The short answer
Shana tova is the greeting. The extra u-metuka (and sweet) is the honey. After the two days, the language of the week tilts toward sealing, not sweetness.
- ראש השנה · Friday 11 September – Sunday 13 September 2026 (next: 20–22 September 2027)
- baba gives both genders and the Israeli phrasing, not the English calendar-card line Google Translate reaches for first.
- A translator will not make you fluent. It will get the greeting right today.
By baba Team
What do you say on Rosh Hashanah in Hebrew?
A good year
שנה טובה
Shana tova
A good and sweet year
שנה טובה ומתוקה
Shana tova u-metuka
May you be inscribed for a good year
כתיבה וחתימה טובה
Ketiva ve-chatima tova
Do not say this
Not: Happy New Year on 1 January in Hebrew and expecting Rosh Hashanah energy
Say: Shana tova in Tishrei; shana ezrachit tova if you really mean the civil year
Israelis have two new years. Mixing them sounds like a tourist toast.
Frequently asked questions
- How do you say happy new year in Hebrew for Rosh Hashanah?
- Shana tova. Add u-metuka if you want the honey. Save gmar chatima tova for the approach to Yom Kippur.
- Do I say shana tova to a woman differently?
- No. The year is feminine already. Do not say shana tov to a man — that would be agreeing with the wrong noun.