Especially if you’re planning a prolonged visit to Israel, using the correct Hebrew numbers for counting in Hebrew could be very important! Number systems are the other alphabet in any language. In fact, it is a language all of its own, and it serves a multitude of excellent purposes.
The origin of counting, and with it numbers, is not clear to historians. While their art showed that prehistoric man had a concept of numbers, the first indication of a formal system was found to be only between 20,000 and 35,000 thousand years old. This discovery came around 1960 in the form of the so-called Ishango Bone found in the Congo, Central Africa.
The 10cm/4 inch piece of bone was a fibula from a baboon. It showed markings with a neat, unified pattern of small lines – far too organized and sophisticated to have formed spontaneously. Archeologists believe that those thin markings were carved to keep score of, or count, something. The lines seemed to represent a sequence of prime numbers and a series of duplications. Some even called it the first-ever pocket calculator!
2. Mesopotamia and Greece
Yet, evidence suggests that it wasn’t until about 4,000 years ago that humans truly started counting and using numbers. Together with the development of civilization came developed agriculture, and the need for measurement and score-keeping was increased.
For this reason, a formal number system and mathematics were developed first in the Middle East, in what was then called Mesopotamia. Mesopotamia was roughly situated in the area of modern-day Iraq and Kuwait. Allegedly, the system was pretty simple at first. Citizens used tokens that represented a certain number of items, such as one token equalling four goats, etc. This eventually evolved into a system of score marks pressed into clay, which ultimately went on to influence Greek mathematics.
3. Hindu-Arabic Numbers
Zero, meanwhile, was conceived later and elsewhere. Inspired by the Hindu religion, which allows for the concept of infinity and eternity, the Indians invented a symbol to represent nothing. The magic of the zero lies not in itself but its combination with other numbers.
The Indians were also the creators of today’s numbers, which are often referred to as Hindu-Arabic numbers. These comprise one or a combination of just ten symbols or digits: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 0.
Europe learned of this numeric system only around 1200 A.D., when they were introduced to it by an Italian mathematician called Leonardo Pisano Bigollo.
Pisano, also known as Fibonacci, is famous for the discovery of a mathematical sequence with countless applications. Yes, math buffs, it’s the well-known Fibonacci sequence, also called the Golden Mean.
The Roman numeric system, which was clumsy next to the newer inventions, gradually lost popularity in the West. It’s from here that they “slowly spread to conquer the world,” as Steven Law puts it.
2. Why is it Important to Learn Hebrew Numbers?
For us at HebrewPod101, this is an easy question to answer! Because we know that numbers are a global unifier.
Counting and numbers have made our lives easier since they were first formulated, even in their most primitive forms.
Without knowing your numbers, you can’t properly communicate about or deal with the following:
1) Your date/time of birth, i.e., your age: This is vital information to be able to give to people like doctors, employers, law enforcement, and so forth.
2) Banking: Worldwide, our monetary systems are built on numbers. Interest, credit scores, and loans all rely on math beyond simple finger counting.
3) Time: Without knowing how to say numbers, you can’t talk or ask about the time and expect to get a useful response. You don’t want to miss an appointment or schedule something for the wrong hour!
4) Ordering data: Numbers bring order to a mostly random life! Scientists even say that numbers and the way they are organized underpin the whole universe. From using them to count your meals’ calories and the number of likes your posts get on social media, to drawing up intricate data charts and explaining existence itself – numbers are what makes these things possible.
All of the above and more are reasons why it is important to know your numbers if you plan on travelling or becoming a foreign worker abroad, in Israel or anywhere else!
3. Learning Hebrew Numbers
Now, let’s explore the Hebrew number system a bit more! Take a look at this infographic.
Can you make out for yourself what the Hebrew numbers between one (1) and nine (9) look and sound like? Easy, right?
Then, share with us in the comments your native language’s romanized pronunciation of your number system. We’d love to see all the different ways the same numbers can be pronounced!
When you have mastered the first ten numbers, you have basically nailed the most significant part of the number system. Well done! Curious to learn the numbers from eleven upward? No problem! Why not subscribe and enroll with us now to immediately enjoy this lesson, teaching you all about Hebrew numbers eleven (11) to one hundred (100)?
Finally, if you’re curious how the numbers look once you’ve broken one hundred, why not check out our Hebrew number vocabulary page? You can see the numbers we’ve just covered, all the way up to four thousand (4,000). Plus, you can also see the Hebrew words for different numbers used in example sentences, to get an idea of how you can use them in your day-to-day conversations!
4. Why Choose HebrewPod101 to Learn all about Hebrew Numbers?
HebrewPod101, like all Innovative Language Learning ventures, takes the pain out of learning a new language by adding a lot of fun. It’s never an easy thing to learn a new language, but we formulated all your lessons so they’re nicely bite-sized, and geared to keep you motivated!
Also, we created a great number of fantastic tools to help keep struggle and boredom out of the learning process.
Fun and Easy Learning: It’s a commonly-known fact that when learning is made easy and fun, student motivation rises. And as motivation rises, so does the effort to learn – what a beautiful cycle! HebrewPod101’s language learning system is designed to get you speaking from the onset. Learn at your own convenience and pace with our short, effective, and fun audio podcast lessons. Our Learning Center is comprehensive and state-of-the-art, with a vibrant user community to connect with! Our lessons are recorded with native hosts and voice actors, providing a diverse range of dialects in your lessons. You can be confident that native speakers will understand you when speaking Hebrew!
Innovative Learning Tools and Apps: We make it our priority to offer you the best learning tools! These include apps for iPhone, iPad, Android, and Mac OSX; eBooks for Kindle, Nook, and iPad; audiobooks; Roku TV and so many more. This means that we took diverse lifestyles into account when we developed our courses, so you can learn anywhere, anytime on a device of your choice. How innovative!
Free Resources: Sharing is caring, and for this reason, we share many free resources with our students. For instance, start learning Hebrew with our basic online course by creating a lifetime account – for free! Also get free daily and iTunes lessons, free eBooks, free mobile apps, and free access to our blog and online community. Or how about free Vocabulary Lists? The Hebrew dictionary is for exclusive use by our students, also for free. There’s so much to love about HebrewPod101…!
Live Hosts and One-on-One Learning: Knowledgeable, energetic hosts present recorded video lessons, and are available for live teaching experiences if you upgrade. This means that in the videos, you get to watch them pronounce those tongue-twisters as if you’re learning live! Add octane to your learning by upgrading to Premium Plus, and learn two times faster. You can have your very own Hebrew teacher always with you, ensuring that you learn what you need, when you need to – what a wonderful opportunity to master a new language in record time!
Start Where You Are: You don’t know a single Hebrew word? Not to worry, we’ve absolutely got this. Simply enroll in our Absolute Beginner Pathway and start speaking from Lesson 1! As your learning progresses, you can enroll in other pathways to match your Hebrew level, at your own pace, in your own time, in your own place!
So, why wait? Sign up with HebrewPod101 right away! Also, let us know in the comments if you’ve used this blog post, or any of the free lessons anywhere to master Hebrew numbers. Or, even better – share your birthdate using what you’ve learned!
As most of us learn when we are still young children, one of the most important things to know in life is when to say you’re sorry. Of course, this is just as true in Israel as anywhere else, so knowing how to say I’m sorry in Hebrew is something you want to be sure of. That said, it is crucial to understand that attitudes toward asking for and granting forgiveness are quite different in Israeli culture from those associated with Western and particularly American cultures.
Indeed, if one had to characterize the concept of apology and forgiveness in Israel, it would be fair to say that Israelis apologize less frequently and less effusively than other cultures. In other words, Israelis probably won’t say sorry if they accidentally brush up against a stranger in an elevator or for other such minor situations. And if they do, it will likely be short and sweet, and not repeated. However, when we do say we’re sorry, we most likely mean it, considering that we had to first swallow our pride in order to clear our throat to get the apology out!
This is worth keeping in mind so as not to apologize excessively (by Israeli standards, at least), and also so as to avoid taking offense if an Israeli fails to apologize over some minor or even medium offense, or apologies in what seems to be a perfunctory way. Remember that Israelis are fairly direct in general, eschewing many table manners and pleasantries that may be considered requisite in other cultures. The flipside is that we also tend to be more transparent in our interactions, so usually what you see is, in fact, what you get.
It is worth noting that the concepts of apology and forgiveness are taken very seriously in religious Jewish culture, which may have something to do with Israelis’ view that effusive apologies over small matters are over the top and even unnecessary. Interestingly, it is customary to ask forgiveness of loved ones prior to Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, for any transgressions we may have committed against them during the outgoing year – up to three times if those we transgressed refuse to forgive us on the first two attempts!
In any case, daily life is highly likely to land us in a situation where some sort of apology may be in order. Particularly as you navigate a foreign language and culture, it is common to make mistakes in your language usage or to commit a social faux pas. In such cases, a polite and concise apology is likely to be appreciated, even if not necessarily expected. The key is to learn which form of apology to use when, and that is just what the lesson aims to cover!
So let’s jump right in and take a look at how to say sorry in Hebrew in a variety of situations, from expressing contrition or regret to offering condolences, and much more.
Let’s start off by looking at the most important words for apologizing or saying you’re sorry. Just as the English word sorry can be used in a variety of different contexts, whether we are asking for forgiveness for a grave wrong we’ve done or merely apologizing over some minor accident, the Hebrew word סליחה (selikhah) is a versatile word appropriate for almost all situations involving apology. Therefore, if you’re ever unsure how to say you’re sorry, consider this word your veritable Get Out of Jail Free Card. Below are some examples of how it may be used in context.
1. סליחה
Selikhah “Sorry”
סליחה שאני מגיע באיחור. היו פקקים.
S’likhah she-ani magi’a be-ikhur. Hayu p’kakim. “Sorry I got here late. There was traffic.”
סליחה שצעקתי.
S’likhah she-tza’akti. “Sorry for yelling.”
אתה הבא בתור? סליחה. לא שמתי לב.
Atah ha-ba ba-tor? S’likhah. Lo samti lev. “You’re next in line? Sorry. I didn’t realize.”
While סליחה (selikhah) is the nominative (noun) form of the root ס”ל”ח, there is also the verb לסלוח (lislo’akh) from the same root, which means “to forgive.” When used in the imperative, it is another way to either apologize or excuse yourself, much like the English word pardon. Here are some examples.
2. סלח/י לי
S’lakh / Silkhi li “Pardon me”
סלח לי, אבל אתה חוסם לי את היציאה.
S’lakh li, aval atah khosem li et ha-yetzi’ah. “Pardon me, but you’re blocking my way out.”
סלחי לי, אבל אסור לעשן כאן.
Silkhi li, aval asur le’ashen kan. “Pardon me, but it’s forbidden to smoke here.”
There is also a reflexive verb for saying you’re sorry, להצטער (lehitzta’eir), which actually means “to be sorry.” You can use this specifically to say you’re sorry or to express regret, remorse, sorrow, and similar emotions. Below are a few examples.
3. אני מצטער/ת
Ani mitzta’er / mitzta’eret “Sorry / I’m sorry”
אני מצטער על כך שלא שאלתי אותך קודם.
Ani mitzta’er ‘al kakh she-lo sha’alti otakh kodem. “Sorry for not asking you first.”
אני מצטערת לשמוע שאתה עוזב אותנו.
Ani mitzta’eret lishmo’a she-atah ‘ozev otanu. “I’m sorry to hear that you’re leaving us.”
2. Taking the Blame
Apart from generally saying you’re sorry, there will be times you want to specifically take the blame for something you have done wrong. As mentioned previously, there may well be some pride swallowing involved in doing so, but even so, sometimes taking the blame is the best way to convey your contrition over the wrong you have committed. Here are some of the most common ways to accept blame in Hebrew, along with examples of how to use them in context.
4. טעות שלי
Ta’ut sheli “My mistake”
טעות שלי. חשבתי שאתה מישהו אחר.
Ta’ut sheli. Khashavti she-atah mishehu akher. “My mistake. I thought you were someone else.”
5. הכל באשמתי
Ha-kol be-ashmati “It’s all my fault”
בבקשה, סלח לי. זה הכל באשמתי.
Bevakashah, s’lakh li. Zeh hakol be-ashmati. “Please, forgive me. It’s all my fault.”
6. זה עליי
Zeh ‘alai “It’s on me”
– איך הצלחת הזאת נשברה?
– Eikh ha-kos ha-zot nishberah? – “How did this plate break?”
– זה עליי. סליחה.
Zeh ‘alai. S’likhah. “It’s on me. Sorry.”
7. זה בגללי
Zeh biglali “It’s because of me”
אני מצטערת על כל מה שעברת. זה בגללי.
Ani mitzta’eret ‘al kol mah she-’avarta. Zeh biglali. “I’m sorry for everything you’ve gone through. It’s because of me.”
3. Apologies for Formal and Professional Situations
Apologies may obviously be appropriate in any number of situations. These include situations where formality is called for, particularly in a business or professional setting or when dealing with officials such as police or government clerks. Although Israeli is notoriously informal as a society, it’s a good idea to have some formal apologies up your sleeve. You never know when they might get you out of a jam! Here are three common ways to apologize in a more formal manner.
8. אני מבקש/ת סליחה
Ani mevakesh / mevakeshet s’likhah “I am asking for forgiveness”
אני מבקש סליחה. אני מבטיח שזה לא יקרה שוב.
Ani mevakesh s’likhah. Ani mavti’akh she-zeh lo yikreh shuv. “I am asking for forgiveness. I promise it won’t happen again.”
9. אני מתנצל/ת בכנות
Ani mitnatzel / mitnatzelet be-kenut “I sincerely apologize”
אני מתנצל בכנות. הכל היתה בעצם אי הבנה גדולה.
Ani mitnatzel be-kenut. Ha-kol haytah be-’etzem eiy havanah g’dolah. “I sincerely apologize. It was all just a big misunderstanding.”
10. סליחה על …
S’likhah ‘al … “My apologies for …”
סליחה על האיחור. הלכתי לאיבוד בדרך.
S’likhah ‘al ha-ikhur. Halakhti le-ibud ba-derekh. “My apologies for the delay. I got lost on the way.”
