situation

Everyday

1. A situation is everything that is happening at a certain time and place, and how things are. tree →
2. A situation can be a problem or a difficult moment you need to deal with. tree →
3. The situation of a building or town is where it is placed. tree →
4. A situation can also mean a job or post, especially as a servant. tree →

In the lessons

In safety lessons, children learn what to do in an emergency situation or a dangerous situation. In maths, word problems describe a situation that you turn into numbers. In stories, characters get into a tricky situation and must find a way out. Phrases: «in this situation», «a tricky situation», «the situation is under control».

Examples

• In an emergency situation, call for help. tree →
• What would you do in this situation? tree →
• The weather made the situation worse. tree →
• Lost in the woods, they were in a scary situation. tree →
• Read the situation in the word problem, then write a number sentence. tree →
• The teacher calmed the situation down. tree →
• The situation at home is better now. tree →
• Role-play helps us practise difficult situations. tree →
• And the Prince got the situation of Imperial Swineherd. tree →

Note

Countable noun: «a situation, situations». Stress: sit-yoo-AY-shun. It is a general word for «what is happening», so it does not mean only bad things. In maths, read the situation carefully to decide whether to add, subtract, multiply or divide.

In Jewish tradition

In Sefer Yetzirah, "situations" are the five places in the mouth where the letters are formed. In the Tanakh "situation" means the place where a city or hill stands, as in "fair in situation" for Mount Zion.

Interpretation. Tradition teaches that the twenty-two letters are carved in the throat, palate, tongue, teeth and lips. The tradition reads "fair in situation" as praise of Zion, the city of the great King, and the men of Jericho praise their city's pleasant site in the story of Elisha.

Examples

• Twenty-two letters are formed by the voice, impressed on the air, and audibly uttered in five situations, in the throat, guttural sounds; in the palate, palatals; by the tongue, linguals; through the teeth, dentals; and by the lips, labial sounds. (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1887) tree →
• Fair in situation, the joy of the whole earth; even mount Zion, the uttermost parts of the north, the city of the great King. (Writings PSA.48.3, JPS 1917) tree →
• And the men of the city said unto Elisha: 'Behold, we pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth; but the water is bad, and the land miscarrieth. (Prophets 2KI.2.19, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

Countable noun: «a situation, situations». Stress: sit-yoo-AY-shun. It is a general word for «what is happening», so it does not mean only bad things. In maths, read the situation carefully to decide whether to add, subtract, multiply or divide.