Why Hebrew keeps asking about gender
In Hebrew, “you” is אתה (ata) to a man and את (at) to a woman, and verbs and adjectives change with it. So does “I”: a man says אני רוצה (ani rotze, I want), a woman says אני רוצה (ani rotza). The spelling is the same; the sound is not. In the tables below, the male form comes first and the female form second.
Nobody will mind a mistake, and many Israelis will switch to English the moment they hear an accent. Keep going in Hebrew anyway. A sentence that starts with סליחה (slicha, excuse me) and ends with תודה (toda) gets you a long way.
Fourteen words and phrases you will hear every day
- סליחהslichaExcuse me, sorry. The way to start almost any request.
- בבקשהbevakashaPlease; also “here you are” and “you’re welcome”.
- תודהtodaThank you. תודה רבה (toda raba) is thank you very much.
- בסדרbesederOkay, fine, in order.
- רגעregaA moment. רגע, רגע means “hold on”.
- יאללהyallaCome on, let’s go; also “okay, bye” at the end of a call.
- אין בעיהein beayaNo problem.
- מה נשמע?ma nishmaHow’s it going? The answer is usually בסדר or טוב.
- ברוך הבא / ברוכה הבאהbaruch ha-ba / brucha ha-baaWelcome, to a man / to a woman. To a family or a group: ברוכים הבאים (bruchim ha-baim).
- מכולתmakoletNeighborhood grocery store.
- קופהkupaCheckout, cash register.
- שקיתsakitBag, usually a plastic one at the checkout.
- דודdudThe water heater. In many apartments you switch it on a while before a shower.
- ממ״דmamadThe reinforced safe room in many apartments. מקלט (miklat) is a shared shelter.
At the makolet and the supermarket
| English | Hebrew | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| Do you have oat milk? | יש לכם חלב שיבולת שועל? | yesh lachem chalav shibolet shual |
| How much is this? | כמה זה עולה? | kama ze ole |
| Half a kilo of yellow cheese, sliced, please. | חצי קילו גבינה צהובה, פרוסה, בבקשה. | chatzi kilo gvina tzehuba, prusa, bevakasha |
| Where is the bread? | איפה הלחם? | eifo ha-lechem |
| No thanks, I have a bag. | לא תודה, יש לי שקית. | lo toda, yesh li sakit |
| Can I pay by card? | אפשר לשלם בכרטיס? | efshar leshalem be-kartis |
| Do you deliver? | יש משלוחים? | yesh mishlochim |
| Do you have a smaller one? | יש יותר קטן? | yesh yoter katan |
| Do you want the receipt? (what the cashier asks) | רוצה את הקבלה?Said rotze to a man and rotza to a woman. | rotze / rotza et ha-kabala |
A phone plan and internet
| English | Hebrew | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| I’d like an Israeli number. | אני רוצה מספר ישראלי. | ani rotze / rotza mispar yisraeli |
| Which plan is the cheapest? | איזו חבילה הכי זולה? | eizo chavila hachi zola |
| How many gigabytes are included? | כמה ג׳יגה יש בחבילה? | kama giga yesh ba-chavila |
| Is there a commitment period? | יש התחייבות? | yesh hitchayvut |
| Do you need to see my ID? | צריך תעודה מזהה? | tzarich teuda mezaha |
| When will the technician come? | מתי יגיע הטכנאי? | matai yagia ha-technai |
| The internet isn’t working. | האינטרנט לא עובד. | ha-internet lo oved |
| Can I get the bill by email? | אפשר לקבל את החשבונית במייל? | efshar lekabel et ha-cheshbonit ba-meil |
The apartment, the landlord and the neighbors
| English | Hebrew | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| Hi, I’m the new neighbor on the third floor. | היי, אני השכן החדש / השכנה החדשה מהקומה השלישית. | hai, ani ha-shachen he-chadash / ha-shchena ha-chadasha me-ha-koma ha-shlishit |
| The boiler isn’t heating. | הדוד לא מחמם. | ha-dud lo mechamem |
| How long before a shower should I turn on the boiler? | כמה זמן לפני מקלחת מדליקים את הדוד? | kama zman lifnei miklachat madlikim et ha-dud |
| There’s a leak in the bathroom. | יש נזילה באמבטיה. | yesh nezila ba-ambatya |
| Can you fix it this week? | אפשר לתקן את זה השבוע? | efshar letaken et ze ha-shavua |
| Where is the nearest shelter? | איפה המקלט הכי קרוב? | eifo ha-miklat hachi karov |
| Who handles the building committee? | מי אחראי על ועד הבית? | mi achrai al vaad ha-bayit |
| Where are the garbage bins? | איפה הפחים? | eifo ha-pachim |
Taxis, buses and directions
| English | Hebrew | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| To the central bus station, please. | לתחנה המרכזית, בבקשה. | la-tachana ha-merkazit, bevakasha |
| With the meter, please. | עם מונה, בבקשה. | im mone, bevakasha |
| Is this the bus to Jerusalem? | זה האוטובוס לירושלים? | ze ha-otobus li-yerushalayim |
| Where do I get off for the hospital? | איפה יורדים לבית החולים? | eifo yordim le-beit ha-cholim |
| Is it far? | זה רחוק? | ze rachok |
| Right / left / straight on | ימינה / שמאלה / ישר | yemina / smola / yashar |
| Here is fine, thanks. | פה זה טוב, תודה. | po ze tov, toda |
| Could you tell me when we get there? | תגיד לי / תגידי לי כשמגיעים?תגיד to a man, תגידי to a woman. | tagid li / tagidi li kshe-magiim |
When you don’t understand
| English | Hebrew | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| Sorry, my Hebrew isn’t good yet. | סליחה, העברית שלי עוד לא טובה. | slicha, ha-ivrit sheli od lo tova |
| Do you speak English? | אתה מדבר / את מדברת אנגלית?Asked to a man / to a woman. | ata medaber / at medaberet anglit |
| More slowly, please. | יותר לאט, בבקשה. | yoter le-at, bevakasha |
| Can you write it down for me? | אפשר לכתוב לי את זה? | efshar lichtov li et ze |
| What does that mean? | מה זה אומר? | ma ze omer |
| One moment, I’m translating. | רגע, אני מתרגם / מתרגמת. | rega, ani metargem / metargemet |
| I’m new here. | אני חדש / חדשה פה. | ani chadash / chadasha po |
| Thanks for your patience. | תודה על הסבלנות. | toda al ha-savlanut |
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Frequently asked questions
Should I say slicha or bevakasha?
Slicha (excuse me) gets someone’s attention or apologizes. Bevakasha (please) goes with the request itself. “Slicha, efshar et ha-melach, bevakasha?” is “Excuse me, can I have the salt, please?”
How do I know whether to use the male or female form?
Use the form for your own gender when you talk about yourself (ani rotze or ani rotza), and the form for the other person’s gender when you say “you”. Forms and signs that address everyone often show both forms with a slash, such as צריך/ה (“need”), written for a man and a woman at once.
Do Israelis speak English?
Many do, and plenty will switch to English when they hear an accent. Offices, letters and phone menus are still mostly in Hebrew, which is where these phrases and a translator help.
What does yalla mean?
It is borrowed from Arabic and means “come on, let’s go”. Israelis also use it to end a conversation: “yalla, bye”.