Semitic · Hebrew
Hebrewעברית
9M speakers · Middle East
250 terms
shalom
Hello; peace
The classic Hebrew greeting, meaning peace; used for both hello and goodbye.
boker tov
Good morning
A morning greeting; the reply is often boker or, morning of light.
erev tov
Good evening
A greeting used in the evening.
laila tov
Good night
Said before going to bed or parting at night.
lehitra'ot
Goodbye; see you
A farewell meaning see you again.
toda
Thank you
The standard expression of gratitude; toda raba means thank you very much.
bevakasha
Please; you're welcome
Used both to say please and to reply to thanks.
slicha
Sorry; excuse me
An apology, also used to get someone's attention.
ken
Yes
An affirmative answer.
lo
No
A negative answer.
ma shlomcha
How are you?
A common question asking about wellbeing; to a woman say ma shlomech.
beseder
Okay; fine
Used to say things are all right, literally in order.
kor'im li
My name is
Used to introduce yourself, literally they call me.
na'im me'od
Nice to meet you
Said when meeting someone for the first time, literally very pleasant.
bruchim haba'im
Welcome
Used to welcome guests, literally blessed are those who come.
behatslacha
Good luck
A wish for success, literally with success.
lechaim
Cheers
The famous Hebrew toast, literally to life.
ani lo mevin
I don't understand
A useful phrase for learners; a woman says ani lo mevina.
achat
One
The number one in the feminine form, used for counting.
shtayim
Two
The number two in the feminine form.
shalosh
Three
The number three in the feminine form.
arba
Four
The number four in the feminine form.
chamesh
Five
The number five in the feminine form.
shesh
Six
The number six.
sheva
Seven
The number seven.
shmone
Eight
The number eight.
tesha
Nine
The number nine.
eser
Ten
The number ten.
mea
Hundred
The number one hundred.
elef
Thousand
The number one thousand.
hayom
Today
The present day, literally the day.
machar
Tomorrow
The day after today.
etmol
Yesterday
The day before today.
achshav
Now
At the present moment.
sha'a
Hour
A period of sixty minutes.
daka
Minute
A period of sixty seconds.
shavua
Week
A period of seven days; shavua tov means have a good week.
shana
Year
A period of twelve months; shana tova is the New Year greeting.
mishpacha
Family
A group of people related by blood or marriage.
ima
Mom
The everyday word for mother.
aba
Dad
The everyday word for father.
ach
Brother
A male sibling; also means nurse (male).
achot
Sister
A female sibling; also means nurse.
ben
Son; boy
A male child; also used in ages, like ben chamesh, five years old.
bat
Daughter; girl
A female child.
saba
Grandfather
The father of your parent.
savta
Grandmother
The mother of your parent.
ba'al
Husband
The man a woman is married to; also means owner.
isha
Woman; wife
An adult female person; also means wife.
yeled
Child; boy
A young person; a girl is yalda.
chaver
Friend; boyfriend
A person you know well and like; chavera is a female friend or girlfriend.
gever
Man
An adult male person.
more
Teacher
A person who teaches; the same form is used for men and women teachers.
talmid
Student; pupil
A person who studies at school.
shachen
Neighbor
A person who lives next to or near you.
anashim
People
Human beings; plural of ish, man.
mayim
Water
The clear liquid essential for life; always plural in Hebrew.
te
Tea
A hot drink made from tea leaves, often with fresh mint (nana).
kafe
Coffee
A hot drink made from coffee beans; café culture is huge in Israel.
lechem
Bread
A staple food made from flour and water.
orez
Rice
A grain eaten as a staple food.
basar
Meat
The flesh of animals eaten as food.
of
Chicken
Meat from a chicken; also means fowl.
dag
Fish
An animal that lives in water, eaten as food.
beitsa
Egg
An egg laid by a hen, a common breakfast food.
gvina
Cheese
A food made from milk; white cheese is an Israeli breakfast classic.
yerakot
Vegetables
Plants grown for food; the Israeli salad is full of them.
peirot
Fruit
Sweet plant foods; plural of pri.
tapuach
Apple
A round fruit; eaten with honey at Rosh Hashana for a sweet year.
chalav
Milk
A white drink produced by cows.
mits
Juice
A drink made from pressed fruit.
sukar
Sugar
A sweet substance added to food and drinks.
melach
Salt
A white substance used to season food; the Dead Sea is yam hamelach.
aruchat boker
Breakfast
The first meal of the day; the Israeli breakfast is world-famous.
aruchat tsohorayim
Lunch
The meal eaten in the middle of the day.
aruchat erev
Dinner
The meal eaten in the evening.
sde te'ufa
Airport
A place where airplanes take off and land.
matos
Airplane
A flying vehicle with wings and engines.
rakevet
Train
A connected line of carriages that runs on rails.
tachana
Station; stop
A place where trains or buses stop for passengers.
otobus
Bus
A large road vehicle that carries many passengers.
monit
Taxi
A car you pay to be driven somewhere in.
