, 2016, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-hebrew-translation/746048/1 "2016-02-13T21:12:04Z")

</div>

I had a great friend. We aren’t friends anymore.

When we were, he used to call me a name that has somehow gotten away from me.

It was a Hebrew word and started with, I think, “MO…”

It meant the same as “poor pobrecito” does in Spanish.

Any help?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\
**Post date:** [February 13, 2016, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-hebrew-translation/746048/2 "2016-02-13T22:58:34Z")

</div>

> [@Nzinga\_Seated](#):
>
> I had a great friend. We aren’t friends anymore.
> 
> When we were, he used to call me a name that has somehow gotten away from me.
> 
> It was a Hebrew word and started with, I think, “MO…”
> 
> It meant the same as “poor pobrecito” does in Spanish.
> 
> Any help?

Probably “Motek”.

Literally “Sweetness”, it has almost the exact same meaning and associations as “Honey” in English.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\
**Post date:** [February 14, 2016, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-hebrew-translation/746048/3 "2016-02-14T01:38:37Z")

</div>

Or, if he might be calling you his “mishpacha”? It’s Hebrew for “family”, but to me, it seems people sometimes use it to mean “my homies”! 😃 BTW, the /ch/ sound is not like “chip”. Instead, it is a guttural sound not found in English; however, it sounds like you’re clearing your throat.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2016, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-hebrew-translation/746048/4 "2016-02-15T15:34:23Z")

</div>

> [@alessan](#):
>
> probably “motek”.
> 
> Literally “sweetness”, it has almost the exact same meaning and associations as “honey” in english.

yesssssssssssss!

Thank you!!!