How to Speak Hebrew

Co-authored by Jennifer Mueller, JD

Last Updated: October 21, 2021 References

Hebrew (עִבְרִית) is the official language of Israel. It also serves as the liturgical and intellectual language of Jewish people all over the world. Learning Hebrew gives you insight into the faith and culture of the Jewish people. A background in Hebrew can also help you understand other Semitic languages, such as Arabic, Aramaic, and Amharic. Start having conversations and learning basic vocabulary with transliterated Hebrew, then progress to the Hebrew alphabet later.^{[1]
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Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Having Basic Conversations

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1
Greet people by saying shalom. The word shalom, which literally means "peace," is commonly used to greet people, especially people you are just meeting for the first time. Like the Sanskrit word namaste, this is a word that many people know, even if they don't know any other word in the language.^{[2]
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- The concept of shalom has deep cultural and religious significance among people who speak Hebrew as well. It denotes a sense of wholeness and completeness, of mental and spiritual, as well as physical security.^{[3]
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- In the morning, you could also say boker tov, which means "good morning." Later in the day, use erev tov for "good evening."
2
Choose the correct phrase to ask after someone's wellbeing. Typically, after you great someone, you ask "how are you?" In Hebrew, the way you ask this question depends on whether you are speaking to a man or a woman.^{[4]
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- If you are speaking to a man, ask mah shlomkha? If you are speaking to a woman, ask mah shlomekh? The literal translation of this phrase is "What's your wellbeing?" or "What's your peace?"
- There are casual ways to ask after someone's wellbeing as well. For example, you might say mah koreh? This is similar to saying "what's up?" or "what's happening?" in English.
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3
Introduce yourself in Hebrew. To tell someone your name, use the word shmi followed by your name. You can also say korim li followed by your name. This phrase more literally means "I am called."^{[5]
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- To ask a person their name, say mah shimkah if you're talking to a man, or ma shmekh if you're talking to a woman.
- Once initial introductions are made, you could say naim meod, which means "nice to meet you."
4
Explain that you are just beginning to learn Hebrew. When you are speaking to someone for the first time, it can help to let them know that you are not fluent in the language. If you are a man, say ani medaber ktstat ivrit to tell them "I speak a little Hebrew." If you are a woman, say ani medaberet ktstat ivrit.^{[6]
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- You might also say taken bevakasha et hatauyot sheli beivrit, which means "please correct my Hebrew mistakes."
- If you don't understand what someone has said, say ata yakhol lakhzor al he? ("could you repeat that?")
5
Include polite words and phrases in your conversation. Having good manners communicates that you mean no disrespect, even if you say the wrong thing. For this reason, make polite words some of the first words you learn in Hebrew.^{[7]
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- todah is "thank you." If you're feeling a little more grateful, you might say todah rabah, which means "thank you very much."
- bevakashah is "please." This word is also used in response to "thank you," to mean "you're welcome."
- If you're trying to pass through a crowd or get past someone, use seliha rega to mean "excuse me." In other contexts, such as if you're begging someone's pardon or asking forgiveness for some slight, use bevakashah or slihah sleekhah. The word sleekhah also means "sorry."
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Use shalom to end a conversation and say "goodbye." The word shalom is often used at both the beginning and the end of a conversation. You can also say kohl toov, which more literally means "be well."^{[8]
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- If you'll be meeting up with the person again a little later, you might go with l'hitraot, which means "see you soon."

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Immersing Yourself in Hebrew

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1
Find a conversation partner locally or online. The best way to improve your Hebrew conversational skills is to talk to someone who is fluent in the language. If there is a synagogue or Jewish community center in your neighborhood, you may be able to find someone there who is willing to speak Hebrew with you.^{[9]
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- You can also search Facebook groups for native speakers, either locally or in Israel. You may be able to find an Israeli conversation partner who is willing to help you in Hebrew in exchange for help with another language, such as English.
- If you have difficulty finding a local language partner, try connecting with someone online. Websites such as iTalki and Go Speaky connect language learners to native speakers for free.^{[10]
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2
Listen to Israeli music. The repetitive and simplistic nature of lyrics can help you learn a lot of basic words relatively quickly. Look for Israeli music on YouTube, or on your favorite music streaming service. There are many popular artists that record their music in Hebrew in a number of different genres.^{[11]
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- Search for Hebrew in the international category. If you find an artist you like, search their name online to find other acts that are associated with them that you might like.
3
Play Hebrew radio stations or podcasts. Many Israeli radio stations stream online, and you can listen for free. You can also search for podcasts in Hebrew. Some podcasts are geared specifically towards teaching the Hebrew language, while others cover various topics, including history, culture, and religion.^{[12]
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- Gala'tz, the Israel Army Radio, streams live broadcasts at https://glz.co.il/. You might also try Reshet Bet, which is predominately news talk radio, or Reshet Gimmel, which is focused on music.
- When you first start, you may only be able to pick up a word or two, especially if you're just starting your study of the language. However, with time you'll start understanding more and more.
4
Watch Israeli television shows and movies. Many popular Israeli television shows can be streamed online. Israeli shows and movies are also available on subscription-based streaming services, such as Netflix or Hulu.^{[13]
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- You can start by turning on subtitles in your native language, if they're available. As your Hebrew gets better, you can turn subtitles off.
- You can also try turning on closed-captioning in Hebrew, so you can see the words as they are being said.
- If you're a sports fan, look for sports broadcasts in Hebrew. Since you already have a familiarity with the sport, you'll pick up words more easily. In addition, sports commentators tend to use a limited vocabulary that can be repetitive.
5
Take a trip to Israel. If you want the ultimate immersion experience, visit Israel, where Hebrew is the national language. In large cities you'll likely find plenty of people who speak other languages. However, in smaller towns you may need to rely exclusively on Hebrew to get around.^{[14]
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- When people find out where you're from, they may want to speak to you in your native language. For example, someone who finds out you're from the U.S. may want to practice their English on you. It's up to you whether you ask them to speak to you in Hebrew. If they talk to you in English, you can try simply answering them in Hebrew.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Reading and Writing in Hebrew

