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PlansAboutSupportHebrew-English Guides for Life in Israel
Things Israel names differently, with photos. What each one is called in the US and the UK, what is actually different, and what to buy or ask for.
Food and Eating Out
The supermarket, the market, the bakery, the café and the restaurant.
Israeli Cheese Guide
What gvina levana, kotej, tsfatit and bulgarit mean.
Israeli Cream Guide
Which Israeli cream percentage to buy for each recipe.
Israeli Milk Guide
How חלב טרי, חלב עמיד, שוקו and משקה differ.
Israeli Yogurt Guide
What leben, yogurt, PRO and ma'adanim mean in Israel.
Israeli Flour Guide
How white, whole, spelt and specialty flours differ in Israel.
Israeli Sugar Guide
How to choose white, brown and vanilla sugar and date syrup.
Israeli Baking Aisle Guide
What Israeli baking powder, yeast and vanilla labels mean.
Israeli Chicken Cuts Guide
What pargit, kraayim, shokayim and shnitzel mean.
Israeli Fish Guide
What lavrak, denis, amnun, buri and lokus mean in English.
Israeli Eggs Guide
Israeli egg sizes, production labels and shell dates explained.
Israeli Herbs Guide
What kusbara, shamir, bazilikum and za'atar mean in English.
Israeli Spice Guide
What baharat, hawayej, sumac and paprika mean in Israel.
Israeli Vegetables Guide
What gamba, kishu'a, batata and kolarabi mean in English.
Israeli Fruit Guide
What afarsemon, shesek, pomelit and anona mean in English.
Israeli Greens Guide
Romaine, rocket, chard, spinach and baby leaves in Israel.
Israeli Rice and Grains Guide
What p'titim, bulgur, buckwheat and Persian rice mean.
Israeli Legumes Guide
What hummus, adashim, pol and she'uit mean in English.
Israeli Nuts and Seeds
What pitzuchim, black seeds and white seeds mean in Israel.
Israeli Spreads Guide
How to tell tahini paste, sauces, schug and halva apart.
Israeli Oils and Fats Guide
Butter, margarine and Israeli oil labels in plain English.
Israeli Bread Guide
How to tell Israeli loaves, rolls, flatbreads and bagels apart.
Israeli Bakery and Freezer Pastries
How to tell bourekas, rugelach, malawach and jachnun apart.
Israeli Coffee Guide
What hafuch, nes, kafe shachor and ice kafe mean.
Israeli Street Food Guide
How to order shawarma, sabich, portions and toppings.
Israeli Hummus Menu Guide
What מסבחה, משאוושה, פול and meat toppings mean.
Israeli Restaurant Terms
Read Hebrew menu sections, extras, tips and the restaurant bill.
Israeli Bar Menu Guide
Decode Israeli beer sizes, chasers and arak.
Israeli Snack Guide
What Bamba, Bisli, Klik and Pesek Zman mean in English.
Israeli Holiday Food Guide
What sufganiyot, levivot, oznei Haman and Seder foods mean.
Israeli Recipe Conversion
Cups, grams, Celsius, turbo and grill settings explained.
Home
Cleaning, laundry, the boiler, the apartment and the hardware store.
Israeli Cleaning Guide
What אקונומיקה, נוזל כלים, סקוטש and מגב mean.
Israeli Sponja Guide
What sponja, magev and a floor cloth mean in English.
Israeli Laundry Guide
Hebrew names for detergent, washer settings and drying gear.
Israeli Boiler Guide
What dud shemesh, dud khashmal, and the boiler switch mean.
Israeli Apartment Guide
What mamad, mirpeset sherut, tris and makhsan mean in English.
Israeli Rental Listing Guide
How Israeli room counts, floors, fees and features translate.
Israeli Bedding Guide
How Israeli bed sizes and bedding terms map to English.
Israeli Paper and Wraps
What Israeli paper, foil and food-wrap labels mean in English.
Israeli Hardware Store Guide
What dibel, boreg, silikon and atam mean in English.
Israeli Electrical Guide
Israeli plugs, adapters, splitters and timers in English.
Health and Beauty
The pharmacy shelf, the health fund, the baby aisle and the salon.
Israeli Painkillers Guide
What Akamol, Nurofen and Optalgin contain in Israel.
Israeli First Aid Guide
What plasters, dressings, wraps, and ointments mean in Israel.
Israeli Healthcare Guide
What kupat holim, hafnaya, Tofes 17 and tor mean.
Israeli Baby Products Guide
What khitulim, tamal, motsets and agala mean in English.
Israeli Toiletries Guide
What common Hebrew toiletry labels mean in English.
Israeli Hair Salon Guide
What fen, gvanim and hakhlaka mean at an Israeli salon.
Israeli Nails and Beauty Guide
What lak gel, sha'avah, gabot and lash services mean.
Clothes
Clothing words, sizes and care labels.
Getting Around
Cars, fuel, parking, buses, taxis and bikes.
Israeli Car Vocabulary
What common Israeli car and garage words mean in English.
Israeli Car Paperwork Guide
What Israeli car licenses, tests and insurance terms mean.
Israeli Gas Station Guide
What 95, 98, solar and sherut male mean at the pump.
Israeli Curb Colors
What Israel's curb colors mean before you stop or park.
Israeli Public Transport Guide
Rav-Kav, sherut, station and rail terms in plain English.
