Aramaic

Verb

שאל • ‎(transliteration needed)

1. to ask, to inquire
2. to lend, to borrow

Related terms

• שאול

Hebrew

Etymology

Compare Arabic سَأَلَ ‎(saʾala), Ge'ez ሰአለ ‎(säʾälä).

Verb

שָׁאַל • ‎(sha'ál) ‎(pa'al construction, future יִשְׁאַל, passive participle שָׁאוּל, passive counterpart נִשְׁאַל)

1. to ask (a question), to query
2. to borrow (an item)

Usage notes

• (ask): Unlike English ask, Hebrew שָׁאַל is not usually used in the sense of “request”; for that, ביקש \ בִּקֵּשׁ ‎(bikésh, “ask for, request”) is used.
• (borrow): Unlike English borrow, Hebrew שָׁאַל is not used with loans that are not returned exactly, such as money (since one does not return the same money that one borrows, as in the same bills or coins or the like, but rather an equivalent amount of money); for that, הלווה \ הִלְוָה ‎(hilvá, “borrow (money, etc.)”) is used.

Related terms

• שְׁאֵלָה
• הִשְׁאִיל