4. Expressing Condolences
While it may not be exactly the same as asking for forgiveness, offering condolences often takes the form of expressing our regret over someone’s loss or misfortune. In Hebrew, there are quite a number of ways to do this. As it is very much customary to offer condolences in Israel when someone has suffered a misfortune, try to memorize at least one or two of these expressions. Note that some of them reflect traditional religious Jewish beliefs, particularly the final phrase.
11. הצטערתי לשמוע על …
Hitzta’arti lishmo’a ‘al … “I’m sorry to hear about”
הצטערתי לשמוע על סבא שלך.
Hitzta’arti lishmo’a ‘al saba shelakh. “I’m sorry to hear about your grandfather.”
12. צר לי ש…
Tzar li she… “I’m sorry that …”
צר לי שאיבדת מישהו כל כך יקר.
Tzar li she-ibadet mishehu kol kakh yakar. “I’m sorry that you’ve lost someone so dear.”
13. שלא תדע/י עוד צער.
She-lo teda’ / ted’ii ‘od tza’ar. “May you know no more sorrow.”
14. אני משתתף / משתתפת בצערך.
Ani mishtatef / mishtatefet be-tza’arekha / be-tza’arekh. “I take part in your sorrow.”
15.תנחומיי.
Tankhumai. “My condolences.”
16. ברוך דיין האמת.
Barukh dayan ha-emet. “Blessed is the true judge.”
5. Other Related Words and Expressions
As a bonus, here are some additional words and expressions you’re likely to find useful in the context of apologies in Hebrew. If the first one strikes you as oddly familiar, that’s because it’s simply the same English word sorry you know so well with an Israeli pronunciation. The other three are used to express anguish, and, respectively, to evade responsibility partially and entirely. Just be careful with how you actually use these!
17. סורי
Sori “Sorry”
18. אוי ואבוי.
Oy va-avoy. “Woe is me.”
19. לא התכוונתי.
Lo hitkavanti. “It wasn’t on purpose. / I didn’t mean to.”
20. אתה התחלת / את התחלת.
Atah hitkhalta / At hitkhalt. “You started.”
6. Responding to an Apology
Finally, let’s have a look at how to respond when someone else apologizes. We’ve attempted to curate a broad array of possibilities, ranging from sincere forgiveness to brushing the whole thing off. So be sure to employ this language accordingly vis-à-vis your intentions! Also, as in the last section, keep your eye out for the expression that is poached from English!
21. הכל בסדר.
Ha-kol be-seder. “Everything is fine.”
22. אל תדאג/י.
Al tid’ag / tid’agi. “Don’t worry.”
23. לא קרה כלום.
Lo karah klum. “No worries.” (Literally: “Nothing has happened.”)
24. זה לא עניין גדול.
Zeh lo ‘inyan gadol. “It’s no big thing.”
25. זה לא כזה ביג דיל.
Zeh lo kazeh big dil. “It’s no big deal.”
26. סלחתי.
Salakhti. “I’ve forgiven (you).”
27. שכח מזה.
Shkakh mi-zeh “Forget about it.”
28. חפיף
Khafif “A mere nothing”
29. שזה לא יקרה שוב.
She-zeh lo yikreh shuv. “Don’t let it happen again.”
30. הפנקס פתוח והיד רושמת.
Ha-pinkas patu’akh ve-ha-yad roshemet. “The notebook is open and the hand is writing.”
(*This last one is used to say you’re keeping an eye on someone, particularly after they have already raised some concerns over their actions or behaviors.)
7. Let HebrewPod101 Keep You on the Right Side of Wrong
We hope you have found this lesson useful and interesting. Although none of us likes to be wrong, much less admit it, it’s much better to respond to such situations with poise, taking responsibility for whatever we have done wrong. Obviously, in order to do so, it’s crucial to be armed with the right word or phrase for the occasion and the particular wrong it entails.
The same, in fact, can be said for just about any situation. Apart from fostering a solid understanding of grammar and pronunciation, it’s important to take the time to study the right vocabulary for different situations and contexts. You can use HebrewPod101’s thematically oriented lessons, as well as our many vocabulary lists, to ensure you’re prepared for whatever situations you expect to find yourself in.
And just in case we missed anything you’d like to know about apologies in Hebrew, first of all, we’re sorry. And second of all, please let us know! Our team of native speaking teachers would be happy to help you with your question or doubt, so get in touch today. Until next time, shalom!
It goes without saying that more and more of our lives are lived in the virtual sphere with each passing year. This is true throughout the developed world, and Israel is no exception. While it would be difficult to gauge exact numbers, there is no doubt that Israelis are communicating more via texts and chats than ever before. And, as is the case wherever people communicate via digital means, new Hebrew internet slang words have emerged. They’re characterized by the adaptation of words and expressions (both Hebrew and foreign) for use on the internet and social media, as well as by a penchant for brevity and immediacy to keep up with the pace of instant messages.
Even before the internet age, Hebrew was, in fact, already full of pithy, precision-aimed words and phrases fashioned for ease of utterance and immediacy. This is partly due to the fact that, Hebrew being an abjad, it’s easy to create acronyms and abbreviations by compounding consonants and playing with vowels to form new words. Moreover, with service in the IDF compulsory for all citizens, male and female, military lingo is also quite prevalent in the daily speech of most Israelis. Indeed, the IDF is a veritable factory churning out slang, usually in the form of abbreviated words and phrases to make communication more brief and efficient—crucial in military settings. However, the same features are clearly appealing to Israel’s fast-paced civilian population, which seems to run on a mixture of high-strength caffeine and pure gumption.
Notwithstanding the influence of military slang on the shortening and condensing of Hebrew words and phrases, there is no doubt that the internet age has given rise to a whole new jargon that seems designed to update itself constantly. This comes much to the chagrin of parents, who often have no idea what their kids are talking about, and it poses a similar challenge to Hebrew language learners. Many students struggle to keep up with the barrage of slang streaming from the mouths and devices of young Israelis—slang that is nowhere to be found in any textbook.
Obviously, if you plan on spending any time in Israel or communicating with Israelis, it’s crucial to have at least some familiarity with internet, text, and social media slang, even if you don’t end up speaking pure code like a Hebrew millennial.
And as always, HebrewPod101 has got you covered! To this end, we’ve compiled the top 30 Hebrew internet slang words and phrases. While some will seem totally foreign to you, rest assured that quite a few, derived as they are from English, should be wholly familiar to you. Let’s jump right in!
These first few Hebrew slang terms shouldn’t be too daunting, considering that most of them are similar in pronunciation to their English counterparts. Take a look.
This one is pretty straightforward. Just as Instagram has merited a shortened form of its name in English, Israelis, too, sometimes refer to it by this abbreviation. Here’s an example sentence to illustrate:
ראית את מה שרותי העלתה לאינסטה שלה?
Ra’it et mah she-Ruti he’eltah la-Instah shelah? “Did you see what Ruti put on her Insta?”
The difference between the normal form (וואטסאפ, Whatsap) of this ubiquitous instant messaging app and this shortened form may be slight, but hey, every nanosecond counts! You’ll notice that the only change is the substitution of the letters ט (tet) and ס (samekh) with the single letter צ (tzadi). Here’s an example of how it might be used in a sentence:
אני תכף מתקשר אליך בחזרה בווצאפ.
Ani tekhef mitkasher eilekha be-khazarah be-Whatzap. “I’ll call you right back on Whatsapp.”
Here’s yet another abbreviated form of a popular social media platform, which Israelis definitely love using just as much as the rest of the world.
ראיתי בפייס שהתחתנת. מזל טוב!
Ra’iti ba-Fays she-hitkhatanta. Mazal tov! “I saw on Face that you got married. Congratulations!”
4. פיפל
pipel “people” (in an online community)
This one might seem totally foreign upon first inspection, but if you look a bit more closely and factor in the way most Israelis pronounce English vowels, you’ll see that this is simply the English word “people” pronounced as if it were a Hebrew word. This loanword is used in a way that linguists call “narrowing,” which is where a word with a broad definition gets used to express something more specific. In this case, Israelis use the word to describe people who form an online community of some kind, such as members of a Facebook group or a forum.
שלום לכם, פיפל. כולכם מוזמנים לאירוע שלנו בשבוע הבא. לחצו כאן לפרטים.
Shalom lakhem, pipel. Kulkhem muzmanim la-eyru’a shelanu ba-shavu’a haba. Lakhatzu kan li-fratim. “Hi there, people. You’re all invited to our event next week. Click here for details.”
This is another example of a seemingly unfamiliar word that’s really just English filtered through Israeli pronunciation. Tokbek actually comes from “talkback,” originating with early (relative to the age of the internet) online forums where users were invited to post feedback. In Israel, this word is used to refer to either the comments section or a specific comment on a webpage, social media account, or online group.
קראתי היום טוקבק שלפיו ראש הממשלה לא ישרוד עוד שנה עם כל האישומים נגדו.
Karati ha-yom tokbek she-le-fiv rosh ha-memshalah lo yisrod ‘od shanah ‘im kol ha-ha’eeshumim negdo. “I read a user comment that says the prime minister won’t make it through another year with all the charges against him.”
2. Slang Verbs Related to the Internet
Now let’s have a look at some verbs related to the internet. Remember that verbs are words that express actions or states. Hebrew is unique in that it almost seems to invite the formation of new verbs created from existing nouns, or even abbreviations and acronyms. This is thanks to its being an abjad, as well as to the fact that different verb forms (binyanim) inherently express a given sort of function or relationship. For instance, התפעל (hitpa’el) always expresses the reflexive, where a verb is acting on its own agent.
Here are the top Hebrew verbs you’ll need to navigate the Net. For a refresher on verb conjugation, check out this article.
6. לאנפרנד
le’anfrend “to unfriend”
This one is another loanword from English. Interestingly, despite its flexibility in many other areas, Hebrew has no inherent system for creating a negative form of a word. This may be why Israelis have opted to simply adopt this English word instead of forming a proper Hebrew word for the act of ending an online relationship.
נמאס לי מכל השטויות שניר מפרסם בפייס! אני הולך לאנפרנד אותו אם הוא לא מפסיק לקשקש לי שם. Nimas li me-kol ha-shetuyot she-Nir mefarsem ba-Fays. Ani holekh le’anfrend oto im hu lo mafsik lekashkesh li sham. “I’m sick of all the stupid stuff Nir posts on Facebook. I’m going to unfriend him if he doesn’t stop with the nonsense there.”
Again, this one comes straight from English, although you can see from the vowels how the word was adapted to the הפעיל (hif’il) verb form. This form generally expresses a transitive action, as in one done by an agent to an object.
איזה מעצבן! אין לי מושג מי זה, אבל מישהו ממשיך להטריל אותי בטוויטר.
Eyzeh me’atzben! Eyn li musag mi zeh, aval mishehu mamshikh lehatril oti be-Tviter. “This is so annoying! I have no idea who he is, but someone keeps trolling me on Twitter.”
8. ללייקק
lelaykek “to like”
Not to be confused with the verb ללקק (lelakek), which means “to lick,” this is yet another loanword from English. It’s another example of narrowing, as it’s used in Hebrew only to refer to “liking” in terms of clicking “Like,” rather than general enjoyment or appreciation of something or someone.
ראית כמה אנשים לייקקו את התמונות שהעלית באינסטה שלך?
Ra’it kamah anashim liykeku et ha-temunot she-he’elayt ba-Instah shelakh? “Did you see how many people liked the pictures you posted to your Insta?”
9. לגגל
legagel “to Google”
Just as in English, the popularity of the search engine Google is such that it merits its very own verb. Don’t get this word confused with לגלגל (legalgel), though, which means to turn or spin something/someone around.
-מה היא עיר הבירה של סלובניה? -אין לי מושג. אני אגגל את זה.
-Mah hi ‘ir ha-birah shel Sloveniyah? -Eyn li musag. Ani agagel et zeh. -“What’s the capital of Slovenia?” -“I have no idea. I’ll Google it.”
It takes a bit of analysis to get to the bottom of this one. The verb we see here originates from the acronym אמ;לק (AM;LK), which is once again from English, though this one has been properly translated. The English inspiration is the acronym TL;DR, which stands for “too long; didn’t read.” In similar fashion, the Hebrew אמ;לק stands for ארוך מדי;לא קראתי (arokh miday; lo karati), meaning “too long; didn’t read.” This verb is derived from the same, and it means to render something more easily readable by shortening or summarizing it.
למי שלא היה לו זמן לקרוא את המאמר המלא, אמ;לקתי אותו.
Le-mi she-lo hayah lo zman likro et ha-ma’amar ha-male, im;lakti oto. “For anyone who didn’t have time to read the full article, I’ve summarized it.”
3. Slang for Using or Describing the Internet / Social Media
This category is somewhat of a mixed bag, but these are all popular Hebrew slang words or phrases that are used to describe either the internet or social media, or ones that are generally only used in that context. Note that the first three words have different meanings when used in other contexts, while the latter three are specific to netspeak.
11. צהוב
tzahov “juicy” (lit.: “yellow”)
While this word simply means “yellow,” it’s used online to describe particularly juicy gossip. Most likely, this usage originates from the term “yellow journalism.” Indeed, tabloids (which generally print yellow journalism) are known in Hebrew as צהובונים (tzehubonim).
וואו, זה עדכון די צהוב. חשבתי שהוא נשוי…
Wow. Zeh ‘idkun dey tzahov. Khashavti she-hu nasuy… “Wow. That’s a pretty juicy update. I thought he was married…”
12. שיימינג
sheyming “shamed”
While this one can obviously have a different connotation in other contexts, when used online, this typically refers to the practice of shaming someone on social media via original posts referencing or tagging someone or through tokbekim (see above).
ראיתם שהיא פרסמה את ההודעה הקריפית שלו? איזה שיימינג!
Ra’item she-hi pirsema et ha-hoda’ah ha-kripit shelo? Eyzeh sheyming! “Did you see that she published his creepy message? He’s totally shamed!”
13. טירוף
madness “craziness” (lit.: “madness”)
This word, used as an intensifier, could be considered to have entered the mainstream of Hebrew speech (at least among younger generations), but it’s certainly used frequently online.
