Hebrew Phrases – Common Expressions, Pronunciation & Cultural Tips

This article was last updated and reviewed in May 2026.

Hebrew phrases – most common expressions for everyday life with pronunciation guide

Hebrew phrases are more than just polite formulas – they’re a window into how Israelis actually think and communicate. One thing I’ve learned from studying multiple languages systematically: the fastest way to sound natural in a new language isn’t grammar drills, it’s phrases. Real ones, used in real situations.

Hebrew has a few characteristics that make phrases especially worth learning early. The language distinguishes grammatically between male and female speakers in nearly every sentence, and the gap between formal and casual speech is significant. A phrase that works perfectly at a business meeting would sound stiff and strange between friends – and vice versa. This guide covers both, with the pronunciations and cultural context that most phrase lists skip.

If you want to go beyond phrases and build a real foundation in Hebrew, the Hebrew learning guide on this site covers courses, apps and methods in detail.

The most essential Hebrew phrases – quick reference

  • Hello (casual): שָׁלוֹם – Shalom (also means peace and goodbye)
  • Thank you: תּוֹדָה – Toda
  • You’re welcome: בְּבַקָּשָׁה – Bevakasha (also means “please”)
  • How are you? (casual, to male): מַה שְׁלוֹמְךָ? – Ma shlomcha?
  • Excuse me / Sorry: סְלִיחָה – Slicha
  • I don’t understand: אֲנִי לֹא מֵבִין – Ani lo mevin (male) / Ani lo mevina (female)
  • Do you speak English? אַתָּה מְדַבֵּר אַנְגְּלִית? – Ata medaber Anglit?

A Note on Formal vs. Casual Hebrew – Why It Matters

Hebrew has a meaningful register gap that trips up many learners. In formal or written Hebrew, vocabulary and phrasing follow stricter biblical roots. In everyday spoken Hebrew – which Israelis call safa meduberet (spoken language) – sentences are shorter, contractions are common, and some formal phrases would simply sound odd.

A practical example: asking “How are you?” formally is Ma shlomcha/shlomech? – literally “what is your wellbeing?”, a phrase with deep biblical roots. Casually, Israelis often just say Ma nishma? – “What’s heard?” – which has no direct English equivalent but functions exactly like “What’s up?” A tourist using the formal version isn’t wrong, but they’ll immediately be identified as a textbook learner. This guide marks the difference throughout.

One more thing worth knowing: Hebrew is one of the few languages where nearly every verb, adjective and pronoun changes form depending on the speaker’s gender. I’ve noted both forms throughout this guide where relevant.

OUR TIP:

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Greeting Someone in Hebrew – Formal and Casual

Shalom is the word everyone knows – but in practice it’s just one of several ways Israelis greet each other. The word carries the meaning of peace, wellbeing and wholeness, and it works as hello, goodbye and a standalone greeting at any time of day. In casual contexts, you’ll also hear Hey (borrowed directly from English) and Ahlan (from Arabic, widely used in Israeli casual speech – a small but real piece of cultural context that most phrase guides miss).

English Hebrew Phonetic Register
Hello / Peace in Hebrew שָׁלוֹם /ʃaˈlom/ Formal & casual
Hey / Hi (very casual) in Hebrew היי /haj/ Casual only
Welcome! in Hebrew בָּרוּךְ הַבָּא /baˈʁuχ haˈba/ (to male), /bruˈχa habaˈʔa/ (to female) Formal
Good morning! in Hebrew בֹּקֶר טוֹב /ˈbokeʁ tov/ Formal & casual
Good morning (response) in Hebrew בֹּקֶר אוֹר /ˈbokeʁ or/ Casual – literally “morning of light”
Good evening! in Hebrew עֶרֶב טוֹב /ˈeʁev tov/ Formal & casual
Good day to you! in Hebrew יוֹם טוֹב לְךָ /jom tov leˈxa/ (to male), /jom tov laˈχ/ (to female) Formal
Good to see you. in Hebrew טוֹב לִרְאוֹת אוֹתְךָ /tov liʁˈʔot otˈxa/ (to male), /tov liʁˈʔot otˈax/ (to female) Formal & casual
I’m glad to see you. in Hebrew אֲנִי שָׂמֵחַ לִרְאוֹת אוֹתְךָ /aˈni saˈme.aχ liʁˈʔot otˈxa/ (male speaker) Formal & casual

Cultural tip: Boker or (בֹּקֶר אוֹר – “morning of light”) as a response to “good morning” is distinctly Israeli and will earn you an appreciative smile. It’s the kind of phrase that signals you’ve gone beyond the phrasebook.

