Should I speak English at an Israeli startup?

In the stand-up, maybe. In the kitchen and with the accountant, Hebrew. Keep both. Use baba when the Slack thread flips.

Hebrew at work in Israel: meetings, Slack, interviews

The short answer

Israeli offices run on short Hebrew and English loanwords. The interview is a different register — that page already exists. This is the Tuesday standup.

Hebrew inflects to the speaker and the listener. Set both before you pick a verb.
baba is a translation tool, not a course. It gets the line right for the room you are in.

By baba TeamLast updated: September 11, 2026

What do you actually say?

Bottom line

תכלס

Tachles

Start here when the meeting has gone long.

I disagree

אני לא מסכים

Ani lo maskim

Woman: lo maskima. Direct is expected.

Gender. maskim (m) / maskima (f)

Can we move this?

אפשר לדחות?

Efshar lidchot?

Lidchot is postpone. Not “cancel” (levatel).

I’ll take care of it

אני מטפל בזה

Ani metapel / metapelet be-ze

Woman: metapelet. This is ownership, not “circle back.”

Gender. metapel (m) / metapelet (f)

Frequently asked questions

Should I speak English at an Israeli startup?: In the stand-up, maybe. In the kitchen and with the accountant, Hebrew. Keep both. Use baba when the Slack thread flips.

Hebrew for work