שמעת את השיר החדש של דודו טסה עם האמן האמירתי ההוא? פשוט טירוף!
Shama’t et ha-shir ha-khadash shel Dudu Tasah ‘im ha-oman ha-emirati ha-hu? Pashut teruf! “Have you heard Dudu Tassa’s new song with that artist from the UAE? It’s simply madness!”
14.חחח
kh… *indicates laughing (c.f. “LOL”)
This one is pretty straightforward. Just as LOL is used to indicate that you’ve found something humorous, Hebrew uses the letter ח (khet) repeated—usually three times, but sometimes more—to indicate laughter online.
חחח… איזה קליפ אדיר!
Kh… Eyzeh klip adir! “LOL… What a great clip!”
15. מואה
mu’ah “mwah” (*sound of a kiss)
Similar to the word above, this is simply the sound of a kiss written out.
כמה שאני אוהבת אתכם, חמודים! מואה!
Kamah she-ani ohevet etkhem, khamudim! Mu’ah! “I love you guys so much, cuties! Mwah!”
16. פחח
pkh… *indicates ridicule (c.f. “haha”)
This is another attempt to render in text what we would normally express vocally in a face-to-face or phone conversation. Obviously, the sounds that go with different emotions vary from language to language, so just roll with it!
פחח, איזה עלוב המורה שלנו.
Pkh, eyzeh aluv ha-moreh shelanu. “Haha, how lame is our teacher.”
4. Slang Abbreviations / Acronyms for Using or Describing the Internet
Though we’ve already seen some abbreviations and acronyms, this category is exclusive to these. While we’ve provided pronunciation for these, note that they are generally reserved for written communications and are therefore not spoken out loud. Also note that while acronyms in Hebrew tend to feature a double apostrophe between the penultimate and ultimate letters, these are often omitted in online settings—once again, in the interests of expediency.
All that said, here’s some common internet slang in Hebrew in the form of abbreviations and acronyms.
17. בלת”ק = בלי לקרוא תגובות קודמות
BALTAK = beli likro teguvot kodmot “without having read previous posts”
בלת”ק, נראה לי שמי שפרסם את זה לא יודע בכלל על מה הוא מדבר.
BALTAK, nireh li she-mi she-pirsem et zeh lo yode’a bikhlal ‘al mah hu medaber. “Without having read previous posts, it seems to me that the person who posted this doesn’t even know what he’s talking about.”
18. אמ;לק = ארוך מדי; לא קראתי
AMLEK = arokh miday; lo karati “too long; didn’t read”
We saw the verb form of this previously. As we mentioned, this is the Hebrew equivalent of English’s TL;DR.
אמ;לק אבל נראה לי מעניין.
AMLEK aval nireh li me’anyen. “TL;DR but looks interesting.”
19. חיב”ס = חי בסרט
KHAYBS= khay/ah be-seret “lives in a movie” (i.e. “dreaming”)
The phrase חי בסרט (khay be-seret) is used quite commonly in Hebrew to refer to someone who is dreaming, as if imagining life as a movie. This acronym, which carries the same meaning, is used strictly in posts and texts.
היא באמת חושבת שיש לה סיכוי איתו? היא פשוט חיה בסרט.
Hi be-emet khoshevet she-yesh lah sikuy ito? Hi pashut khaya be-seret. “Does she really think she stands a chance with him? She’s just dreaming.”
20. משו
mashu *short form of משהו (mashehu) – “something”
There isn’t much to say about this one except that young people in Israel must really be in a rush if they deem the omission of one letter to be a worthy gain in terms of time or effort. But, as we’ve seen, they certainly do!
תן לי להגיד לך משו: אתה חי בסרט.
Ten li lehagid lekha mashu: atah khay be-seret. “Let me tell you something: you’re dreaming.”
21. חש = חושב את עצמו/חושבת את עצמה
KHASH = khoshev et ‘atzmo/khoshevet et ‘atzmah “think he/she is”
This particular phrasing never has anything but a negative connotation, as we’re implying that a person believes him/herself to be something he/she is not.
מה היא חש? מלכת הפייס?
Mah hi KHASHA? Malkat ha-Fays? “Who does she think she is? The queen of Face?”
5. Internet / Social Media Slang from English
We’ve already seen quite a number of loans from English, but this last category should contain words and phrases that you can easily recognize from their resemblance to (if not their mirroring of) their English counterparts.
22. גאד, אומייגאד
gad, omaygad *from “oh my God/OMG”
It’s funny that Hebrew culture forbids taking the Lord’s name in vain, but apparently not if you do so in English! This one should be simple enough to identify.
אומייגאד! איזה מכוער יצאתי בתמונה הזאת!
Omaygad! Eyzeh mekho’ar yatzati ba-temunah ha-zot! “OMG! How ugly I came out in this picture!”
23. וונאבי
wanabi *from “wannabe”
No, this is not the name of some ancient ruin site. Rather, it’s just the same slang word we know from English rendered in Hebrew!
איזה וונאבי אלכס! הוא בכלל לא יודע מה זה מטאל.
Eyzeh wanabi Aleks! Hu bikhlal lo yode’a mah zeh metal. “What a wannabe Alex is. He doesn’t even know what metal is!”
24. יאפ
yap *from “yup”
This one shouldn’t be too hard to work out, though as we’ve seen, Israelis’ approximation of English vowels might throw you off the first time you hear this uttered.
-בא לך לראות סרט אצלי הערב? –יאפ. אני אביא את השתייה.
-Ba lakh lirot seret etzli ha-’erev? –Yap. Ani avi et ha-shtiyah. -“Feel like a movie at my place tonight?” -“Yup. I’ll bring drinks.”
25. יולו
YOLO *from “YOLO (you only live once)”
-אז מה אתה אומר? צניחה חופשית בסופ”ש? -יאפ, יולו.
-Az mah atah omer? Tznikhah khofshit ba-sofa”sh? -Yap, YOLO. -“So, what do you say? Skydiving this weekend?” -“Yup, YOLO.”
26. לאב
lav *from “love”
Obviously, Hebrew has its own word for love, אהבה (ahavah), but saying it in English is just so much cooler. Or, as we say in Hebrew, יותר קול (yoter kul).
לאב! התמונה הכי יפה שלך שראיתי אי פעם.
Lav! Ha-temunah ha-khi yafah shelkha she-ra’iti ey pa’am. “Love! The best picture I’ve ever seen of you.”
27. לול
LOL “LOL”
As we saw previously, Hebrew has its own equivalent of this, but sometimes we just go ahead and use the original English version, Hebraicized, just for the heck of it.
לול! רואים שבאמת עשיתם בלגן במסיבה.
LOL! Ro’im she-be-emet ‘asitem balagan ba-mesibah. “LOL! You can see that you guys really made a mess at the party.”
28. נופ
nop “nope”
Another pretty obvious one. You’d think Hebrew’s own word for no, לא (lo), would be short enough, but once again, it seems it’s just more stylish to use English slang.
-כבר התרשמת לסמסטר הבא? -נופ, אבל אני אעשה את זה מחר.
-Kvar hitrashamt la-semester ha-ba? –Nop, aval ani a’aseh et zeh makhar. -“Have you already signed up for next semester?” -“Nope, but I’m going to do it tomorrow.”
29. סוואג
sweg “swag”
This word originates from the English verb “swagger,” but, as in English, the netspeak word “swag” refers to someone or something supremely cool.
אפילו אם הם מהאסכולה הישנה, הביסטי בויז הם עדיין הכי סוואג שיש.
Afilu im hem me-ha-escolah ha-yeshanah, ha-Bisti Boyz hem ‘adayin ha-khi sweg she-yesh. “Even if they’re old-school, the Beastie Boys are still as swag as it gets.”
30. קיי
key “‘kay” (shortened form of “okay”)
Last but not least, Israelis have adopted this monosyllabic version of English’s “okay” as an alternative to the unquestionably more syllabic בסדר (be-seder) that’s generally used to express the same sentiment.
-מה אתה אומר? יוצאים לבירה במקום הרגיל? -קיי, אני כבר יוצא לשם.
-Mah atah omer? Yotzim le-birah ba-makom ha-ragil? –Key, ani kvar yotze le-sham. -“What do you say? Should we go out for a beer at the usual place?” -” ‘Kay, I’m heading there now.”
6. Head Spinning at All the Hebrew Slang? Let HebrewPod101 Screw it Back on Straight for You!
As you can see, Hebrew—like most languages these days—is inundated by slang, particularly slang related to the internet, social media, and texting/instant messaging. These are words and phrases you’d be hard-pressed to find in conventional dictionaries, so your best bet will always be to consult a native speaker for clarity on meaning, usage, and pronunciation. That’s exactly why all of our teachers at HebrewPod101 are native speakers, in addition to being professional educators.
We’re committed to teaching you not only “correct” textbook Hebrew, but also Hebrew as it’s spoken by native speakers. This includes a lot of slang, both from netspeak and from the military (among others), so there’s a lot to wrap your head around. But there’s absolutely no need to do it alone! Check out our numerous resources categorized by skill and topic, and you’ll see an abundance of lessons on slang of all types.
We hope you’ve found today’s lesson useful, but we know that there’s simply an endless stream of slang cropping up seemingly by the minute. So let us know if you’ve run into a slang word or phrase in Hebrew that you can’t figure out that we haven’t covered here. We’re always delighted to hear from our students, so don’t hesitate to reach out!
A first impression casts ripples into the future of any relationship; they’re the most important meeting you may ever have with a person. Whether meeting a potential business partner, making a new friend, or asking someone out on a date, we only get one chance to make a good first impression.
With that in mind, the way you introduce yourself to others counts perhaps as much as anything else you might say afterward. But there’s no need to stress when trying to learn how to say “My name is” in Hebrew, or any other self-introduction. HebrewPod101.com has you covered! With the following lesson on “how to introduce yourself in Hebrew” phrases, and a bit of practice, it’ll become second nature.
Like most languages, Hebrew offers numerous ways to introduce ourselves, but the most basic ways, luckily, are fairly easy to learn. In fact, there are a lot of common language building blocks in many of the expressions we’ll be looking at. This way, learning the right forms for one phrase will help to reinforce your mastery with some of the others as well. So let’s jump right in and take a look at some of the best ways to tell others who we are, where we’re from, and what we do (and like to do) in Hebrew.
Let’s start with the good news! The structure of Hebrew introductions will be entirely familiar to English speakers, as it’s almost identical. A basic introduction starts with a greeting. After we exchange greetings with the other person, we want to state our name and ask the other person his or her name.
Some other elements that are common to include when introducing yourself in Hebrew are your age, nationality, information about your profession, current job or studies, and extra information such as your likes/dislikes. Now, let’s break down how to introduce yourself in Hebrew language, and take a piece-by-piece look at it.
2. Hebrew Greetings
There’s no better place to start in terms of self-introductions than greetings, and when you learn Hebrew, introducing yourself is one of the first things you should learn. Let’s take a look at some common greetings in Hebrew. We’ll see some formal greetings, as well as some informal greetings, and look at their use in context. When learning how to introduce yourself in Hebrew, words like this are indispensable.
שלום
shalom
Hello.
שלום (shalom), which literally means “peace,” is the most classic greeting in Hebrew, and it has the advantages of being appropriate in any situation, whether formal or informal, as well as not requiring any verb conjugations or gender-specific words. This makes it an easy and perfectly acceptable go-to greeting.
היי
hi
Hi.
אהלן
ahalan
Hi.
However, depending on the situation, you may wish to choose a more informal, or even slang, greeting, like היי (hi) or אהלן (ahalan). Another option here is to use a greeting based on the time of day, all of which, like שלום (shalom), have the advantage of not needing to be conjugated or gender-specific.
מה שְּׁלוֹמְךָ?
Ma shlomkha?
How are you? [addressing a male]
?מה שְּׁלוֹמֵךְ
Ma shlomekh?
How are you? [addressing a female]
It’s typical to follow up our greeting by politely asking the person how he or she is: מה שְּׁלוֹמְךָ? (Ma shlomkha?) to ask a male and מה שְּׁלוֹמֵךְ? (Ma shlomekh?) to ask a female. When looking at how to introduce yourself in Hebrew, grammar is always an important aspect, especially in terms of conjugation, so be sure to look for conjugation patterns throughout the article.
טוב
Tov
Good. / Well.
בסדר
beseder
Fine.
תודה
Toda
Thank you.
טוב, תודה
tov, toda
Good, thank you.
If they ask us the same, we can answer in one word: טוב (tov), for “good,” or בסדר (beseder) to say “fine.” We may also follow this up with the word for thank you, תודה (toda), as in טוב, תודה (tov, toda), meaning “Good, thank you.”
3. Exchanging Names
Talking about your name in Hebrew is essential in forming a relationship with someone, and no self-introduction would be complete without actually introducing ourselves by name. There are several ways to do this in Hebrew. Some are formal and others less so, but all are commonly used depending on the situation. For this reason, it’s a good idea to become familiar with the different forms and get comfortable with their use. Let’s jump in and have a look!
1- Stating Your Own Name
אני
Ani
I
שמי
Shmi
My name is…
השם שלי
Hashem sheli
My name is…
קוראים לי
Kor’im li
I am called/named…
After we greet in Hebrew, we’ll generally state our name. There are three main ways Hebrews do this:
“I am,” followed by your name. One of the unusual features of Hebrew is that there’s no verb for “to be” in the present tense, so we don’t need to worry about “am.” In fact, we only need one word here, the first person pronoun “I,” which, luckily, has one form for both males and females: אני (Ani).
So, if my name is John, I can say, אני ג’ון (Ani John), meaning, “I am John,” and we’re done! And if my name is Jane, I would say אני ג׳יין (Ani Jane), meaning, “I am Jane.” Yes, just one word plus your name!
“My name is,” followed by your name. There are actually two variations of this. Sticking with the example of John, we could either say, השם שלי ג’ון (Hashem sheli John), or, שמי ג’ון (Shmi John). Both have the same meaning: “My name is John.” For Jane, it would be שמי ג׳יין (Shmi Jane) or השם שלי ג׳יין (Hashem sheli Jane), or, “My name is Jane.”
