Language
Hebrew you will actually use
51 phrases, grouped by the situation you will meet them in rather than by grammar. Each one has the Hebrew, how to say it, and when it is the right thing to say. Search in English if you are looking for something specific.
Phrases
51
Hebrew script, transliteration, meaning
Situations
6
first day, greetings, transport, food, bureaucracy, slang
With a usage note
24
when to say it, not only what it means
Letters to learn
22
the whole alphabet, about a weekend
The phrasebook
All 51, grouped by situation
Open a group, or type an English word to find the phrase you need.
- שָׁלוֹםshalomHello, goodbye, peaceWorks for all three, at any hour.
- תּוֹדָהtodaThank youToda raba is thank you very much.
- בְּבַקָּשָׁהbevakashaPlease, and also here you areHanded to you with the change.
- סְלִיחָהslichaExcuse me, sorryTo get attention or to apologise.
- כֵּןkenYes
- לֹאloNo
- אֲנִי לֹא מֵבִיןani lo mevinI don't understandWomen say ani lo mevina.
- אַתָּה מְדַבֵּר אַנְגְּלִית?ata medaber anglit?Do you speak English?To a woman: at medaberet anglit?
- כַּמָּה זֶה עוֹלֶה?kama ze ole?How much does this cost?
Morning
Ordering coffee, correctly
Ask for kafe and there is a fair chance you get instant with hot water poured over it. The drink almost everyone means is kafe hafuch, literally upside-down coffee, which is roughly a latte and is what a cafe pours by default.
Two more phrases carry the rest of the visit. Bevakasha does the work of please and of here you are, and cheshbon bevakasha ends the meal without anyone waving across the room.
- קָפֶה הָפוּךְkafe hafuchLatte
- חֶשְׁבּוֹן, בְּבַקָּשָׁהcheshbon, bevakashaThe bill, please
- בְּתֵאָבוֹןbe'te'avonEnjoy your meal
At the market
9 words get you through the shuk
The market runs on a different register from the supermarket. Prices are per kilo, half a kilo is the standard order, and the stallholder will switch to English the moment you hesitate, which is exactly why these stop getting practised.
- מַיִםmayimWater
- לֶחֶםlechemBread
- קָפֶה הָפוּךְkafe hafuchLatte
- חֶשְׁבּוֹן, בְּבַקָּשָׁהcheshbon, bevakashaThe bill, please
- בְּתֵאָבוֹןbe'te'avonEnjoy your meal
- כָּשֵׁרkasherKosher
- צִמְחוֹנִיtzimchoniVegetarian
- טִבְעוֹנִיtivoniVegan
- חָצִי קִילוֹchatzi kiloHalf a kilo
Everyday
Slicha does more than sorry
Slicha is how you get a stranger's attention, how you get past someone in a queue, and how you apologise afterwards. In a crowded shop it is the most useful word on this page.
Toda is thank you, toda raba is thank you very much, and Israelis use both far more than the country's blunt reputation suggests. Skipping them reads as rude rather than as foreign.
- סְלִיחָהslichaExcuse me, sorry
- תּוֹדָהtodaThank you
- לֶחֶםlechemBread
Learn the letters next
Transliteration gets you talking; it does not get you reading a street sign or a form. The Hebrew alphabet is 22 letters and genuinely takes a weekend, and it is the difference between guessing at a bus destination and reading it.
Next
Where to go from here
Four pages for the rest of the first week.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need Hebrew to live in Israel?+
To survive, no: English is widely spoken in the centre of the country and in high-tech. To do anything with a government office, a landlord or a plumber, yes. The bureaucracy runs in Hebrew, and that is where the gap hurts.
What is ulpan?+
Intensive Hebrew school. New olim are entitled to a free course, typically five months of daily classes, and it is the single highest-return thing you can do in your first year. Many people delay it for work and regret it.
Why does everyone say yalla?+
It is Arabic, it means let's go, and modern Hebrew absorbed it completely. Israeli Hebrew is full of Arabic, Yiddish, Russian and English loanwords, which is why a textbook leaves you understanding half of a real conversation.
Is Hebrew hard to learn?+
The alphabet is easy: 22 letters, regular sounds, a weekend of work. The grammar is systematic once the root system clicks. The genuinely hard part is that written Hebrew usually omits vowels, so reading fluently depends on already knowing the word.