תכלס
TAKH-les
Bottom line, straight to the point.
What does it literally mean — and what do Israelis actually mean?
What it literally means
Literal: "purpose" (takhlit).
תכלס, כמה זה יעלה לי?Tachles, kama ze ya'ale li?Bottom line — how much will it cost me?
What Israelis actually mean
"bottom line, brass tacks" — "Tachles, ma ata rotzeh?" = "Bottom line, what do you actually want?"
בוא נדבר תכלס, בלי סיבובים.Bo nedaber tachles, bli sibuvim.Let's talk straight, no beating around the bush.
Where did this word come from?
From Yiddish takhles (טכלית), itself the Ashkenazi pronunciation of Hebrew תכלית (takhlit, "purpose, end-goal," from root כ.ל.ה "to end/complete"). In Yiddish it already meant "the practical point, the bottom line" ("red takhles" = get to the point). Modern Hebrew re-borrowed it with that businesslike sense — another Talmud→Yiddish→Hebrew boomerang.
Register & social context
Casual-professional spoken staple: "Tachles, kama ze ya'ale li?" In Israel it compliments efficiency; to a stranger it can read as pushy. It does NOT mean "technically."
Root & morphology
Root כ.ל.ה ("end, completion"). From תכלית (takhlit, "purpose, goal") via Yiddish pronunciation.
Influences & contact languages
- Yiddish (ייִדיש)Yiddish takhles — Ashkenazi pronunciation of Hebrew takhlit, already meaning "the bottom line."
- Hebrew (עברית, Ivrit)Ultimate source: Hebrew תכלית (root כ.ל.ה "end/completion") — a boomerang loan home.
Which places are associated with this word?
This word travels through people, not places — so we don't pin it.
See where it lives in the language constellationHear it in the wild
תכלס, כמה זה יעלה לי?
Tachles, kama ze ya'ale li?
Bottom line — how much will it cost me?
בוא נדבר תכלס, בלי סיבובים.
Bo nedaber tachles, bli sibuvim.
Let's talk straight, no beating around the bush.
What English speakers get wrong
It's not rude per se — in Israel it's a compliment to efficiency; but used to a stranger it can read as pushy. It also does NOT mean "technically."
What lives next to this word?
See the language constellation
Follow this word into a guided story
Sources & review
Want to use this word? Understand it inside a full sentence — Open Baba →