“I am called/named,” followed by your name. Finally, the most formal way would be to say, קוראים לי ג’ון (Kor’im li John), which is equivalent to, “I am called/named John.” For Jane, קוראים לי ג׳יין (Kor’im li Jane), meaning “I am called/named Jane.”
Remember, none of these require any conjugation, so just practice until you memorize them, and you’re good to go!
2- Asking the Other Person’s Name
The easiest way to ask the other person’s name, if they don’t share it with us on their own (though many Israelis will give their name without needing to be asked), is to use the word קוראים (korim). This is from the last form we just looked at for stating our own name, but this time we use it as part of a question. And the good news is that we only need to conjugate one word; in this case, it’s the second person pronoun “you.”
איך קוראים לְךָ?
Eich korim lekha?
What is your name? [addressing a male]
איך קוראים לָךְ?
Eich kor’im lakh?
What is your name? [addressing a female]
נעים מאוד
Naim meod
Nice to meet you.
נעים להכיר
Naim meod
Nice to meet you.
If we’re talking to a male, we ask, איך קוראים לְךָ? (Eich korim lekha?), while if speaking to a female, we ask, איך קוראים לָךְ? (Eich kor’im lakh?). Both mean, “What are you called/named?” Once we hear the other person’s name, we’ll generally reply with a nicety, such as נעים מאוד (Naim meod), or נעים להכיר (Naim lehakir), both of which mean, “Nice to meet you.”
4. Stating Your Age and Nationality
Generally speaking, if we’re having a lengthier conversation, it’s not uncommon to find ourselves offering more details about ourselves. It’s fairly typical for these details to include our age and nationality, though, of course, you may wish to omit this information. But in case you want to be prepared to offer this info, here are some basic ways to do so.
1- Stating Your Age
As we looked at earlier, there’s no Hebrew verb “to be” in present tense. So, when talking about your age in Hebrew, you can do this by saying, literally, “I am the son/daughter of ___ years.” This may sound odd now, but it’s very easy to do, as long as you remember to use בן (ben), or “son,” for males and בת (bat), or “daughter,” for females. Also be sure to take the time to learn your numbers.
אני בן
Ani ben
I am X years old. [male speaker]
אני בת
Ani bat
I am X years old. [female speaker]
If I’m a twenty-five-year-old man, for instance, I can say: אני בן 25 (Ani ben esrim-ve’chamesh). If, on the other hand, I am a twenty-five-year-old woman, I would say instead: אני בת 25 (Ani bat esrim-ve’chamesh). Notice that the numbers aren’t gender-specific here. All we need to remember is ben—like Benjamin—for boys, and bat for girls.
בן כמה אתה?
Ben kama ata?
How old are you? [addressing a male speaker]
בת כמה את?
Bat kama at?
How old are you? [addressing a female speaker]
If we want to ask the other person their age, the language is very similar. Addressing a man, we would ask, בן כמה אתה? (Ben kama ata?), or for a woman, בת כמה את? (Bat kama at?). Both mean, “How old are you?” Notice that aside from the son/daughter distinction, we also need to make sure to use either a male or female pronoun (ata/at respectively), depending on who we’re speaking to.
2- Stating Your Nationality
Telling someone where you’re from in Hebrew is really easy, too! We already know to use אני (Ani) for “I,” and we also know that Hebrew doesn’t have the verb “to be” in present tense, so we don’t need to worry about “am.”
All we need is the preposition “from” to create this sentence, as well as the Hebrew form of our city or country. “From” is actually just one letter, מ (mi), which gets attached to the name of the country (or the city, if we want to get specific).
אני מ…
Ani mi…
I am from…
מאיפה אתה?
Me’eifo ata?
Where are you from? ]addressing a male speaker]
or מאיפה את?
Me’eifo at?
Where are you from? [addressing a female speaker]
So if a male person is from Japan, he would say, אני מיפן (Ani mi’Yapan), or if he wants to say that he’s from New York, he could say, אני מניו יורק (Ani miNyu York). Talking about where you are from in Hebrew is really that simple!
To ask the other person where he or she is from, it’s equally simple: מאיפה אתה? (Me’eifo ata?) to ask a man, or מאיפה את? (Me’eifo at?) to ask a woman.
5. Talking about Your Profession or Studies
Another topic we’re likely to discuss in a self introduction is our professional life or, if we’re in school, information about our studies. It’s also considered polite, as in many cultures, to ask the other person about the same information, as a type of small talk to show that we’re interested in getting to know them.
More good news! We already have some building blocks to say this from what we have learned previously. Let’s take a closer look at how to do this in the next section.
1- Talking about Your Profession or Job
אני
Ani
I am a/an…
If you want to simply state the name of your professional title when talking about your job in Hebrew, it’s as simple as knowing that vocabulary word and adding it after the first person pronoun אני (Ani). If John is a doctor, for example, he would say, אני רופא (Ani rofeh). Notice that in Hebrew, unlike in English, we don’t use an article (“a/an” ) in this case.
אני עובד ב…
Ani oved be…
I work in/at… [male speaker]
אני עובדת ב…
Ani ovedet be…
“I work in/at… [female speaker]
If, instead, John wishes to mention where he works, he could say אני עובד ב… (Ani oved be…), or, “I work in/at,” plus the name of the place where he works. So, if John works at a plastics factory, he could say, אני עובד במפעל פלסטיק (Ani oved be’mif’al plastic). If Jane works in the same place, she would use the female form of the verb “work,” as follows: אני עובדת במפעל פלסטיק (Ani ovedet be’mif’al plastic).
אני לומד ב…
Ani lomed ba
I go to school at… [male speaker]
אני לומדת ב…
Ani lomedet ba…
I go to school at… [female speaker]
If you’re mainly or exclusively studying rather than working, you can either say: אני סטודנט (Ani student) for males, or אני סטודנטית (Ani studentit) for the female form. Another option, for all you students out there, is to say where you’re currently studying.
For instance, if you’re enrolled at Hebrew University, you could say אני לומד באוניברסיטה העברית (Ani lomed ba’Universita ha’Ivrit) for males, or אני לומדת באוניברסיטה העברית (Ani lomedet ba’Universita ha’Ivrit) for females.
2- Asking the Other Person about His/Her Profession or Job
?במה אתה עובד
Be’ma ata oved?
Literally, “What do you work in?” Equivalent to, “What do you do for a living?” [addressing a male speaker]
?במה את עובדת
Be’ma at ovedet?
Literally, “What do you work in?” Equivalent to, “What do you do for a living?” [addressing a female speaker]
It’s generally considered polite to ask for the same information that we’ve just offered in return when talking to Hebrew speakers. Addressing a male, we could ask, במה אתה עובד (Be’ma ata oved), to ask in general what the person does for a living. (Literally, it means: “What do you work in?” ) Addressing a woman, as we saw above, we need to change the verb to the female form, and use the female second person pronoun: במה את עובדת? (Be’ma at ovedet?).
איפה אתה עובד?
Eifo ata oved?
Where do you work? [addressing a male speaker]
איפה את עובדת?
Eifo at ovedet?
Where do you work? [addressing a female speaker]
איפה אתה לומד?
Eifo ata lomed?
Where do you go to school? [addressing a male speaker]
איפה את לומדת?
Eifo at lomedet?
Where do you go to school? [addressing a female speaker]
We can also ask where a person works: איפה אתה עובד? (Eifo ata oved?) to ask a male, and איפה את עובדת? (Eifo at ovedet?) for a woman. If the other person is a student, we can ask them where they’re studying: איפה אתה לומד? (Eifo ata lomed?) to ask a male, and איפה את לומדת? (Eifo at lomedet?) to ask a female. Are you starting to notice a pattern? Great job!
6. Likes/Dislikes and Hobbies
To round out our self-introduction in Hebrew, we may want to offer some information about our personal life, such as something we particularly like (or perhaps even dislike). This could be a hobby, or maybe a food or animal we really enjoy. Luckily, the grammar we need to say any of these is truly simple. If we want to talk about a thing (a noun), we would just use “I like/dislike,” followed by the noun we want to mention.
אני אוהב…
Ani ohev…
I like/love [to]… [male speaker]
אני אוהבת…
Ani lo ohevet…
I like/love [to]… [female speaker]
So, for example, if John likes basketball, he could say: אני אוהב כדורסל (Ani ohev kadursal). If Jane is a big dog-lover, she could say: אני אוהבת כלבים (Ani ohevet klavim). Note that, just as in our previous examples, we only need to change the verb to match our gender, while the first person pronoun stays the same.
אני לא אוהב…
Ani ohev…
I like/love [to]… [male speaker]
אני לא אוהבת…
Ani lo ohevet…
I like/love [to]… [female speaker]
To state a dislike, we just need to add the negative לא (lo) before the verb. For example, if John dislikes soccer, he could say, אני לא אוהב כדורגל (Ani lo ohev kaduregel). Just be careful who you say that to, as many Israelis are passionate about soccer!
Finally, we can use the same building blocks to talk about any activity we particularly like or dislike by using the same initial form followed by an infinitive verb instead of a noun. So, if Jane really likes cooking, but doesn’t like baking, for example, she could say: אני אוהבת לבשל. אני לא אוהבת לאפות. (Ani ohevet livashel. Ani lo ohevet le’efot.). Notice that infinitive verbs in Hebrew always start with the letter ל.
7. Conclusion: Make That First Impression Last!
So, now you’ve learned my name is in Hebrew, and the conversation that may follow.
When we introduce ourselves, it’s good to have thought first about what we want to say, depending on who we’re going to be talking to. The basics, like our name and age, may be no-brainers, but it’s good to reflect on what else you’ll most likely be telling people about yourself. This is a personal matter and depends on many factors, such as your current work or academic situation, the person you’re talking to, and the circumstances of your conversation.
Your waiter at a restaurant in Jerusalem, for example, might not need to know that you work at the San Diego Zoo, but perhaps you do wish to create a rapport by sharing your name, especially if he tells you his first. A business partner might already know your nationality, but he might enjoy finding out about your love of playing chess, particularly if he plays too.
You definitely don’t need to tell someone everything about you the first time they meet you, especially since that would be a lot of new language to learn in one go. But hopefully this lesson will serve as a guide in presenting some options to choose from, and will help you practice so that you can feel confident on your next business trip or vacation to Israel—or when you finally ask that Israeli guy or girl out for a coffee! So spend some time practicing, and make that first impression last!
For more information on Hebrew culture and the language, visit us at HebrewPod101.com and experience all the unique learning tools we have to offer. From insightful blog posts like this one to free vocabulary lists to strengthen your word knowledge, there’s something here for every learner!
Before you go, practice talking about yourself in Hebrew! Why not introduce yourself in Hebrew in the comments? Let us know your name, profession, and favorite hobby in Hebrew; we look forward to hearing from you!
If you’re planning to stay in Israel for any considerable length of time, you’re probably going to consider looking for a job at some point. Beyond the obvious need to earn a living, entering the job market is also a great way to network. A work environment can open up access to new social circles, as well, and help you start forming the ties you need to navigate in a foreign country.
Israel’s job market is constantly evolving. There are jobs in Israel for English speakers if you know where and how to look, as well as what to expect in terms of the screening and interview process. Just like anywhere else, looking for work in Israel can definitely be a challenge, depending on your qualifications and the type of job you’re after. But don’t worry! We’re here to help.
In today’s lesson, we’ll cover everything you should know about:
Where to look for work in Israel
Different types of job opportunities available to foreigners
While there’s no hard-and-fast rule about where to work in Israel, it is good general practice to focus your search on large population centers where you’re more likely to encounter a variety of work opportunities.
In Israel, which is a relatively small country, the majority of the population is concentrated in Gush Dan, which contains Israel’s largest city (Tel Aviv) as well as a number of other cities and suburbs. This is going to be your best bet for industry, commerce, and high-tech, although there are other options as well. Let’s have a look at the major cities in Israel and their characteristics in terms of the job market they offer.
A- Tel Aviv and Gush Dan – תל אביב וגוש דן (Tel Aviv ve-Gush Dan)
As mentioned, Tel Aviv is Israel’s largest city and it has the most modern feel. It’s the seat of Israel’s booming high-tech industry, and it’s Israel’s major hub for finance, business, medicine, and R&D, among others. For example, Tel Aviv is home to Israel’s stock market and is near the country’s main international airport, Ben Gurion, making it an obvious choice for conducting international business.
If you have a functional level of Hebrew and the relevant credentials and experience, you could try looking for jobs in your field. Alternatively, if you’re hoping to work in a job that doesn’t require mastery of Hebrew, you could look for work in Tel Aviv’s tourist and service industry. In this case, you’ll want to look for vacancies at hotels, restaurants, and beach facilities.
You could also seek work as an English teacher—or a teacher of any other international language you may speak—at language centers such as Wall Street. In fact, you could even try to give private lessons through wanted ads in local newspapers, such as Maariv or Calcalist. You may also want to consider applying to jobs at public or private schools, provided you have the proper training to teach at this level.
B- Jerusalem – ירושלים (Yerushalayim)
Though a much smaller city, Jerusalem is a hub for culture, tourism, and political and religious activity. In contrast with Tel Aviv’s modern Bauhaus look, Jerusalem feels like a portal into ancient times, with its white stone buildings and historical sites on just about every corner. Nevertheless, the city is home to a bustling economy, and even has an industrial city housing a number of prominent international companies.
Because of Jerusalem’s importance to the three major Western religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), the city is also a must-see destination for any tourist visiting the country. Additionally, it’s home to a very large expat community; some of these expats are tied to the multitude of educational institutions such as the Hebrew University.
As such, Jerusalem is a place where English can get you further than in some other parts of Israel. So if your Hebrew is just so-so, you may want to consider looking for work in the tourism and service industry, or you could apply for a position at a school or program where English is the lingua franca. And, of course, you can look for work teaching English in Jerusalem, as well.
When looking for jobs, you could use the local papers (such as Yediot Aharonot) or check in with the Jerusalem Municipality, which runs a number of programs aimed at matching up immigrants with jobs. If you’re an entrepreneur, you might also want to consider checking out the MATI Jerusalem Business Development Center, dedicated to helping business owners.