Responding to a Greeting

English Hebrew Phonetic Register
Have a nice day too! in Hebrew גַּם לְךָ יוֹם נָעִים /gam leˈxa jom naˈʔim/ (to male), /gam laˈχ jom naˈʔim/ (to female) Casual
Thanks, it’s nice to see you too. in Hebrew תּוֹדָה, נָעִים לִרְאוֹת אוֹתְךָ גַּם /toˈda naˈʔim liʁˈʔot otˈxa gam/ (to male) Casual

Asking How Someone Is – Formal vs. Casual

This is where the formal/casual gap is most visible in daily Hebrew. The formal Ma shlomcha? and the casual Ma nishma? are both common, but in very different contexts. Younger Israelis and friends will almost always use Ma nishma? or even just Nishma? The formal version sounds appropriate in professional or first-meeting contexts.

English Hebrew Phonetic Register
How are you? in Hebrew מַה שְׁלוֹמְךָ? /ma ʃloˈmexɑ/ (to male), /ma ʃloˈmex/ (to female) Formal
What’s up? / How’s it going? in Hebrew מַה נִשְׁמָע? /ma niʃˈma/ Casual – most common in daily speech
Are you doing well? in Hebrew אַתָּה מַרְגִּישׁ טוֹב? /aˈta maʁˈgiʃ tov/ (to male), /at maʁɡiˈʃa tov/ (to female) Casual
Everything okay? in Hebrew הַכֹּל בְּסֵדֶר? /haˈkol beˈsedeʁ/ Casual – very common

Responding to “How are you?” in Hebrew:

English Hebrew Phonetic Register
Thank you, I’m fine. in Hebrew תּוֹדָה, אֲנִי בְּסֵדֶר /toˈda, aˈni beˈsedeʁ/ Casual
Fine, thanks for asking. in Hebrew תּוֹדָה שֶׁשָּׁאַלְתָּ, אֲנִי בְּסֵדֶר /toˈda ʃeʃaˈʔalta, aˈni beˈsedeʁ/ (to male) Formal
Not so well, thanks. in Hebrew תּוֹדָה, אֲנִי לֹא כָּל כָּךְ מַרְגִּישׁ טוֹב /toˈda, aˈni lo kol kaχ maʁˈgiʃ tov/ (male) Casual
Great! And you? in Hebrew מְצֻיָּן! וְאַתָּה? /met͡suˈjan! veˈata/ Casual

Cultural tip: Sababa (סַבַּבָּה) – borrowed from Arabic – is the most common casual response to “how are you?” among younger Israelis. It means “cool”, “fine” or “great” depending on context. Not in a textbook, but you’ll hear it constantly.

hebrew greetings everyday conversation israel

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Saying Goodbye in Hebrew

Shalom does double duty here – it works for goodbye just as it does for hello. The more specific farewell Lehitraot (לְהִתְרָאוֹת) is closer to “see you” or “until we meet again” and is the standard formal goodbye. In casual speech, Yalla bye – a mix of Arabic (yalla = let’s go / come on) and English – is so common in Israeli daily life that it barely registers as unusual.

