What's the difference between עושב and יוצא

[MamaWos]

I have been working on the verbs introduced in Unit 8, and am confused by the verbs with meanings related to "go". We had already learned הולך, defined as "go or walk". We are now told that יוצא means "to go out or depart" which I also wrote down as "leave". But there was also עושב that was defined as "leave". This last one only pops up occasionally, and I can't seem to find it on any other site to get a fix on the difference in usage between יוצא and עושב. Are they interchangeable, and if not, can you help me understand the difference?

[Corinnebelle]

Hi @MamaWos I've moved this to its own topic. Unfortunately the topic you put this under was an archive from Duolingo, so I am not sure if they are on Duome. There some native speakers here though, that are very helpful.

I am not acquainted with the word עושב. Pealim says it means he/it was weeded. Do you mean עובר? See the right hand column of this page.

[Deleted User 4833]

I have been working on the verbs introduced in Unit 8, and am confused by the verbs with meanings related to "go". We had already learned הולך, defined as "go or walk". We are now told that יוצא means "to go out or depart" which I also wrote down as "leave". But there was also עושב that was defined as "leave". This last one only pops up occasionally, and I can't seem to find it on any other site to get a fix on the difference in usage between יוצא and עושב. Are they interchangeable, and if not, can you help me understand the difference?

Maybe you mean the verb לעזוב? That means "to leave".
As @Corinnebelle mentioned עשב means a weed so I'm guessing עושב would have something to do with weeding.

[Friedrich Rubinstein]

I'd say the main difference is the grammatical structure of the sentence, similarly to English:

אני יוצא מהבית = I am going out of the house.
אני עוזב את הבית = I am leaving the house.

Unlike עוזב (to leave) you can use יוצא also in a way like this:
אני יוצא למסיבה = I am going out to a party.

[EranBarLev]

I am not acquainted with the word עושב. Pealim says it means he weeded.

No, that's not exactly what it says. עושב is a passive verb which means "he / it was weeded". The active verb "he weeded" is עישב = 'isév.

[EranBarLev]

I'd say the main difference is the grammatical structure of the sentence

No, actually the main difference is not grammatical. The verb עוזב implies the intention of not coming back, while the verb יוצא doesn't.

אני יוצא מהבית = I am going out of the house.
אני עוזב את הבית = I am leaving the house.

In both these examples הבית usually means "home" = the speaker's home. So I would rather translate them as:

• אני יוצא מהבית. = I'm going out (of home). (But I'm coming back later. I think adding "of home" doesn't sound right in English as it does in Hebrew. Native English speakers please correct me if I'm wrong.)
• אני עוזב את הבית. = I'm leaving home. (And I'm not coming back. I'm going to live somewhere else. That can imply something like I'm leaving my wife, or leaving my parents' home to live in my own place.)

[EranBarLev]

I'd like to add one more example where "leave" shouldn't be translated as עוזב but rather as יוצא:
The train is leaving in 2 minutes. = הרכבת יוצאת בעוד שתי דקות.
The verb עוזב is inappropriate in this context, as it's not gone for good, trains always come and go.

[Friedrich Rubinstein]

The verb עוזב implies the intention of not coming back, while the verb יוצא doesn't.

That's indeed an important distinction I wasn't aware of. So you'd translate the sentence
I am leaving the office at five o'clock. as
אני יוצא מהמשרד בשעה חמש while
אני עוזב את המשרד בשעה חמש would mean that I quit my job this afternoon?

[EranBarLev]

So you'd translate the sentence
I am leaving the office at five o'clock. as
אני יוצא מהמשרד בשעה חמש while
אני עוזב את המשרד בשעה חמש would mean that I quit my job this afternoon?

That would be an unnatural and ambiguous way to say it. If you want to say you quit, it's better to use the verb מתפטר.

[Friedrich Rubinstein]

So you'd translate the sentence
I am leaving the office at five o'clock. as
אני יוצא מהמשרד בשעה חמש while
אני עוזב את המשרד בשעה חמש would mean that I quit my job this afternoon?

That would be an unnatural and ambiguous way to say it. If you want to say you quit, it's better to use the verb מתפטר.

I was trying to figure out how the sentence
אני עוזב את המשרד בשעה חמש
would be understood. Or is that just something that makes no real sense in Hebrew?

[Deleted User 4833]

Thanks, @EranBarLev , for explaining the different ways of leaving in Hebrew far better than I could. I was going to try explaining it, but I knew you'd be able to explain it far better than I am able to.

[EranBarLev]

I was trying to figure out how the sentence
אני עוזב את המשרד בשעה חמש
would be understood. Or is that just something that makes no real sense in Hebrew?

As I've written above, this sentence is ambiguous. Some people would understand it as יוצא, some people might think you're moving to another office for the same job, but it would be better to say: אני עובר למשרד אחר. Most people won't understand that you quit.

[Corinnebelle]

I am not acquainted with the word עושב. Pealim says it means he weeded.

No, that's not exactly what it says. עושב is a passive verb which means "he / it was weeded". The active verb "he weeded" is עישב = 'isév.

תודה על תיקון.