C- Haifa – חיפה (Khayfah)
Haifa is Israel’s largest northern city, sitting on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea below the slopes of the Carmel Mountains. One of Israel’s major port cities (along with Ashdod in the South), Haifa is home to a wealth of industries, including manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, oil refineries, engineering, R&D, and high-tech. It also holds a place of prominence in the medical sphere, with an extensive hospital system.
As with the other cities we’ve seen, if your Hebrew isn’t up to snuff, you could try teaching English or look for work in the tourist and service sectors. Another option is to apply to the many international companies with branches in Haifa, such as Intel, Microsoft, Google, and Qualcomm, to name but a few.
Haifa’s Center for Employment is a great resource for job hunters, offering guidance and support for newcomers to Israel, with specific services for those seeking employment. And if you’re interested in starting your own business or setting up a branch in Israel, you can also avail yourself of the MATI Haifa Small Business Development Center.
D- Eilat – אילת (Eilat)
Nestled right at the southern tip of the country, Eilat is a very different city from the others we’ve seen so far. A resort city on the coast of the Gulf of Eilat/Aqaba, it is home to a bustling tourism industry, both national and international.
There are many hotels, both big and small, as well as the typical service industry employers that one would usually expect to find in a resort town. While a lack of Hebrew knowledge can be an obstacle, considering the large amount of domestic tourism in Eilat, there are some opportunities available for English speakers at hotels, restaurants, gift shops, travel agencies, and the like. A good resource for these types of jobs is the Facebook page Israel Hotel Jobs for Olim & Newcomers.
As in the other cities we’ve seen, you could also look for a job teaching English, though there will be fewer such opportunities in Eilat as compared to Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Haifa. One option is to look for opportunities through English language teacher training organizations, such as TESOL, which you can check out here.
2. Language Teaching Jobs
As we’ve already noted, English teaching jobs can be a good option to fall back on, particularly if your Hebrew level represents a barrier to entering the Hebrew job market. However, note that to be eligible for public and private school positions, you’ll need to demonstrate Hebrew proficiency in all four skills (speaking, listening, reading, and writing).
There are three main types of English teaching jobs you can apply for in Israel, each with its own requirements. These requirements will also vary from institution to institution, so consider these to be guidelines rather than hard-and-fast rules.
1. Teaching English at a school
All Israeli schools will require a college degree in order to consider an applicant for a teaching position. You’ll also be expected to get certified through the Israeli education system, but the good news is that such certification programs are government-subsidized.
Because elementary and junior high schools fall under the jurisdiction of the Israel Ministry of Education, you will typically get hired through a government agency rather than directly by the school where you teach.
Note that Israel has two types of public schools—namely secular and religious—as well as private schools. Expect to put in 30 hours a week of teaching at elementary schools or 24 hours a week of teaching at junior high and high schools.
Don’t expect to earn much teaching in Israel, as average teachers’ salaries are around $500-$700 per month, though you can earn a bit more based on experience and qualifications. For example, while not a requirement, a TEFL certification can give you an advantage both in terms of getting hired and in terms of your salary.
2. Teaching English at a language center
These jobs are typically easier to get. As you’ll be hired directly by a private language center, such as Wall Street or Berlitz, you can expect less scrutiny in terms of paper qualifications. Essentially, if you know English and can teach, you have a chance of getting a job.
That said, you’ll likely be asked to show a bachelor’s in some field, and TEFL certification can give you a significant leg up over other candidates. There are also programs in Israel where you can train for this certification and then seek work upon completion.
Most language centers will expect you to teach 20-25 hours per week, though this number can vary. Your students may be school-age children taking after-school classes to improve their English, young adults preparing for university entrance exams, or business professionals wishing to improve their English. Salaries vary, but a ballpark range for what you can expect to earn is somewhere between $600 and $1,200 per month.
3. Private English tutoring
Finally, you can always go the route of private tutoring, which on the plus side can give you more flexibility in terms of the types of students you work with, the amount you can charge, and your work schedule. On the downside, you’ll have to scrape together enough hours between your clients to put together a solid income.
You can look for potential students in a number of ways. Apart from scouring the classifieds of the local papers for wanted ads seeking tutors, you would also be wise to check out bulletin boards at schools and universities, as well as utilize social media. For example, the Facebook page English Teaching Community in Israel is one place you might want to look.
It’s worth noting that, particularly since the Covid-19 pandemic began in 2020, many teachers are moving their teaching to online platforms. This can be a great way to find students and make some money when you can’t leave home due to lockdowns or fear of contagion.
Israel’s blue-collar job market is highly competitive, so you’ll really only want to apply to these jobs if you already have the training for them (and ideally some experience as well). You’ll also be expected to have a fluent or near-fluent level of Hebrew for many positions in the professional job market.
Here are some of the major industries and employers for those seeking blue-collar jobs in Israel.
Dead Sea Works One of Israel’s oldest industries, Dead Sea Works is the fourth largest producer of potash and potash products in the world, with customers in over 60 countries. The company, located on Israel’s Dead Sea, also produces bath, table, and industrial salts, as well as raw materials used in the production of cosmetics.
Oil refineries Israel has a few oil refineries, the largest being the Bazan Group (also known as ORL) in Haifa, with an annual refining capacity of some 9.8 million tons of crude. The Bazan Group also owns a number of subsidiaries engaged in the manufacture of petrochemical products used in the plastics industry, which is one of Israel’s most important industries. Ashdod Oil Refineries, located in the southern port of the same name, is the second largest refinery, employing some 230 employees.
Port jobs The main ports of Ashdod and Haifa are another potential avenue for blue-collar professionals seeking jobs in Israel. The Ashdod Port Co., for example, employs some 5,000 workers, including engineers, machine operators, handlers, inspectors, logistics experts, and dockside/shipside crew.
Kibbutz jobs While perhaps a bit counterintuitive, you may consider looking for a blue-collar job at one of Israel’s many kibbutzim. Since many of these communal settlements diversify their income streams, you’ll find kibbutzim engaged in the traditional agricultural endeavors but also housing factories (particularly for plastics manufacture) and other industrial and business operations.
These can range anywhere from food and beverage production/packaging to the production of military, medical, or agribusiness products. Working on a kibbutz may also offer you the possibility of living onsite in affordable (albeit humble) housing. A good resource when looking for these jobs is the Kibbutz Industries Association website, accessible here.
You can also look for office jobs in Israel in pretty much any sizable city. As the famed Startup Nation, Israel is full of businesses large and small in need of qualified office personnel. In particular demand are positions for bookkeepers, IT professionals, programmers, salespeople, administrative staff, and secretaries.
Obviously, you’re unlikely to get very far without solid Hebrew knowledge, unless you apply to jobs in international organizations, which may have openings for English speakers. A good resource when looking for these sorts of jobs is the website XPat Jobs, which you can check out here.
Israel is a known leader in the fields of health, science, and technology, so there are plenty of jobs available in these spheres. However, with one of the world’s best educated workforces, you can expect to be up against stiff competition when applying to these positions. You’ll certainly be expected to demonstrate the relevant education and credentials, as well as Hebrew knowledge, to qualify for these sorts of jobs.
Some of the top options for these types of jobs are R&D, medical and scientific technology and research, as well as technical support for a broad array of industries. As a hub for tech research and development, some of Israel’s largest employers in this field include Intel, Microsoft, Apple, IBM, HP, General Motors, Samsung, Philips, Paypal, and Teva Pharmaceuticals. You can look for jobs directly with these and other employers or on job boards like AllJobs or Jobmaster.
6. How to Prep Your CV for the Israeli Job Market and Other Employment Tips
One of the things you’ll want to do as you prepare to look for work in Israel is to create a CV in Hebrew and according to common practice in the Israeli job market. Here are some tips for a successful Hebrew CV:
Keep it short (usually one page if you have 10 years of experience or less)
Emphasize demonstrable results, but in summary form rather than going into too much detail
Research keywords for your industry and for the specific job you’re applying for, and incorporate these in your CV
Be sure to highlight any relevant skills apart from your formal credentials, including language abilities
Avoid generalities or clichés, as Israeli employers will not be impressed by these
B- Interview tips
You also want to make sure you’re properly prepared to interview successfully. As with other interactions in Israel, you’ll find some things to be similar to what you’re used to back home, while other aspects will be quite different, even shockingly so. One thing to keep in mind is that the Israeli job market is literally flooded with highly qualified candidates, so you certainly want to do everything you can to leave a good impression and stand out from the pack.
Dress for success. While Israelis may be infamous for dressing down when out and about, this is not the case in the workplace.
Show up on time, or better yet, early, even if your interview is likely to start late (as many things in Israel tend to do).
Rehearse your interview, practicing what you think you may be asked. This includes researching the company you’re applying to as well as the specific requirements for the job and the aspects of your training and skills that are relevant.
Don’t look at your phone! Better yet, turn it on silent or simply turn it off.
Focus on appearing confident, but not arrogant or conceited. You want to clearly communicate why you would make a strong candidate without exaggerating.
Make sure to pay attention not only to your verbal communication, but also your nonverbal communication, as Israelis rely heavily on noverbal cues and will definitely notice these in you.
Follow your interview up with an email to show you’re truly interested.
C- Other tips
In general, you want to do as much research as you can about a particular industry, employer, position, or even city. Take advantage of the existing networks in Israel for expats and immigrants, such as Nefesh b’Nefesh and the Ministry of Absorption. Get as much information as you can so you can figure out a good place to relocate to in terms of job availability for your knowledge, education, and interests.
Additionally, make use of social networks like LinkedIn and Facebook, as Israelis rely heavily on the web to communicate. Many jobs, professional development opportunities, job fairs, and other relevant information is likely to appear online and not in print, while the inverse is usually not going to be true.
Nevertheless, make sure to check job boards online as well as in the local papers to increase your chances of finding a lead. You can also check out headhunters such as Janglo or Indeed—which are free—or JobMaster, Totaljobs, or Monster, which require a paid subscription. It’s a good idea to get yourself on a job mailing list or two, like AllJobs and Jobnet, so you can get updated job options sent right to your email or phone on an ongoing basis.
7. If you want to work in Israel, learning Hebrew is the best investment you can make.
As you can see, Israel has a broad job market but also one marked by extreme competition. Even if you’re interested in teaching English in Israel, you would still be wise to work on your Hebrew knowledge, as some schools will require this and others may simply use it as a filter to weed out less desirable job applicants.
Whether you’re an experienced professional or just getting started in the working world, Hebrew is your passport to success in the Israeli job market. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that just because most Israelis know at least some English, you’re exempted from studying the local language. While there are a few opportunities for work in Israel for English speakers, knowing Hebrew will take your professional life to a new level!
Let HebrewPod101 be your partner in mastering the Hebrew language. We’re committed to helping you make sense of grammar and expand your vocabulary, and also aim to help you acclimatize culturally to the various aspects of life in Israel, from job hunting to ordering at a restaurant to asking someone out on a date.
Our teachers can also help you learn business language specifically and prepare for things like interviewing and even talking with your coworkers. Check out our MyTeacher page to see how you can benefit from one-on-one learning, ongoing assessment of your progress, and personalized assignments—all with constant feedback and the chance to ask questions at any time.
We hope you found today’s lesson useful. Be sure to let us know if you have any questions—or perhaps a job success story you’d like to share with fellow Israel job seekers!
Do you often feel lonely and sad? Do you long for romance and are willing to do whatever it takes to meet that special person? Speaking another language could revolutionize your love life! So, why wait? Learning how to say ‘love’ in Hebrew could be just what you need to find it.
Or perhaps you were lucky, and have found your Hebrew partner already. Fantastic! Yet, a cross-cultural relationship comes with unique challenges. Learning how to speak your lover’s language will greatly improve your communication and enhance the relationship. At HebrewPod101, our team will teach you all the words, quotes and phrases you need to woo your Hebrew lover with excellence! Our tutors provide personal assistance, with plenty of extra material available to make Hebrew dating easy for you.
Start with a bonus, and download the ‘How To be a Good Lover Cheat Sheet’ for FREE! (Logged-In Member Only)
1. Common Phrases You’ll Need for a Date
So, you have met your Hebrew love interest. Congratulations! Who knows where this could take you…?! However, the two of you have just met and you’re not ready to say the Hebrew word for love just yet. Great, it is better to get to know him/her first. Wow your prospective love by using these Hebrew date phrases to set up a spectacular first date.
Would you like to go out to dinner with me?
רוצה לצאת איתי לארוחת ערב?
rotse latset yti learuchat erev?
The important question! In most cultures, this phrase indicates: ‘I’m romantically interested in you’. Flirting in Hebrew is no different, so don’t take your date to Mcdonald’s!
Are you free this weekend?
אתה חופשי בסוף השבוע?
ata chofshi besof hashavua?
This is a preamble to asking your love interest on a date. If you get an immediate ‘Yes’, that’s good news!
Would you like to hang out with me?
רוצה לבלות יחד?
rotse levalot yachad?
You like her/him, but you’re not sure if there’s chemistry. Ask them to hang out first to see if a dinner date is next.
What time shall we meet tomorrow?
באיזו שעה אתה רוצה להפגש מחר?
be’eizo sha’a ata rotse lehipagesh machar?
Set a time, and be sure to arrive early! Nothing spoils a potential relationship more than a tardy date.
Where shall we meet?
איפה אתה רוצה להיפגש?
eifo ata rotse lehipagesh?
You can ask this, but also suggest a place.
You look great.
אתה נראה נהדר.
ata nir’eh neheder
A wonderful ice breaker! This phrase will help them relax a bit – they probably took great care to look their best just for you.
You are so cute.
אתה כל כך חמוד.
ata kol kakh chamud
If the two of you are getting on really well, this is a fun, flirtatious phrase to use.
What do you think of this place?
מה אתה חושב על המקום הזה?
ma ata choshev al hamakom haze?
This another good conversation starter. Show off your Hebrew language skills!
Can I see you again?
רוצה להפגש שוב?
rotse lehipagesh shuv?
So the date went really well – don’t waste time! Make sure you will see each other again.
Shall we go somewhere else?
רוצה ללכת למקום אחר?
rotse lalekhet lemakom acher?
If the place you meet at is not great, you can suggest going elsewhere. It is also a good question to follow the previous one. Variety is the spice of life!
I know a good place.