English Hebrew Phonetic Register
Goodbye! in Hebrew לְהִתְרָאוֹת /lehitʔaˈʁot/ Formal & casual
Bye! (very casual) in Hebrew יאללה ביי /ˈjala baj/ Casual – distinctly Israeli
See you soon in Hebrew נִתְרָאֶה בְּקָרוֹב /nitʁaˈe bekaˈʁov/ Casual
See you tomorrow in Hebrew נִתְרָאֶה מָחָר /nitʁaˈe maˈχaʁ/ Casual
See you later in Hebrew נִתְרָאֶה אַחַר כָּךְ /nitʁaˈe aˈχaʁ kaχ/ Casual
Talk to you later. in Hebrew נְדַבֵּר אַחַר כָּךְ /nedaˈbeʁ aˈχaʁ kaχ/ Casual
Take care of yourself! in Hebrew תִּשְׁמוֹר עַל עַצְמְךָ /tiʃˈmoʁ al atˈsmeχa/ (to male), /tiʃˈmeʁi al atˈmeχ/ (to female) Casual
Good night in Hebrew לַיְלָה טוֹב /ˈlaila tov/ Formal & casual
Sleep well in Hebrew שֵׁינָה נְעִימָה /ʃeˈna neʔiˈma/ Casual
Nice to have met you! in Hebrew נָעִים לְהַכִּיר! /naˈʔim leʔaˈkiʁ/ Formal & casual

Introducing Yourself in Hebrew

When travelling in Israel, introductions come up quickly – Israelis are famously direct and sociable. The standard phrase Shmi… (שְׁמִי – “my name is”) works in all contexts. In casual settings you’ll also hear Kor’im li… (קוֹרְאִים לִי – “they call me / I’m called…”), which is the more colloquial form.

English Hebrew Phonetic Register
My name is Jonas. קוֹרְאִים לִי יוֹנָס /koʁˈʔim li ˈjonas/ Casual
My name is Jonas. (formal) שְׁמִי יוֹנָס /ʃmi ˈjonas/ Formal
What is your name? אֵיךְ קוֹרְאִים לְךָ? /eχ koʁˈʔim leˈxa/ (to male), /eχ koʁˈʔim laˈχ/ (to female) Casual
Where do you come from? מֵאֵיפֹה אַתָּה? /meˈefo aˈta/ (to male), /meˈefo at/ (to female) Casual
I am from London. אֲנִי מִלוֹנְדוֹן /aˈni miˈlondon/ Formal & casual
Where do you live? אֵיפֹה אַתָּה גָּר? /ˈefo aˈta ɡaʁ/ (to male), /ˈefo at ˈɡaʁa/ (to female) Casual
I live in Berlin. אֲנִי גָּר בְּבֶרְלִין /aˈni ɡaʁ beˈbeʁlin/ (male), /aˈni ˈɡaʁa beˈbeʁlin/ (female) Formal & casual

Language questions – useful when your Hebrew runs out:

English Hebrew Phonetic
Do you speak English? אַתָּה מְדַבֵּר אַנְגְּלִית? /aˈta medaˈbeʁ anˈɡlit/ (to male), /at medaˈbeʁet anˈɡlit/ (to female)
I understand some Hebrew. אֲנִי מֵבִין קְצָת עִבְרִית /aˈni meˈvin kt͡sat ivˈʁit/ (male), /aˈni meviˈna kt͡sat ivˈʁit/ (female)
I don’t understand. אֲנִי לֹא מֵבִין /aˈni lo meˈvin/ (male), /aˈni lo meviˈna/ (female)
Please speak more slowly. אֲנָא דַּבֵּר יוֹתֵר לְאַט /aˈna daˈbeʁ joteʁ leˈat/ (to male)

Useful Hebrew Phrases with “I am…”

These sentences cover the most practical everyday situations – from travel emergencies to casual conversation. Remember that in Hebrew, the form changes depending on whether the speaker is male or female.

