What do you say to someone on Yom Kippur in Hebrew?

Gmar chatima tova — may you be sealed for good. If they are fasting, add tzom kal (easy fast) before the fast ends. After the break-fast, a simple shana tova still works, but the day’s own greeting is gmar chatima tova.

Do you say chag sameach on Yom Kippur?

No. Israelis do not treat Yom Kippur as a chag in the greeting sense. Use gmar chatima tova or tzom kal.

Is tzom kal only for religious people?

You say it to someone who is fasting. Plenty of secular Israelis fast. If you know they are not, gmar chatima tova is enough.

Hebrew for Yom Kippur: Gmar Chatima Tova, Tzom Kal

The short answer

Yom Kippur is not “happy holiday.” Israelis wish each other a good sealing in the book of life, and an easy fast — two different greetings, used at different hours.

יום כיפור · Sunday 20 September – Monday 21 September 2026
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 TeamLast updated: September 11, 2026

What do you say on Yom Kippur in Hebrew?

May you be sealed for good

גמר חתימה טובה

Gmar chatima tova

When. From Rosh Hashanah through Yom Kippur, and on the day itself.

Gender. The greeting does not inflect. Say it the same to a man, a woman, or a room.

Not Google. Google often offers “happy Yom Kippur,” which no Israeli says.

Easy fast

צום קל

Tzom kal

When. To someone who is fasting, before the fast and during the day. Not after nightfall.

Gender. Invariant. Do not try to feminine the adjective here.

Not Google. “Have a nice fast” in English is fine. The Hebrew is two words, not a sentence.

A good sealing

חתימה טובה

Chatima tova

When. Shorter form of gmar chatima tova. Common in texts and on the street.

May you be inscribed for a good year

כתיבה וחתימה טובה

Ketiva ve-chatima tova

When. The longer High Holiday wish. More at home on a card than at the elevator.

Do not say this

Not: Chag sameach

Say: Gmar chatima tova

Yom Kippur is a fast, not a festival. Chag sameach belongs to Sukkot, Pesach, Shavuot — not this day.

Not: Shana tova on Yom Kippur morning

Say: Gmar chatima tova

Shana tova is the Rosh Hashanah greeting. By Yom Kippur the inscription is already written; you wish for the seal.

Frequently asked questions

What do you say to someone on Yom Kippur in Hebrew?: Gmar chatima tova — may you be sealed for good. If they are fasting, add tzom kal (easy fast) before the fast ends. After the break-fast, a simple shana tova still works, but the day’s own greeting is gmar chatima tova.
Do you say chag sameach on Yom Kippur?: No. Israelis do not treat Yom Kippur as a chag in the greeting sense. Use gmar chatima tova or tzom kal.
Is tzom kal only for religious people?: You say it to someone who is fasting. Plenty of secular Israelis fast. If you know they are not, gmar chatima tova is enough.