© 2026 baba. All rights reserved.
דוגרי
Dugri
/DOOG-ree/
Straight talk, direct, honest, blunt (without sugarcoating)
💬What does Dugri mean in Hebrew?
Dugri (דוגרי, pronounced DOOG-ree) means speaking directly, honestly, and without sugarcoating — the Israeli way of saying "straight talk". The word traveled from Turkish → Arabic → Hebrew. It reflects a core Israeli cultural value of blunt honesty. To be dugri with someone is to respect them enough to tell the truth even when it's uncomfortable. What foreigners experience as Israeli rudeness, Israelis experience as the ultimate sign of respect.
🔊How to pronounce Dugri
דוגרי
Dugri
DOOG-ree
Capitals = stressed syllable
The Hebrew script reads right-to-left. The English transliteration uses the Israeli Sephardic pronunciation standard.
🇮🇱When do Israelis use Dugri?
Dugri describes the characteristic Israeli directness — saying exactly what you mean without social filtering. To speak "dugri" is to be totally straight with someone. What foreigners often experience as Israeli rudeness, Israelis experience as the ultimate sign of respect — treating you as an adult who can handle the truth.
Fun fact
Sociologist Tamar Katriel wrote "Talking Straight: Dugri Speech in Israeli Sabra Culture" — an entire academic book devoted to this one concept. Misconception: many foreigners think Israelis are rude; Israelis think they're being dugri, which to them is a sign of trust and equality.
📝Dugri in a sentence — examples
אני אגיד לך דוגרי — הפרויקט שלך לא מוכן.
Ani agid lekha dugri — haproyekt shelkha lo mukhan.
I'll be straight with you — your project isn't ready.
הוא דוגרי, אף פעם לא ידבר מאחורי הגב שלך.
Hu dugri, af pa'am lo yedaber me'akhorei hagav shelkha.
He's straight — he'll never talk behind your back.
תגיד לי דוגרי מה אתה חושב.
Tagid li dugri ma ata khoshev.
Tell me straight what you think.
📖Origin of Dugri
A remarkable three-language journey: from Turkish "doğru" (straight, correct) → Arabic "dugri" (دغري — straight, direct) → Hebrew. Entered Hebrew through Mizrahi communities and became a marker of authentic Israeli sabra identity. Sociologist Tamar Katriel devoted an entire book to the concept.
Heard "Dugri" and need to translate it?
baba is the only Hebrew translator that actually understands slang like Dugri. Regular translators give you literal (wrong) translations. baba gives you the real meaning.
iOS & Android · 3 free slang translations per month
Related Hebrew slang words
פראייר
Freier
FREH-yer
Sucker, pushover, naive fool who gets taken advantage of
חוצפה
Chutzpah
KHOOTS-pah
Audacity, nerve, bold impudence (can be admired or criticized)
ראש גדול
Rosh gadol
rosh gah-DOL
Big head — taking initiative, going beyond instructions
אחי
Achi
ah-KHEE
Bro, dude, man (literally: my brother)