אני מכירה מקום טוב.
ani mekira makom tov
Use this with the previous question. However, don’t say if you don’t know a good place!
I will drive you home.
אני אסיע אותך הבייתה.
ani asiya otkha habayta
If your date doesn’t have transport, this is a polite, considerate offer. However, don’t be offended if she/he turns you down on the first date. Especially a woman might not feel comfortable letting you drive her home when the two of you are still basically strangers.
That was a great evening.
זה היה ערב נהדר.
ze haya erev neheder
This is a good phrase to end the evening with.
When can I see you again?
מתי אני רואה אותך שוב?
matai ani roah otkha shuv?
If he/she replied ‘Yes’ to ‘Can I see you again?’, this is the next important question.
I’ll call you.
אני אתקשר אליך.
ani etkasher eleykha
Say this only if you really mean to do it. In many cultures, this could imply that you’re keeping the proverbial backdoor open.
You learned all the Hebrew phrases to make a date – congratulations! Now you have to decide where to meet, which can be tricky. Discuss these options with your lover to gauge whether you like the same things. Check out romantic date ideas in Hebrew below!
museum
מוזאון
Museum
If you’re looking for unique date ideas that are fun but won’t break the bank, museums are the perfect spot! You won’t be running out of things to say in the conversations.
go to the aquarium
ללכת לאקווריום
lalekhet la’akvaryum
Going to the aquarium is another good idea if you need topics for conversation, or if you need to impress your lover’s kids! Make sure your date doesn’t have a problem with aquariums.
walk on the beach
ללכת על החוף
lalekhet al hachof
This can be a very romantic stroll, especially at night! The sea is often associated with romance and beauty.
have a picnic
לעשות פיקניק
la’asot piknik
If you and your date need to get more comfortable together, this can be a fantastic date. Spending time in nature is soothing and calms the nerves.
cook a meal together
לבשל ארוחה ביחד
levashel arucha beyachad
If you want to get an idea of your date’s true character in one go, this is an excellent date! You will quickly see if the two of you can work together in a confined space. If it works, it will be fantastic for the relationship and create a sense of intimacy. If not, you will probably part ways!
have dinner and see a movie
ללכת לארוחת ערב וסרט
lalekhet learuchat erev veseret
This is traditional date choice works perfectly well. Just make sure you and your date like the same kind of movies!
candlelit dinner
ארוחת ערב לאור נרות
aruchat erev leor nerot
A candlelit dinner is perhaps best to reserve for when the relationship is getting serious. It’s very intimate, and says: “Romance!” It’s a fantastic choice if you’re sure you and your date are in love with each other!
go to the zoo
ללכת לגן החיות
lalechet legan hachayot
This is a good choice for shy lovers who want to get the conversation going. Just make sure your date likes zoos, as some people dislike them. Maybe not for the first date, but this is also a great choice if your lover has children – you’ll win his/her adoration for inviting them along!
go for a long walk
לצאת להליכה ארוכה
latset lehalikha aruka
Need to talk about serious stuff, or just want to relax with your date? Walking together is soothing, and a habit you can keep up together always! Just make sure it’s a beautiful walk that’s not too strenuous.
go to the opera
ללכת לאופרה
lalekhet laopera
This type of date should only be attempted if both of you love the opera. It can be a special treat, followed by a candlelit dinner!
3. Must-know Valentine’s Day Vocabulary
Expressing your feelings honestly is very important in any relationship all year round. Yet, on Valentine’s Day you really want to shine. Impress your lover this Valentine’s with your excellent vocabulary, and make his/her day! We teach you, in fun, effective ways, the meanings of the words and how to pronounce them. You can also copy the characters and learn how to write ‘I love you’ in Hebrew – think how impressed your date will be!
4. Hebrew Love Phrases for Valentine’s Day
So, you now have the basic Valentine’s Day vocabulary under your belt. Well done! But, do you know how to say ‘I love you’ in Hebrew yet? Or perhaps you are still only friends. So, do you know how to say ‘I like you’ or ‘I have a crush on you’ in Hebrew? No? Don’t worry, here are all the love phrases you need to bowl over your Hebrew love on this special day!
I love you.
אני אוהב אותך.
ani ohev otkha.
Saying ‘I love you’ in Hebrew carries the same weight as in all languages. Use this only if you’re sure and sincere about your feelings for your partner/friend.
You mean so much to me.
אתה כל כך חשוב לי.
ata kol kakh khashuv li.
This is a beautiful expression of gratitude that will enhance any relationship! It makes the receiver feel appreciated and their efforts recognized.
Will you be my Valentine?
התהיה בן זוגי בחג האהבה?
ha`tihiye ben zugi be`khag ha`ahava?
With these words, you are taking your relationship to the next level! Or, if you have been a couple for a while, it shows that you still feel the romance. So, go for it!
You’re so beautiful.
את כל כך יפה.
at kol kakh yafa.
If you don’t know how to say ‘You’re pretty’ in Hebrew, this is a good substitute, gentlemen!
I think of you as more than a friend.
אני חושב עליך כיותר מידידה.
ani khoshev alaikh ke`yoter miydida.
Say this if you are not yet sure that your romantic feelings are reciprocated. It is also a safe go-to if you’re unsure about the Hebrew dating culture.
A hundred hearts would be too few to carry all my love for you.
מאה לבבות יהיו מעט מדי כדי להכיל את כל האהבה שלי אלייך.
mea levavot ihiyu meat midai kdei lehakhil et kol ha`ahava sheli elaikh.
You romantic you…! When your heart overflows with love, this would be the best phrase to use.
Love is just love. It can never be explained.
אהבה היא פשוט אהבה. היא אף פעם לא מוסברת.
ahava hi pashut ahava. hi af pa-am lo musberet.
If you fell in love unexpectedly or inexplicably, this one’s for you.
You’re so handsome.
אתה כל כך יפה.
ata kol kakh yafe.
Ladies, this phrase lets your Hebrew love know how much you appreciate his looks! Don’t be shy to use it; men like compliments too.
I’ve got a crush on you.
אני דלוק עלייך.
ani daluk alaikh.
If you like someone, but you’re unsure about starting a relationship, it would be prudent to say this. It simply means that you like someone very, very much and think they’re amazing.
You make me want to be a better man.
את גורמת לי לרצות להיות אדם טוב יותר.
at goremet li lirtsot lihiyot adam tov yoter.
Gentlemen, don’t claim this phrase as your own! It hails from the movie ‘As Good as it Gets’, but it is sure to make your Hebrew girlfriend feel very special. Let her know that she inspires you!
Let all that you do be done in love.
עשה הכל באהבה.
ase hakol be`ahava.
We hope.
You are my sunshine, my love.
אתה הקרן אור שלי, האהבה שלי.
ata ha`keren or sheli, ha`ahava sheli.
A compliment that lets your lover know they bring a special quality to your life. Really nice!
Words can’t describe my love for you.
מילים לא יכולות לתאר את האהבה שלי אלייך.
milim lo yekholot letaer et ha`ahava sheli elekha.
Better say this when you’re feeling serious about the relationship! It means that your feelings are very intense.
We were meant to be together.
נועדנו להיות יחד.
noadnu lihiyot yakhad.
This is a loving affirmation that shows you see a future together, and that you feel a special bond with your partner.
If you were thinking about someone while reading this, you’re definitely in love.
אם חשבת על מישהו בזמן שקראת את זה, אתה ללא ספק מאוהב.
eem khashavta al mishehi bizman she`karata et ze, ata lelo safek meohav.
Here’s something fun to tease your lover with. And hope he/she was thinking of you!
5. Hebrew Quotes about Love
You’re a love champ! You and your Hebrew lover are getting along fantastically, your dates are awesome, your Valentine’s Day together was spectacular, and you’re very much in love. Good for you! Here are some beautiful phrases of endearment in Hebrew that will remind him/her who is in your thoughts all the time.
6. Marriage Proposal Lines
Wow. Your Hebrew lover is indeed the love of your life – congratulations! And may only happiness follow the two of you! In most traditions, the man asks the woman to marry; this is also the Hebrew custom. Here are a few sincere and romantic lines that will help you to ask your lady-love for her hand in marriage.
7. 15 Most Common Break-Up Lines
Instead of moving towards marriage or a long-term relationship, you find that the spark is not there for you. That is a pity! But even though breaking up is never easy, continuing a bad or unfulfilling relationship would be even harder. Remember to be kind to the person you are going to say goodbye to; respect and sensitivity cost nothing. Here are some phrases to help you break up gently.
We need to talk.
אנחנו צריכים לדבר.
anakhnu tsrikhim le`daber.
This is not really a break-up line, but it is a good conversation opener with a serious tone.
It’s not you. It’s me.
זה לא אתה. זה אני.
ze lo ata. ze ani.
As long as you mean it, this can be a kind thing to say. It means that there’s nothing wrong with your Hebrew lover as a person, but that you need something different from a relationship.
I’m just not ready for this kind of relationship.
אני פשוט לא מוכן למערכת יחסים מהסוג הזה.
ani pashut lo mukhan le`ma-arekhet yakhasim meha`sug haze.
Things moved a bit fast and got too intense, too soon? Painful as it is, honesty is often the best way to break up with somebody.
Let’s just be friends.
בוא פשוט נהיה חברים.
bo pashut nihiye khaverim.
If the relationship was very intense, and you have sent many ‘i love u’ texts in Hebrew, this would not be a good breakup line. Feelings need to calm down before you can be friends, if ever. If the relationship has not really developed yet, a friendship would be possible.
I think we need a break.
אני חושב שאנחנו צריכים הפסקה.
ani khoshev she`anakhnu tsrikhim hafsaka.
This is again honest, and to the point. No need to play with someone’s emotions by not letting them know how you feel. However, this could imply that you may fall in love with him/her again after a period of time, so use with discretion.
You deserve better.
מגיע לך יותר טוב.
megi-ah lekha yoter tov.
Yes, he/she probably deserves a better relationship if your own feelings have cooled down.
This is probably the least gentle break-up phrase, so reserve it for a lover that doesn’t get the message!
I need my space.
אני צריך את החופש שלי.
ani tsarikh et ha`khofesh sheli.
When a person is too clingy or demanding, this would be an suitable break-up phrase. It is another good go-to for that lover who doesn’t get the message!
I think we’re moving too fast.
אני חושב שאנחנו מתקדמים מהר מדי.
ani khoshev she`anakhnu mitkadmim maher midai.
Say this if you want to keep the relationship, but need to slow down its progress a bit. It is also good if you feel things are getting too intense for your liking. However, it is not really a break-up line, so be careful not to mislead.
I need to focus on my career.
אני צריך להתמקד בקריירה שלי.
ani tsarikh le`hitmaked ba`karyera sheli.
If you feel that you will not be able to give 100% in a relationship due to career demands, this is the phrase to use. It’s also good if you are unwilling to give up your career for a relationship.
I’m not good enough for you.
אני לא מספיק טוב בשבילך.
ani lo maspik tov bishvilekh.
Say this only if you really believe it, or you’ll end up sounding false. Break-ups are usually hard for the receiving party, so don’t insult him/her with an insincere comment.
I just don’t love you anymore.
אני פשוט לא אוהב אותך יותר.
ani pashut lo ohev otakh yoter.
This harsh line is sometimes the best one to use if you are struggling to get through to a stubborn, clingy lover who won’t accept your break up. Use it as a last resort. Then switch your phone off and block their emails!
We’re just not right for each other.
אנחנו פשוט לא מתאימים.
anakhnu pashut lo mat-eemim.
If this is how you truly feel, you need to say it. Be kind, gentle and polite.
It’s for the best.
עדיף כך.
adif kakh.
This phrase is called for if circumstances are difficult and the relationship is not progressing well. Love should enhance one’s life, not burden it!
We’ve grown apart.
התרחקנו אחד מהשניה.
hitrakhaknu ekhad meha`shniya.
Cross-cultural relationships are often long-distance ones, and it is easy to grow apart over time.
8. Will Falling in Love help you Learn Hebrew faster?
Most people will agree that the above statement is a no-brainer – of course it will! Your body will be flooded with feel-good hormones, which are superb motivators for anything. HebrewPod101 is one of the best portals to help help make this a reality, so don’t hesitate to enroll now! Let’s quickly look at the reasons why falling in love will speed up your learning of the Hebrew language.
Three Reasons Why Having a Lover will Help you Learn Hebrew Faster!
1- Being in a love relationship with your Hebrew speaking partner will immerse you in the culture
HebrewPod101 uses immersive methods and tools to teach you Hebrew, but having a relationship with a native speaker will be a very valuable addition to your learning experience! You will gain exposure to their world, realtime and vividly, which will make the language come alive even more for you. The experience is likely to expand your world-view, which should motivate you to learn Hebrew even faster.
2- Having your Hebrew romantic partner will mean more opportunity to practice speaking
Nothing beats continuous practice when learning a new language. Your partner will probably be very willing to assist you in this, as your enhanced Hebrew language skills will enhance the relationship. Communication is, after all, one of the most important pillars of a good partnership. Also, you will get to impress your lover with the knowledge gained through your studies – a win/win situation!
3- A supportive Hebrew lover is likely to make a gentle, patient teacher and study aid!
With his/her heart filled with love and goodwill for you, your Hebrew partner is likely to patiently and gently correct your mistakes when you speak. This goes not only for grammar, but also for accent and meaning. With his/her help, you could sound like a native in no time!
Three Reasons Why HebrewPod101 helps you learn Hebrew Even Faster when you’re In Love
Start with a bonus, and download the ‘How To be a Good Lover Cheat Sheet’ for FREE! (Logged-In Member Only)
1- All the Resources and Materials Will Help Both of You
Falling in love with a man or woman speaking Hebrew is an opportunity for both of you to learn a new language! For this reason, every lesson, transcript, vocabulary list, and resource at HebrewPod101 is translated into both English and Hebrew. So, while your partner can help you learn Hebrew faster, you can potentially also help him/her learn and master English!
2- Lessons Are Designed to Help You Understand and Engage with Hebrew Culture
At HebrewPod101, our focus is to help our students learn practical vocabulary and phrases used by everyday people in Israel. This means that, from your very first lesson, you can apply what you learn immediately! So, when your Hebrew partner wants to go out to a restaurant, play Pokemon Go, or attend just about any social function, you have the vocabulary and phrases necessary to have a great time!