malon
Hotel
A place where travelers pay to stay overnight.
mis'ada
Restaurant
A place where you pay to eat meals.
ir
City
A large town where many people live and work.
kfar
Village
A small settlement in the countryside.
rechov
Street
A road in a city or town.
darkon
Passport
An official document needed for traveling abroad.
kartis
Ticket; card
A piece of paper that allows you to travel or enter a place.
mapa
Map
A drawing showing streets, cities, or countries; also means tablecloth.
bank
Bank
A place where people keep and borrow money.
chanut
Shop
A place where goods are sold.
chof
Beach
A sandy shore by the sea; Tel Aviv is famous for its beaches.
tiyul
Trip; hike
A journey or hike; hiking trips are a beloved Israeli tradition.
shemesh
Sun
The star that gives Earth light and warmth.
yareach
Moon
The bright object seen in the sky at night.
kochav
Star
A point of light visible in the night sky.
shamayim
Sky
The space above the earth; always plural in Hebrew.
yam
Sea
The large body of salt water; Israel touches the Mediterranean, Red, and Dead Seas.
nahar
River
A large natural stream of water; the Jordan is Israel's main river.
har
Mountain
A very high hill, often with steep sides.
midbar
Desert
A large dry area with little rain; the Negev covers half of Israel.
ets
Tree
A tall plant with a trunk; the olive tree is an ancient symbol of the land.
perach
Flower
The colorful blossom of a plant.
geshem
Rain
Water that falls from clouds; rain is precious and prayed for in Israel.
sheleg
Snow
Soft white frozen water; it occasionally falls on Jerusalem and Mount Hermon.
ruach
Wind; spirit
Moving air; the word also means spirit.
mezeg avir
Weather
The condition of the air, such as sun, rain, or wind.
chaya
Animal
A living creature such as a dog, bird, or fish.
chatul
Cat
A small pet animal; street cats are a fixture of Israeli cities.
guf
Body
The whole physical structure of a person.
rosh
Head
The top part of the body; rosh hashana means head of the year.
ayin
Eye; spring
The part of the body used for seeing; also means a water spring.
ozen
Ear
The part of the body used for hearing.
af
Nose
The part of the face used for smelling and breathing.
pe
Mouth
The part of the face used for eating and speaking; also means here.
yad
Hand; arm
The upper limb, covering both hand and arm in everyday speech.
regel
Leg; foot
The lower limb used for walking.
lev
Heart
The organ that pumps blood, also used for feelings.
se'ar
Hair
The hair on a person's head.
beten
Stomach; belly
The front part of the body below the chest.
rofe
Doctor
A person trained to treat sick people; a female doctor is rofa.
beit cholim
Hospital
A place where sick people are treated, literally house of the sick.
trufa
Medicine
Something you take to treat an illness.
briut
Health
The condition of the body and mind; said like bless you after a sneeze: livriut.
chole
Sick
Ill, not in good health.
avoda
Work; job
A job, or the activity of working.
chevra
Company
A business organization; the same word also means society and girlfriend.
misrad
Office
A room or building where people work at desks; also means ministry.
bos
Boss
The person in charge at work; a loanword from English.
amit
Colleague
A person you work with.
pgisha
Meeting
An occasion when people come together to discuss something.
kesef
Money; silver
Coins and banknotes; the word also means silver.
maskoret
Salary
The money you receive regularly for your work.
machshev
Computer
An electronic machine used for work and entertainment.
telefon
Telephone
A device used for calling people; a mobile is pelefon or nayad.
miktsoa
Profession
The type of work a person is trained to do.
proyekt
Project
A planned piece of work with a clear goal.
lakoach
Customer
A person who buys goods or services.
choze
Contract
A formal written agreement.
menahel
Manager
The person who leads a company, school, or team.
mif'al
Factory
A building where goods are made with machines.
tarbut
Culture
The art, customs, and traditions of a society.
historia
History
The study of past events, or the events themselves.
safa
Language
A system of words used by a nation; Hebrew was revived as a spoken language.
sefer
Book
Written pages bound together; Israel is called the people of the book.
muzika
Music
Sounds arranged in a pleasing way, made by voices or instruments.
seret
Film; ribbon
A story shown in moving pictures; also means ribbon.
omanut
Art
Painting, sculpture, theatre, and other creative work.
muzeon
Museum
A building where important objects and art are shown.
chag
Holiday; festival
A special day of celebration; chag sameach means happy holiday.
dat
Religion
Belief in and worship of a god or gods.
memshala
Government
The group of people who rule a country.
chadashot
News
Reports about recent events; plural in Hebrew.
chevra
Society
People living together in an organized community; the same word means company.
masoret
Tradition
A custom passed down through generations.
lihiyot
To be
To exist or to have a certain quality; not used in the present tense.
yesh
There is; to have
Expresses existence; with li it means I have, as in yesh li.
lalechet
To go; to walk
To move from one place to another on foot.
lavo
To come
To move toward the speaker or a place.
