Directness is not rudeness
Israelis value being dugri (דוגרי), straight to the point. A colleague who says “this won’t work” in front of everyone is usually offering the problem up for discussion, not ending it, and expects you to push back with reasons. Silence reads as agreement. Disagreeing with a manager in a meeting is normal and rarely held against anyone.
Hierarchy is flat and titles are rare: everyone uses first names, including the CEO. Emails are short, often without a greeting, and a reply of “ok” or “סגור” (sagur, done) is complete. Plans change late and people improvise well, which can look like chaos (balagan) from outside and like flexibility from inside.
What works in return: say what you think plainly, give your reasons, and ask for a concrete next step. “So what do we decide?” is a perfectly Israeli question.
The week and the calendar
| What | In Israel | What to plan for |
|---|---|---|
| Work week | Sunday to Thursday for most offices. | Monday to Thursday is your shared window. Sunday is a full workday there. |
| Friday | A short day or a day off; Shabbat starts at sundown. | Avoid Friday meetings and deadlines. Replies may wait until Sunday. |
| Saturday | Shabbat, until nightfall. | Do not expect answers; many people switch off entirely. |
| Holidays | Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Pesach, Shavuot and Independence Day close most offices. | The day before a holiday (ערב חג, erev chag) is often short, and many people take the middle days of Sukkot and Pesach off. See the dates in our Jewish holiday calendar. |
| Time zones | Israel’s clock changes do not always fall on the same dates as in the US or Europe. | Check the gap before every meeting with the Israel time converter. |
Hebrew you will hear on calls
Israelis drop these into English all the time. For a longer list, see the Hebrew slang dictionary.
- יאללהyallaLet’s go, come on; also “okay, bye” at the end of a call.
- סבבהsababaCool, fine, sounds good.
- בסדרbesederOkay, fine. Sometimes a lukewarm “it’s fine”.
- תכלסtachlesIn practice, practically speaking: “let’s get to the point”.
- בלגןbalaganMess, chaos. Said of a project, a release, a whole week.
- דווקאdavkaPrecisely, actually, on purpose, contrary to expectation. The word has no neat English match.
- דוגריdugriStraight talk, bluntly honest.
- חוצפהchutzpaNerve, cheek. Can be a criticism or grudging admiration.
- סגורsagurClosed: done, agreed, settled.
- בקטנהbe-ktanaNo big deal, a small thing.
- יש מצבyesh matzavThere’s a chance, maybe; as a question, “is it possible?”
- אין מצבein matzavNo way.
- נוnuWell? So? Come on.
- פראיירfraierSucker. Nobody wants to be one, which explains a lot of negotiating.
- חבל על הזמןchaval al ha-zmanLiterally “a waste of time”; in slang, amazing. Context decides.
- שבוע טובshavua tovHave a good week: the Saturday-night and Sunday greeting.
What it sounds like, and what it usually means
| You hear | It usually means |
|---|---|
| “This won’t work.” | I see a problem. Convince me, or let’s fix it together. |
| “Yihye beseder.” (It’ll be fine.) | Don’t worry, we’ll sort it out. If you need a plan, ask for the next step. |
| “Tachles, what do you need?” | Skip the introduction; I want the request. |
| “Yalla, bye.” | The normal, friendly way to end a call, not a brush-off. |
| “Nu?” | Any update? A nudge; the tone tells you how impatient. |
A few words that go a long way
Nobody expects Hebrew from you, which is why a little lands well. Male form first, female form second.
| English | Hebrew | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| Have a good week (said on Sunday morning) | שבוע טוב | shavua tov |
| Shabbat shalom (on Thursday or Friday) | שבת שלום | shabbat shalom |
| Happy holiday | חג שמח | chag sameach |
| Good luck | בהצלחה | be-hatzlacha |
| Well done | כל הכבוד | kol ha-kavod |
| Congratulations | מזל טוב | mazal tov |
| No problem. | אין בעיה. | ein beaya |
| Done, agreed. | סגור. | sagur |
| Talk tomorrow. | נדבר מחר. | nedaber machar |
| Feel better (to someone who is ill) | תרגיש טוב / תרגישי טוב | targish tov / targishi tov |
Where baba helps
Hebrew leaks into the workday: a WhatsApp group, a Slack thread, a document your colleagues wrote for each other, a supplier’s invoice. baba translates Hebrew into natural English, handles Israeli slang and idioms, and translates your reply into Hebrew with the right gender for you and for the person reading it.
On a laptop, the Chrome extension translates Hebrew in the browser; on a phone, the baba app translates text and, with baba Pro, photos and whole PDFs too. baba Pro also has a slang mode for exactly the messages this page is about.
Understand the Hebrew in your team chat
Paste the message, read it in plain English, and answer in Hebrew that sounds like a colleague wrote it.
- Israeli slang and idioms
- Gender-aware Hebrew replies
- Chrome extension, iPhone, Android and web
Get babaFree for iPhone and AndroidPoint your phone camera here. It opens baba if you have it, or the store if you don’t.
Frequently asked questions
Why are Israeli colleagues so direct?
Directness (dugri) is a cultural norm: saying what you think is seen as honest and efficient. Disagreement in a meeting is part of the process, and it rarely carries the edge it would in the US or much of Europe.
What days do Israelis work?
Most offices work Sunday to Thursday. Friday is a short day or a day off, and Shabbat runs from Friday sundown to Saturday night, so the shared week with the US or Europe is Monday to Thursday.
What does yalla mean?
Come on, let’s go. It starts things (“yalla, let’s begin”) and ends them (“yalla, bye”).
Is it rude to schedule a meeting on Friday?
Not rude, but unpopular. Many Israelis are off, and those working keep the day short. Monday to Thursday is safer.
Do Israeli colleagues expect me to speak Hebrew?
No. Business is often conducted in English. A shavua tov on Sunday or a chag sameach before a holiday is appreciated, but not expected.