3- Access to Special Resources Dedicated to Romantic Hebrew Phrases
You now have access to HebrewPod101’s specially-developed sections and tools to teach you love words, phrases, and cultural insights to help you find and attract your Hebrew soul mate. A personal tutor will assist you to master these brilliantly – remember to invite him/her to your wedding!
Lewis Carroll, in the famous book Alice in Wonderland, wrote some of the best advice ever given: “Begin at the beginning.”
When learning Hebrew, as with any language, there’s no better beginning than learning how to say hello in Hebrew. We say hello to people all the time, every day.
Whether we want to greet a friend, start a conversation with a stranger to ask for directions, or perhaps introduce ourselves to someone we see from across the bar, knowing the right Hebrew greeting is essential!
Is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of hello in Hebrew shalom? You’re not alone, as this is the most common and popular way to say hello in Hebrew greetings.
As in many languages, there are several different ways to say hello in Hebrew. How you say hello in Hebrew depends largely on the situation, setting, and who you’re talking to. Greetings can be formal, informal, general, situation- or time-specific, even imported from English or Arabic!
That said, how do we boil down the answer to “What’s hello in Hebrew?”
In the following lesson, we’ll take a look at these different Hebrew greetings so you can learn how to say hello in Hebrew in any situation, at any time, with confidence and comfort. Luckily, this language is generally not very grammar-intensive, so just sit back, relax, and have fun with these! Here we go!
Let’s begin with some general greetings. These are greetings in Hebrew that you can feel comfortable using in just about any situation. Before we dive in, however, it’s well worth mentioning that modern Hebrew—unlike Biblical Hebrew—doesn’t make very much use of formalities in spoken conversation.
That being said, it’s best to avoid too much informality with the elderly or people of authority (such as police officers). In other words, the baseline of Hebrew is neither formal nor informal.
This is exactly the way we could describe the most well-known Hebrew word for hello: שלום (shalom). Most of us know that this word means “peace.” However, it’s also the most classic of Hebrew greetings. It’s neither formal nor informal, and you can use it both to say hello and goodbye in Hebrew, to anyone! Let’s take a look.
שלום Shalom
Hello / Goodbye [literally “Peace” when translated]
שלום! אני מרגרט. Shalom! Ani Margaret.
Hello! I’m Margaret.
שלום! נתראה מחר. Shalom! Nitra’eh machar.
Goodbye! See you tomorrow.
Note that if we use this word twice in a row, it can be used to add emphasis and warmth to our greeting:שלום, שלום. For example, if you want to say “Hello, friend” in Hebrew or even “Hello and welcome,” in Hebrew, this is a great way to go about it.
שלום, שלום, חברים. בואו כנסו. Shalom, shalom, chaverim. Bou kansu.
Well, hello, friends, come on in.
This next one is taken straight from English, so it should be a piece of cake for you!
היי Hay
Hi
היי, אני שלי. איך קוראים לך? Hay, ani Sheli. Eykh korim lekha?
Hi, I’m Shelley. What’s your name?
The last common greeting we’ll look at is taken from Arabic. It’s used as a Hebrew slang for hello, so, while it will impress your Israeli friends, it’s best to avoid using it in formal settings.
אהלן Ahalan
Hey
Here’s how you would use this slang word to say “Hello brother,” in Hebrew:
אהלן, אחי! איזה טוב שבאת! Ahalan, achi! Eyzeh tov she-bata!
Hey, brother. It’s great that you came!
2. Situation-Specific Greetings
Now that we’ve seen some general greetings, let’s have a look at greetings appropriate to specific situations. Just remember that you want to be sure you use them in the correct setting.
The first one we’ll look at is a greeting that’s commonly used when we’re welcoming someone, for example, as a guest in our home or perhaps an invitee to a party we’re hosting.
This greeting, ברוך הבא (barukh haba) literally means “Blessed is he who comes.” However, its connotation is akin to “Welcome.” Apart from the uses mentioned above, it can also be used in a more general sense if we’re simply welcoming someone who arrived from somewhere else. Note that it’s necessary to use the correct grammar in terms of masculine/feminine and singular/plural.
ברוך הבא. Barukh haba.
Welcome. [speaking to men]
ברוך הבא. זה הבית שלנו. Barukh haba. Zeh habayit shelanu.
Welcome. This is our home.
ברוכה הבאה. Brukha ha-ba’ah.
Welcome. [speaking to a woman]
ברוכה הבאה. זה הבית שלנו. Brukha ha-ba’ah. Zeh habayit shelanu.
Welcome. This is our home.
ברוכים הבאים. Brukhim ha-baim.
Welcome. [speaking to men or a mixed group]
ברוכים הבאים. זה הבית שלנו. Brukhim ha-baim. Zeh ha-bayit shelanu.
Welcome. This is our home.
ברוכות הבאות. Brukhot ha-ba’ot.
Welcome. [speaking to women]
ברוכות הבאות. זה הבית שלנו. Brukhot ha-baot. Zeh ha-bayit shelanu.
Welcome. This is our home.
The next situational greeting we’ll see is used when answering the telephone. You may notice that this greeting is basically just a hebraicized version of “hello” in English. Allow yourself to chuckle at the sound of it, but remember that if you really want to sound like a native speaker, this is the way Israelis answer the phone!
הלו? Halo?
Hello? [when answering the telephone]
הלו? עם מי אני מדברת, בבקשה? Halo? Im mi ani medaberet, bevakashah?
Hello? With whom am I speaking, please?
3. Greetings with Questions
The next category of greetings we’re going to look at are greetings with questions. Just like in English, there are quite a number of greetings that incorporate questions. These can either be used straight off the bat to greet someone, or can follow one of the general greetings we learned earlier, such as שלום (shalom) meaning “hello” or היי (hay) meaning “hi.” For example, you could use these phrases to say “Hello, how are you?” in Hebrew.
1- More Formal
מה שְׁלוֹמְךָ? Mah shlomkha?
How are you? [speaking to a man]
מה שלומך? שנזמין שולחן? Mah shlomkha? She-nazmin shulchan?
How are you? Should we get a table?
מַה שְּׁלוֹמֵךְ? Mah shlomekh?
How are you? [speaking to women]
מה שלומך? שנזמין שולחן? Mah shlomekh? She-nazmin shulchan?
How are you? Should we get a table?
מַה שלומכם? Mah shlomkhem?
How are you? [speaking to men or a mixed group]
מה שלומכם? שנזמין שולחן? Mah shlomekhem? She-nazmin shulchan?
How are you? Should we get a table?
מַה שלומכן? Mah shlomkhen?
How are you? [speaking to women]
מה שלומכן? שנזמין שולחן? Mah shlomkhen? She-nazmin shulchan?
How are you? Should we get a table?
2- More Informal
Note that the following greetings are more informal, and should generally be used with people you’re already familiar with. These are phrases like “Hello, what’s up?” in Hebrew.
מה נשמע? Mah nishma?
What’s up?
מה נשמע? איך העבודה החדשה? Mah nishma? Eykh ha-avodah ha-chadashah?
What’s up? How’s the new job?
מה חדש? Mah chadash?
What’s new?
מה חדש? כבר מצאתם דירה? Mah chadash? Kvar matzatem dirah?
What’s new? Did you find an apartment yet?
מה קורה? Mah koreh?
What’s happening?
מה קורה, גבר? שנים שלא ראיתי אותך! Mah koreh, gever? Shanim she-lo ra’iti otkha!
What’s happening, man? I haven’t seen you for ages!
מה העניינים? Mah ha-inyanim?
What’s going on?
היי, שלומית! מה העניינים? יש חדשות לגיי החתונה? Hay, Shlomit! Mah ha-inyanim? Yesh chadashot le-gabey ha-chatunah?
Hey, Shlomit! What’s going on? Any news on the wedding?
מה המצב? Mah ha-matzav?
What’s up?
מה המצב, איילת? למה לא באת לשיעור? Mah ha-matzav, Ayelet? Lamah lo bat la-shi’ur?
What’s up, Ayelet? Why didn’t you come to class?
4. Time-Specific Greetings
The final category of greetings we’re going to see today are greetings that make reference to the time of day. Just as in most languages, it’s very common to greet people in such a time-specific way. Just as with the greetings that use questions, you can use the following greetings either by themselves or after using one of the general greetings we saw at the beginning of the lesson.
The phrases we’ll go over in this section include things like “Hello, good day,” in Hebrew and “Hello, good morning,” in Hebrew.
בוקר טוב. Bokher tov.
Good morning.
בוקר טוב! בא לך קפה? Bokher tov! Ba lekha kafeh?
Good morning! Would you like coffee?
צהריים טובים. Tzohorayim tovim.
Good afternoon.
צהריים טובים לכם. המונית שלכם מחכה בחוץ. Tzohorayim tovim lakhem. Ha-monit shelakhem mechakah bachutz.
Good afternoon to you. Your taxi is waiting outside.
ערב טוב. Erev tov.
Good evening.
ערב טוב. אני מקווה שתנוחו, ונתראה מחר! Erev tov. Ani mekaveh she-tanuchu, ve-nitraeh machar!
Good evening. I hope you rest, and see you tomorrow!
Note that, much like in English, לילה טוב (laylah tov) or “good night” is used not as a greeting, but rather as a farewell.
5. How HebrewPod101.com Can Help!
How to say hello in Hebrew isn’t too hard, right?
As you can see, there are quite a few ways to say hello in modern Hebrew, so definitely get some practice in on these and use them to spice up your Hebrew! We’re here to help your practice, so that you can enrich your language ability and boost your confidence, right from the first hello!
Remember that, as mentioned earlier, we Hebrew-speakers are generally not very formal when speaking on the street or among friends and family, so don’t feel uncomfortable giving a casual hello in Hebrew with people your age or people you already know! Just practice a few that you like and start using them as you greet Hebrew speakers.
I hope you found this lesson helpful and fun. Feel free to check in and let us know if you feel confident about saying hey in Hebrew, or if you need some more tips! We look forward to hearing from you, and hope that you’ll continue visiting HebrewPod101.com on your journey to language mastery! Shalom!
Most everyone is familiar with this day, as it is celebrated nearly everywhere the world. Yet, when exactly is April Fools’ Day? And where did April Fools come from? April Fools’ Day is observed on April 1st every year. This day of jokes and pranks is believed to have stemmed from the 16th-century calendar change in France, when New Year’s Day was moved from April 1 to January 1. This action was taken due to the adoption of the Gregorian calendar.
However, a few people were resistant to the calendar change, so they continued to observe New Year’s Day on April 1st, rather than the new date. They were referred to as the “April Fools”, and others started playing mocking tricks on them. This custom endured, and is practiced to this day around the world!
1. Top One Million Words You Need to Know for April Fools’ Day
Do you want to know how to say April Fools’ Day in Hebrew? Well, there are millions of ways and words, but here are the top one million Hebrew words you really need to know! Simply click this link. Here are some of them you will find useful:
joke – התבדח – hit’ba’deach
funny – מצחיק – matz’chik
surprise – הפתעה – hafta-ah
sneaky – חמקני – khamkani
prankster – קנדס – kundas
prank – מתיחה – metikhah
play a joke – מעשה קונדס – ma’ase kundas
lie – שקר – sheker
humor – הומור – humor
fool – טיפש – tipesh
deceptive – מטעה – mat’eh
April 1st – הראשון לאפריל – ha-rishon le-april
2. Hebrew Phrases You Can Use on April Fools’ Day
Don’t limit yourself to practical jokes – use these April Fools’ phrases in Hebrew to prank your favorite Hebrew speaking friend or colleague!
I learned Hebrew in 1 month.
למדתי עברית בחודש אחד.
lamadeti ivrit be`khodesh ekhad.
All classes for today got canceled.
כל השיעורים להיום בוטלו.
kol ha`shiurim le`hayom butlu.
I’m sorry, but I’ve just broken your favorite pair of glasses.
אני מצטער, אבל הרגע שברתי את זוג המשקפיים האהוב עליך.
ani mitstaer, aval harega shavarti et zug ha`mishkafa-eem ha`ahuv alekha.
Someone has just hit your car.
מישהו פגע הרגע במכונית שלך.
mishehu paga harega bam`khonit shelkha.
I’m getting married.
אני מתחתן.
ani mitkhaten.
You won a free ticket.
זכית בכרטיס חינם.
zakhita be`kartis khinam.
I saw your car being towed.
ראיתי את המכונית שלך נגררת.
raiti et ha`mekhonit shelkha nigreret.
They’re giving away free gift cards in front of the building.
A beautiful lady asked me to give this phone number to you.
אשה יפה ביקשה ממני לתת לך את מספר הטלפון הזה.
isha yafa biksha mimeni latet lekha et mispar ha`telefon haze.
Can you come downstairs? I have something special for you.
את יכולה לרדת למטה? יש לי משהו מיוחד בשבילך.
at yekhola laredet lemata? yesh li mashehu meyukhad bishvilekh.
Thank you for your love letter this morning. I never could have guessed your feelings.
תודה על מכתב האהבה שלך הבוקר. לעולם לא הייתי מנחשת שכך אתה מרגיש.
toda al mikhtav ha`ahava shelkha ha`boker. leolam lo haiti menakheshet she`kakh ata margish.
Choose your victims carefully, though; the idea is to get them to laugh with you, not to hurt their feelings or humiliate them in front of others. Be extra careful if you choose to play a prank on your boss – you don’t want to antagonize them with an inappropriate joke.
3. Some of the Coolest April Fools’ Pranks To Play on Anybody
Right, now that you know the top million April Fools’ words in Hebrew, let’s look at some super pranks and tricks to play on friends, colleagues and family. Some April Fools ideas never grow old, while new ones are born every year.
Never joke in such a way that it hurts anyone, or humiliates them badly in front of others – the idea is for everybody to laugh and enjoy the fun! Respect is still key, no matter what day of the year it is.