Israeli Road Sign Guide
Read Hebrew road signs, text plates, exits and place names.
Israeli Taxi Guide
What מוֹנֶה, סְפֵּיישֶׁל and מוֹנִית שֵׁרוּת mean in Israel.
Israeli Bikes and Scooters
What ofanayim, korkinet, galgino'a and katno'a mean.
Mail, Money and Paperwork
The post office, addresses, payslips, banks, bills and offices.
Israeli Post Office Guide
Decode registered mail, pickup notices, status and lockers.
Israeli Address Guide
How to read Hebrew address fields and enter each detail correctly.
Israeli Payslip Guide
Read gross pay, deductions, benefits and net pay in Hebrew.
Israeli Banking Guide
What osh, misgeret, hora’at keva and bit mean in Israel.
Israeli Paying Guide
What tashlumim, credit and card charges mean in Israel.
Israeli Receipts Guide
What Israeli invoices, receipts and VAT statuses mean.
Israeli Household Bills Guide
What arnona, va'ad bayit, the water bill and gapam mean in English.
Israeli Rental Contract Guide
What arubah, arvut, a security cheque and dmei tivuch mean in a lease.
Israeli Government Offices Guide
Which Israeli office handles what, from Bituach Leumi to PIBA.
Israeli ID Documents Guide
What teudat zehut, the sefach and teudat oleh are in English.
Israeli Phone Plans Guide
What chavila, glisha and the 05x prefixes mean on an Israeli plan.
Israeli Supermarket Signs Guide
What 1+1, the price per 100 grams and mivtsa moadon really mean.
School, Family and Life Events
School stages, the army, Shabbat, celebrations and mourning.
Israeli School Stages Guide
How gan chova, yesodi, chativa and tichon match US and UK years.
Israeli Bagrut Guide
What bagrut, yechidot, the psychometric and a mechina mean in English.
Israeli Army Terms Guide
What tzav rishon, tironut, miluim and sherut leumi mean in English.
Israeli Kids Activities Guide
What chug, tzaharon, kaytana and ma'on mean for parents in English.
Israeli Week and Time Guide
Sunday-first weeks, motzash, erev chag and day-first dates explained.
Israeli Shabbat Guide
What closes and runs on Shabbat, and the Hebrew on the signs.
Israeli Life Events Guide
What brit, bar mitzvah, hina, chuppah and the gift check mean.
Israeli Mourning Guide
What shiva, shloshim, azkara and nichum avelim mean in English.
Israeli Greetings Guide
When to say titchadesh, refua shlema, beteavon and labriut.
Israeli Family Words Guide
What mechutanim, gis and gisa mean, and who counts as each.
Israeli Back-To-School Guide
What kalmar, mekhaded, khotzetz and makhberet mean on a school list.
Language and Manners
False friends, slang, abbreviations, gestures and directness.
Hebrish False Friends Guide
What tost, panas, breks and tremp really mean in Israel.
Israeli Brand Name Words
What titul, skotch, tipex and pelefon mean, and the plain Hebrew word.
Untranslatable Hebrew Words Guide
What firgun, davka, khafif, takhles and sakhbak mean in English.
Israeli Slang Guide
What sababa, yalla, basa and khaval al hazman mean in English.
Hebrew Abbreviations Guide
What אח״כ, בע״ה, וכו׳ and מס׳ stand for, and how to read them.
Israeli Hand Gestures Guide
What the pinched-fingers rega and other Israeli gestures mean.
Hebrew Color Names Guide
What tkhelet, bordo, bezh and other Hebrew colors are in English.
Israeli Money and Prices Guide
How Israelis say prices out loud, plus shekel, agorot and money slang.
Israeli Directness Guide
Hebrew phrases that sound blunt in English but often are not.
Israeli Everyday Signs Guide
What משוך, דחוף, אין כניסה and שירותים mean on Israeli signs.
Outdoors
Weather, landscape, wildlife, the beach and the plant nursery.
Israeli Weather Words Guide
What sharav, khamsin, ovekh, yoreh and malkosh mean in English.
Israeli Landscape Guide
What nahal, vadi, makhtesh and ein mean on Israeli maps and signs.
Israeli Wildlife Guide
What shafan, tan, dorban and dukhifat are called in English.
Israeli Bugs and Pests Guide
What juk, yatush, akrav and pishpesh mean, and which are dangerous.
Iconic Israeli Plants Guide
What kharuv, kalanit, rakefet and tzabar are called in English.
Israeli Beach Guide
What matzil, the flag colors, matkot and shimshiya mean at the beach.
Israeli Trail Markings Guide
What Israel's colored trail blazes and the Shvil Yisra'el mark mean.
Israeli Street Games Guide
What tofeset, makhbo'im, klas and gogo'im are in English.
Israeli Plant Nursery Guide
What atsits, deshen, adama and the balcony herbs are in English.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are these guides?
100 short guides to everyday things whose Hebrew and English names do not match, from cheese and flour to the boiler, the payslip and the beach. Each item has the Hebrew word, a transliteration, the closest US and UK names, and the usual mistake.
Who are they for?
English speakers living in Israel or moving there: new immigrants, students, and long-term visitors who shop, rent, see a doctor and fill in forms in Hebrew.
How were they checked?
Each guide was researched against Israeli retailers, manufacturers, government pages and Israeli media, and anything we could not confirm was left out. Every guide lists its main sources at the bottom.