shehecheyanu

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Pronunciations

shehecheyanu (she-HEKH-i-YAN-nu) listen

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Definitions

  • n. The blessing of thanksgiving that celebrates reaching a celebratory moment or marking a significant first.

  • adj. Milestone, special occasion, usually modifying "moment."

Example Sentences

  • "This is truly a shehechiyanu moment."

  • "Please join hands as we sing Shehechiyanu."

  • "What a beautiful coat! It's really something to say she-hecheyanu over." (Glinert)

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Languages of Origin

  • Textual Hebrew
  • Yiddish

Etymology

  • TH שהחיינו, lit. 'He who has given us life' > Y שהחיינו shekheyonu

      • Who Uses This

      • Religious: Jews who are engaged in religious observance and have some Jewish education

      Regions

      • North America
      • Australia / New Zealand
      • Great Britain
      • South Africa

      Dictionaries

      • The New Joys of Yiddish, by Leo Rosten and Lawrence Bush (New York, 2003[1968]).
      • The JPS Dictionary of Jewish Words, by Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic, (Philadelphia, 2001).
      • The Joys of Hebrew, by Lewis Glinert (New York, 1992).

      Alternative Spellings

      shehechiyanu, shehekheyanu, shehekhiyanu, sheheheanu, shehehianu, shehehiyanu, shekheyonu, she-hecheyanu, she-hekheyanu, shehechyanu, shehekhyanu, she-hekhyanu, she-hechyanu

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