The word for a bakery is מאפייה. It comes from the root א.פ.י and the simple verb לאפות – to bake:
אפיתי לו עוגת יום הולדת!
I baked him a birthday cake!
Right now in Israel, as we approach פסח (Passover) next week, the מאפייה is the busiest place in the neighborhood. Everyone is getting their final fix of fresh bread and pita before the holiday begins. In times of stress, there is something uniquely grounding about the smell of a local bakery.
In context:
יש תור ענקי מחוץ למאפייה כי כולם קונים חמץ של הרגע האחרון.
There’s a huge line outside the bakery because everyone is buying last-minute hametz (leavened bread).
The word מאפייה — bakery is a Level 1 word in the Ulpan La-Inyan system.