1- Infestation
This trick is so simple, yet so creepy, it’s almost unbelievable. Take black paper, cut out the silhouette of a giant cockroach, a spider or another insect, and stick it inside the lampshade of a table lamp. When the lamp is switched on, it will look like a monstrous insect is sitting inside the lampshade. Or, get a whole lot of realistic-looking plastic insects, and spread them over a colleague’s desk and chair, or, at home, over the kids’ beds etc. Creep-factor: stellar.
2- Which One Doesn’t Fit?
Put the photo of a celebrity or a notorious politician in a frame, and take it to work on April Fools’ Day. Hang the photo on the staff picture wall, and wait. You’ll be surprised how long it can take for people to notice that one picture doesn’t fit.
3- Something Weird in the Restroom
At work, replace the air freshener in the restroom with something noxious like insect killer, oven cleaner or your own odious mixture in a spray bottle. Be sure to cover the bottle’s body so no one suspects a swap.
Or paint a bar of soap with clear nail polish, and leave it at the hand wash basin. It will not lather.
Or, if your workplace’s restroom has partitioned toilets with short doors, arrange jeans or trousers and shoes on all but one of the toilet covers, so it looks like every stall is occupied. Now wait for complaints, and see how long it takes for someone to figure out the April Fools’ Day prank. You’ll probably wish you had a camera inside the restroom. But, unless you don’t mind getting fired, don’t put your own recording device in there!
4- Call Me Funny
Prepare and print out a few posters with the following instructions: Lion Roar Challenge! Call this number – 123-456-7890 – and leave your best lion’s roar as voicemail! Best roarer will be announced April 10 in the cafeteria. Prize: $100. (Lion’s roar is just an example; you can use any animal call, or even a movie character’s unique sound, such as Chewbacca from Star Wars. The weirder, the funnier. Obviously!) Put the posters up in the office where most of the staff is likely to see them. Now wait for the owner of the number to visit you with murderous intent. Have a conciliatory gift ready that’s not a prank.
5- Minty Cookies
This is another simple but hugely effective prank – simply separate iced cookies, scrape off the icing, and replace it with toothpaste. Serve during lunch or tea break at work, or put in your family’s lunch boxes. Be sure to take photos of your victim’s faces when they first bite into your April Fools’ cookies.
6- Wild Shopping
At your local grocer, place a realistic-looking plastic snake or spider among the fresh vegetables. Now wait around the corner for the first yell.
7- The Oldest Trick in the Book
Don’t forget probably the oldest, yet very effective April Fools’ joke in the book – smearing hand cream or Vaseline on a door handle that most staff, family or friends are likely to use. Yuck to the max!
8- Sneeze On Me
Another golden oldie is also gross, yet harmless and utterly satisfying as a prank. Fill a small spray bottle that you can easily conceal with water. Walk past a friend, colleague or one of your kids, and fake a sneeze while simultaneously spraying them with a bit of water. Expect to be called a totally disgusting person. Add a drop of lovely smelling essential oil to the water for extra confusion.
9- Word Play Repairs
Put a fresh leek in the hand wash basin at home or work, and then tell your housemates or colleagues this: “There’s a huge leak in the restroom/bathroom basin, it’s really serious. Please can someone go have a look?!” Expect exasperation and smiles all around. Note that this prank is only likely to work where people understand English well.
10- Scary Face
Print out a very scary face on an A4 sheet of paper, and place it in a colleague’s, or one of your kid’s drawers, so it’s the first thing they see when they open the drawer. You may not be very popular for a while.
11- Wake Up To Madness
Put foamy shaving cream, or real whipped cream on your hand, and wake your kid up by tickling their nose with it. As long as they get the joke, this could be a wonderful and fun way to start April Fools’ Day.
12- Computer Prank
This one’s fabulous, if you have a bit of time to fiddle with a colleague, friend or your kid’s computer. It is most effective on a computer where most of the icons they use are on the desktop background itself (as opposed to on the bottom task bar).
Take and save a screenshot of their desktop with the icons. Set this screenshot as their background image. Now delete all the working icons. When they return to their computer, wait for the curses when no amount of clicking on the icons works.
13- Monster Under the Cup
This one will also work well anywhere people meet. Take a paper cup, and write the following on it in black pen: “Danger! Don’t lift, big spider underneath.” Place it upside-down on prominent flat surface, such as a kitchen counter, a colleague’s desk or a restaurant table. Expect some truly interesting responses.
14- Prank Door
Write in large letters on a large and noticeable piece of paper: PUSH. Tape this notice on a door that should be pulled to open, and watch the hilarious struggle of those clever souls who actually read signs.
4. How Can HebrewPod101 Make Your April Fools’ Day Special?
If you happen to visit Israel, or if you work for any Hebrew speaking company, knowing the above Hebrew prankster phrases can really lighten up your day. Showing you have a sense of humor can go a long way to cement good relationships in any situation. These phrases are at your disposal for free, as well as are these 100 core Hebrew words, which you will learn how to pronounce perfectly.
Also, don’t stop at learning April Fools’ phrases in Hebrew – bone up your Hebrew language skills with these FREE key phrases. Yes, HebrewPod101 doesn’t joke when it comes to effective, fun and easy learning.
Now, as a bonus, test our super-learning technology, and learn the Top 1000 most useful phrases in Hebrew below! But that’s not all. Read on to learn how you can be eligible for large enrollment discounts at HebrewPod101.
5. Top 1000 Most Useful Phrases in Hebrew – testing new technology
Help us by being a language guinea pig! Listen to this video above with embedded cutting-edge, frequency-based learning technology that enables you to learn large amounts of data in record time.
Note: This technology is in beta-phase of development, and we invite your input for fine-tuning.
To participate: Watch the video for instructions, and leave a comment to rate it. Your comment will make you eligible for large enrollment-fee discounts. To watch the video, please click the play button.
Thank you for helping HebrewPod101! We’re serious about making learning Hebrew fun.
The fear of making mistakes is one of the biggest roadblocks to language learning. Out of all the discomforts that come with learning a foreign language nothing looms quite as daunting in the mind of a beginner.
It’s almost as if we’re hardwired to want perfection when we speak. However the reality is that mistakes are unavoidable. I’d even go so far as to say that they’re an integral part of the learning process.
But still we try are hardest to fight them, thinking that perhaps the key to learning rests in the flashiest method or the LiveFluent Hebrew course or HebrewPod101.
Think of small children who are just starting to learn English. They mispronounce words. They use words incorrectly, and their grammar is usually pretty lousy. Sometimes they even make up their own words. Research and academic opinion show that this is all a natural part of the process. If making mistakes made up such a huge part of learning our native language, why do you expect it to be any different when learning a foreign one?
In this post we’ll talk about five ways you profit from your mistakes while learning Hebrew. Because in the end mistakes shouldn’t be feared they should be welcomed. The more you make the faster you will learn.
1) Be humble
There’s no room for pride when you’re learning Hebrew. If you’re a beginner, native speakers will likely be very accommodating with your mistakes and slower reaction times during conversations. There’s no reason to be embarrassed. Remember that it’s a sign of respect to learn another person’s language. No one expects you to speak flawlessly right from the start. No on else with hold your mistakes against you, so make sure you don’t either.
2) Don’t play the comparison game
Whether it’s a native speaker or another Hebrew learner don’t make the mistake of comparing your progress to someone else’s. No doubt at the beginning there will be times when it feels like everyone is speaking perfect Hebrew while you’re left you in the dust.
Try not to get discouraged. It’s your race to run not theirs. Everyone has their story, their own reason and method for learning Hebrew. Comparing your progress to someone else’s is like well…comparing apples and oranges.
It’s easy to freak out when someone speaks perfectly while you’re struggling to make the most basic sentences. But don’t forget that while you can easily see someone else’s success, you’re much less likely to see the hard work that got them their. Every Hebrew speaker you meet had to learn the language at some point. Whether it was as a child or an adult they too had to wade through their mistakes before they could speak fluently.
3) Get feedback on your mistakes
Anytime you write or speak Hebrew try to get feedback from someone who speaks the language. I cannot stress this enough. You can make mistakes day and night, but if you’re never corrected they do you no good. You can’t learn from a mistake if you don’t know that it’s a mistake. Many in the language learning community hold that feedback is an integral part of the language acquisition process.
Encourage friends and language partners to correct your Hebrew anytime all the time. Worst case scenario you’ll make a mistake 100 times and get corrected 100 times. It might seem petty or frustrating, but it’s all worth it the 101st time when you finally remember your mistake and start speaking correctly.
Some mistakes will be easy to amend and you’ll adjust your Hebrew right away. Others might take awhile. Speaking a foreign language is a lot like juggling. There are a lot of moving pieces you have to keep in place. Whether it’s pronunciation, grammar, or vocabulary getting feedback on your effort will help refine your Hebrew until you feel comfortable in the language.
4) Listen to your brain
After all the practice and feedback, eventually you’ll start to notice that certain Hebrew words come to mind quicker than you have the chance to think about them. Instead of having to scan your brain for the latest “Hebrew word file”, you sort of instinctively come up with a word for a given sentence.
Don’t hesitate to blurt this word out. Sometimes it will be completely wrong. Other times it will be dead on. When words start coming to mind instinctively that means your brain is starting to get more and more used to using Hebrew. The incorrect words (I like to call them brain farts), are sort of like growing pains. You’ll have them for a little while but over time you’ll see them less and less until all of your instinctual words are correct (this is essentially fluency).
So don’t let the fear of making a mistake short circuit your brain’s natural learning process. Go with whatever word your brain gives you!
5) Never take the easy way out
If there are two ways to say what you want to say in Hebrew, one you know and are comfortable with, and the other you’re not sure off….use the one you’re least comfortable with. Purposely choose subjects and sentence constructions that are difficult for you. Don’t get complacent and fall into the trap of using the same phrase over and over again, or having the same type of conversation with a language partner.
You always want to push the boundaries. Think of it as lifting weights. If you only ever lift 20 lbs for 20 reps, you’re not likely to get stronger after a certain point. Eventually you have to increase the weight. When you do it’ll burn and it won’t be comfortable, but overtime your body will adapt and you will become stronger.
It’s the same with languages. Except in this case your brain is the muscle and the weights are the difficulty of the language.
6) Enjoy the language for its own sake
Small children not only make a ton of mistakes when they learn to speak, they also have a ton of fun. To them life and language are both one giant mysterious adventure. They aren’t worried about making progress, impressing people, or speaking perfectly.
Take a note from their playbook. Enjoy Hebrew as you learn it. Let your focus be on the beauty and magic of the language. Savor the times you get to use it. If you loosen up and enjoy the ride you will learn much faster.
Final thoughts
Mistakes are a powerful and indispensable part of learning a language. I hope this post inspired you to stop being afraid of them and start embracing them. This subtle change in outlook could mean the world to your Hebrew learning!
Not only is it possible to learn Hebrew in your car, there are 3 great benefits that will help you master the language faster and with less effort.
With everyone so pressed for time these days, it might seem like a daydream to believe that you could learn Hebrew in your car—but it’s not! Thanks to a wide range of new technologies and resources, learning a language in your car is easier than ever. Not only is it easy to learn a language while driving, there are actually a number of benefits, especially if the lessons are part of a structured learning program like HebrewPod101. Here are three specific benefits to learning Hebrew or any other new language in your car.
How much time do you spend commuting to and from work? Learning a language in your car transforms your commute time into tangible progress towards your dream. So instead of being stressed over how much time you are “wasting” on errands and daily commutes, you can decompress and have some fun while you learn Hebrew in your car!
2. Daily Exposure Leads to Passive Learning
Practice makes perfect and learning a new language is no different. The daily exposure you get when you learn Hebrew while driving helps improve listening comprehension, pronunciation, and of course helps build vocabulary and improve grammar. Don’t worry: You don’t need to memorize everything as you listen in Hebrew while driving. Just having continuous exposure to a foreign language helps you improve your vocabulary, learn faster, and ultimately retain more through passive learning.
3. Learning While Driving is Fun
Learning a new language does require a serious commitment, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun! When you learn Hebrew in your car, you get to take some time away from the PC or smartphone and immerse yourself in the language instead of just “studying” it.
Plus, there are a number of “fun” activities that you can do and still learn in your car, such as:
– Singing Along with Hebrew Songs
– Playing Word Games or Trivia
– Just Listening Along and Seeing How Much You Can Pick Up and Understand
Yes, you can learn a language while driving and have loads of fun doing it. Now let’s take a look at some specific things you can listen to while driving to help you learn a new language.
BONUS: 3 Ways to Learn Hebrew in Your Car
–Listen to Podcasts: Typically designed to focus on one topic or lesson, podcasts are a great way to learn a language while driving. Unfortunately, podcasts are rarely at the same listening/comprehension level as the language learner so listeners may not get their full value. But at HebrewPod101, our podcasts are created for every skill level so you don’t waste any time on material that isn’t relevant or suited to your exact needs.
–Sing Along to Hebrew Songs: Remember, just immersing yourself in a language can create passive learning and improve your pronunciation. Plus, with HebrewPod101, you can sing along and memorize the lyrics, and then look the words up and add them to your personal dictionary.
–Playing Word Games or Trivia: There are audio games available online that you can download to any media device and listen to on your commute. Although we recommend this option for more advanced users, games are a fun and productive way to learn Hebrew in your car because they require listening and comprehension skills.
You won’t recognize or understand every word you hear in a Hebrew song, podcast, or game—but that’s ok. The daily repetition and immersion in the language leads to passive learning that gradually increases your knowledge of vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. And the greater your foundation in grammar and vocabulary, the more you’ll understand and learn from the audio lessons, podcasts, or whatever you listen to while learning Hebrew in your car.
Yes, you can learn Hebrew while driving because it leads to passive learning via daily immersion in the language. Although you may not understand all or even most of what you hear at first, the exposure helps improve pronunciation, vocabulary, and even grammar over time. Learning a language while driving also helps transform your commute into exciting “exotic adventures” that secretly teach you Hebrew in the process. Podcasts, songs, and even games can all help you learn Hebrew in your car while eliminating the “boring commute” in the process!
At HebrewPod101, we have more than 2500+ HD audio lessons and podcasts for every skill level that you can download and use to learn Hebrew while driving!
So don’t forget to sign up for a Free Lifetime Account on HebrewPod101.com to access tons of FREE lessons and features to become fluent in Hebrew!
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