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1
Download an alephbet chart. If you want to learn to read and write Hebrew, you must first master the letters in the Hebrew alephbet. There are many charts available online for free, each of which has a slightly different layout and organization. Pick a chart that makes the most sense to you intuitively.^{[15]
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- Access blank charts, worksheets, and other Hebrew learning materials for free from the Jewish Experience Center at https://www.ourki.org/jec/hebrew-resources/. They also have a page of memory tricks that can help you remembering the alephbet.
- The Ancient Hebrew Research Center has 12 lessons on the Hebrew alephbet available online for free. Go to http://www.ancient-hebrew.org/lessons_introduction.html to get started.
2
Practice the alephbet for 15 to 20 minutes each day. If you're learning the alephbet on your own, the easiest way to memorize the letters is to practice writing and saying them. Work on 2 or 3 letters each day. Before starting new letters, go back and review the ones you've already learned so the knowledge stays fresh in your mind.^{[16]
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- When practicing a letter, put the letter on the right side of the page and practice from right to left. This will help you get used to righting and reading from right to left, rather than from left to right.
3
Learn vowel pointing to read beginner Hebrew. There are no vowels in the Hebrew alphabet. In children's books, grammar books, and other Hebrew texts for learners, vowel pointing provides the vowel sound for each word. Texts designed for fluent readers, such as novels and newspapers, typically do not use vowel pointing.^{[17]
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- Vowel pointing is designed to help you understand how to pronounce words when you are beginning to learn the language.
- The Ancient Hebrew Research Center has lessons on vowel pointing available for free at http://www.ancient-hebrew.org/lessons_introduction.html.
4
Label items around your home with the Hebrew word. Labeling furniture and other items with the Hebrew word expands your vocabulary as well as helping you get used to reading Hebrew from right to left.^{[18]
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- While it's good practice (and less expensive) to make your own labels, there are also pre-made labels you can buy that have the English, transliterated, and Hebrew words on the same label. The product "Stick Around" is available online and in shops in Israel.
5
Check out children's books in Hebrew. Children's books are simple, and typically include vowel pointing and other marks to help with pronunciation. These marks help you use the correct vowel sound or distinguish between alternative pronunciations of the same letter. Children's books also cover basic vocabulary and conversations.^{[19]
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- You may find Hebrew books at your local library. Local Jewish community centers also have libraries with books in Hebrew.
6
Read the news in Hebrew. Once you've got the aleph-bet down and you know some basic conversational phrases, you can start reading news sites online. Start by simply reading the headlines, then progress to the articles. You'll have an easier time figuring out words if you read about topics you already know about.^{[20]
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- If you don't know much Hebrew, look at the headlines and the photos that accompany the stories to try to figure out what the article is about. As you learn more words, you can progress to reading articles.
- Start with Ynet or Walla, which use simpler Hebrew than Haaretz.

Community Q&A

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How do I say "The Lord is My God" in Hebrew?

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Seeing as how we don't have separate words for the holy spirit and god, you can say "Halord hu hael sheli," or "הלורד הוא האל שלי." ("Halord" = the lord, "hu" = (he) is, "hael" = the god, "sheli" =my.) Hebrew doesn't have different names for the Christian god and the Jewish god though, so you would probably be misunderstood.

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Do you pronounce "Boker" with a long "o" or short "o"?

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"O" is usually pronounced with a long "o" in Hebrew. So yes, "Boker" is pronounced with a long "o."

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I want to know how to speak Hebrew as I learn. What can I do?

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If you don't live in Israel, you can find online courses or go to a local library and borrow or buy language lesson books. If you have family members or friends who speak Hebrew, you can ask them to teach you words or phrases in Hebrew, and practice conversation with them. If not, you could search online for Hebrew speakers who may be interested in helping you.

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Tips

The National Jewish Outreach Program (NJOP) has free courses for reading and writing Hebrew available throughout the U.S. and Canada. Go to https://njop.org/my-njop/ to find a class near you.

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Warnings

Don't confuse Hebrew with Yiddish. Although Yiddish borrows extensively from Hebrew and Aramaic, it is not closely related to either language. Rather, it is a family of European Jewish dialects based on High German.

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