le'echol
To eat
To put food in your mouth and swallow it.
lishtot
To drink
To take liquid into your mouth and swallow it.
lir'ot
To see
To notice something with your eyes.
lishmoa
To hear; to listen
To notice sounds with your ears.
ledaber
To speak
To say words, to talk.
likro
To read; to call
To look at words and understand them; also means to call someone.
lichtov
To write
To form letters and words on paper or a screen.
liknot
To buy
To get something by paying money.
limkor
To sell
To give something in exchange for money.
la'asot
To do; to make
To perform an action or create something.
la'avod
To work
To do a job, especially for money.
lachshov
To think
To use your mind to form ideas or opinions.
lirtsot
To want
To wish for or desire something.
le'ehov
To love; to like
To feel deep affection for someone or enjoy something.
lilmod
To learn; to study
To gain knowledge or skill.
lada'at
To know (facts)
To have information in your mind.
lehakir
To know (people); to meet
To be familiar with a person or place, or to meet for the first time.
latet
To give
To hand something to someone.
lakachat
To take
To pick something up or accept it.
lechapes
To look for
To try to find something.
la'azor
To help
To make something easier for someone.
lehatchil
To begin
To start doing something.
lesayem
To finish
To bring something to an end.
lishon
To sleep
To rest with your eyes closed at night.
tov
Good
Of high quality or pleasant; appears in many greetings like boker tov.
ra
Bad
Of poor quality or unpleasant.
gadol
Big
Of great size; slang for great or awesome.
katan
Small
Of little size.
chadash
New
Recently made or bought.
yashan
Old (things)
Having existed for a long time; for people use zaken.
tsa'ir
Young
Not old, in an early stage of life.
gavoa
Tall; high
Of great height.
namuch
Short; low
Of little height.
aroch
Long
Of great length or duration.
katsar
Short
Of little length or duration.
cham
Hot; warm
Having a high temperature; Israeli summers are very hot.
kar
Cold
Having a low temperature.
mahir
Fast
Moving or happening quickly.
iti
Slow
Moving or happening without speed.
yakar
Expensive; dear
Costing a lot of money; also means dear in letters.
zol
Cheap
Costing little money.
yafe
Beautiful
Very pleasing to look at; also said to mean well done.
kal
Easy; light
Not difficult, or not heavy.
kashe
Difficult; hard
Hard to do or understand.
chashuv
Important
Having great value or significance.
naki
Clean
Free from dirt.
ma
What
Used to ask about things.
mi
Who
Used to ask about people.
eifo
Where
Used to ask about places.
matai
When
Used to ask about time.
lama
Why
Used to ask about reasons.
eich
How
Used to ask about manner or way.
kama
How much; how many
Used to ask about quantity or price.
eize
Which; what a
Used to ask about a choice; also used in exclamations like eize yofi.
shel mi
Whose
Used to ask about ownership.
ha'im
Question particle
A formal particle that introduces yes/no questions.
bayit
House; home
A building where people live; appears in many words like beit sefer, school.
dira
Apartment
A set of rooms for living in, part of a larger building.
mitbach
Kitchen
The room where food is prepared; also means cuisine.
ambatya
Bathroom; bathtub
The room with a bath, or the bathtub itself.
chadar shena
Bedroom
The room where you sleep.
delet
Door
The entrance to a room or building.
chalon
Window
An opening in a wall with glass that lets in light.
shulchan
Table
A piece of furniture with a flat top.
kise
Chair
A seat with a back for one person.
mita
Bed
A piece of furniture for sleeping.
bgadim
Clothes
Things you wear; plural of beged.
na'alayim
Shoes
Footwear; a dual-plural form in Hebrew.
mafteach
Key
A metal object used to open locks.
sha'on
Clock; watch
A device that shows the time.
televizya
Television
A device for watching programmes and films.
menora
Lamp
A device that gives light; also the famous seven-branched candelabrum.
tik
Bag
A container with handles for carrying things.
levashel
To cook
To prepare food by heating it.
kniyot
Shopping
The activity of buying things; plural in Hebrew.
sof shavua
Weekend
The end of the week; in Israel it is Friday and Saturday.
sameach
Happy
Feeling pleasure and joy; appears in chag sameach, happy holiday.
atsuv
Sad
Feeling unhappy.
ko'es
Angry
Feeling strong displeasure.
mefached
Afraid
Feeling fear.
ayef
Tired
Needing rest after work or activity.
ra'ev
Hungry
Feeling the need to eat.
tsame
Thirsty
Feeling the need to drink.
mud'ag
Worried
Feeling anxious about something.
mesho'amam
Bored
Feeling tired because something is not interesting.
nirgash
Excited; moved
Feeling strong positive emotion or anticipation.
mufta
Surprised
Feeling wonder because of something unexpected.
ahava
Love
A deep feeling of affection.
tikva
Hope
The feeling that something good will happen; Hatikva, The Hope, is Israel's anthem.
osher
Happiness
The state of feeling happy.