שַׁבָּת
shabat
Shabbat means rest, and it is the Hebrew name of the Sabbath
What it means
Shabbat is the Hebrew word for rest, and it names the seventh day of the week, Saturday, in Judaism. Sabbath is the same word, passed through Greek and Latin into English, and Shabbos is the Ashkenazi pronunciation. Jews customarily keep the day as one of rest, remembering the creation of the world and the exodus from Egypt.
When Israelis say it
Because the Jewish day runs from sunset to sunset, Shabbat begins on Friday evening, a few minutes before sunset, and ends on Saturday night when three stars appear. It is customarily welcomed by lighting candles and saying blessings over wine and bread, and ended with Havdalah, a ritual with wine, spices and a candle. The greeting for it is Shabbat shalom.
How to answer
Shabbat shalom, said back.
Frequently asked questions
Is Sabbath the same as Shabbat?
In Jewish use, yes: Sabbath is the English form of Shabbat. Some Christian groups also use Sabbath for Sunday.
When does Shabbat start and end?
It starts a few minutes before sunset on Friday and ends when three stars appear on Saturday night, so the clock time changes with the season and the place.