English Hebrew Phonetic (IPA)
I am here. in Hebrew אֲנִי כָּאן /aˈni kan/
I need help! in Hebrew אֲנִי צָרִיךְ עֶזְרָה! /aˈni tsaˈʁiχ ezˈʁa/ (male), /aˈni tsʁiˈχa ezˈʁa/ (female)
I am lost. in Hebrew אֲנִי אָבוּד /aˈni aˈvud/ (male), /aˈni avuˈda/ (female)
I am ill. in Hebrew אֲנִי חוֹלֶה /aˈni χoˈle/ (male), /aˈni χoˈla/ (female)
I am injured. in Hebrew אֲנִי פָּצוּעַ /aˈni paˈt͡su.a/ (male), /aˈni pat͡suˈʔa/ (female)
I am hungry. in Hebrew אֲנִי רָעֵב /aˈni ʁaˈev/ (male), /aˈni ʁe.eˈva/ (female)
I am thirsty. in Hebrew אֲנִי צָמֵא /aˈni tsaˈme/ (male), /aˈni t͡smeˈʔa/ (female)
I am tired. in Hebrew אֲנִי עָיֵף /aˈni aˈjef/ (male), /aˈni a.jeˈfa/ (female)
I am happy. in Hebrew אֲנִי שָׂמֵחַ /aˈni saˈme.aχ/ (male), /aˈni smeˈχa/ (female)
I am in a hurry. in Hebrew אֲנִי מְמַהֵר /aˈni mimaˈheʁ/ (male), /aˈni mimaˈheʁet/ (female)
I am a tourist. in Hebrew אֲנִי תַּיָּר /aˈni taˈjaʁ/ (male), /aˈni taˈjeʁet/ (female)
I am new here. in Hebrew אֲנִי חָדָשׁ פֹּה /aˈni χaˈdaʃ po/ (male), /aˈni χadaˈʃa po/ (female)
I am ready. in Hebrew אֲנִי מוּכָן /aˈni muˈχan/ (male), /aˈni muχaˈna/ (female)
I am late. in Hebrew אֲנִי מְאַחֵר /aˈni meʔaˈχeʁ/ (male), /aˈni meʔaˈχeʁet/ (female)
I am 30 years old. in Hebrew אֲנִי בֶּן שְׁלוֹשִׁים /aˈni ben ʃloˈʃim/ (male), /aˈni bat ʃloˈʃim/ (female)
I am a teacher. in Hebrew אֲנִי מוֹרֶה /aˈni moˈʁe/ (male), /aˈni moˈʁa/ (female)
I am proud. in Hebrew אֲנִי גֵּאֶה /aˈni ɡeˈʔe/
I am in love. in Hebrew אֲנִי מְאוּהָב /aˈni meʔoˈhav/ (male), /aˈni meʔoˈhevet/ (female)

Apologising in Hebrew – and a Cultural Note

The word Slicha (סְלִיחָה) is one of the most useful single words you can learn. It means “excuse me”, “sorry” and “pardon” depending on context – and Israelis use it constantly, from bumping into someone on the street to getting a waiter’s attention. It’s also worth knowing that Israeli directness means apologies are often brief and matter-of-fact, without the extended elaboration an English speaker might expect.

English Hebrew Phonetic (IPA)
Excuse me / Sorry סְלִיחָה /sliˈχa/
I apologise. אֲנִי מִתְנַצֵּל /aˈni mitnaˈt͡sel/ (male), /aˈni mitnaˈt͡selet/ (female)
Sorry, that was not the intention. סְלִיחָה, זֹאת לֹא הָיְתָה הַכַּוָּנָה /sliˈχa, zot lo haˈjta ha.kavaˈna/
Sorry, I didn’t do it on purpose. סְלִיחָה, לֹא עָשִׂיתִי אֶת זֶה בְּכַוָּנָה /sliˈχa, lo aˈsiti et ze be.kavaˈna/
Sorry, that was clumsy of me. סְלִיחָה, זֶה הָיָה מְגֻשָּׁם מִצִּידִי /sliˈχa, ze haˈja meɡuˈʃam mi.t͡siˈdi/
No problem. (common response) אֵין בְּעָיָה /en beʔaˈja/

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Useful Signs and Notices in Hebrew

These are the words and signs you’ll encounter in public spaces in Israel – on streets, in buildings, at airports and transport hubs. Recognising them matters even before you can read Hebrew script fluently, because they appear in Hebrew only in many contexts.

English Hebrew Phonetic (IPA)
Entrance in Hebrew כְּנִיסָה /kniˈsa/
Exit in Hebrew יְצִיאָה /jetsiˈʔa/
Toilet in Hebrew שֵׁרוּתִים /ʃeʁuˈtim/
Attention! in Hebrew שִׂים לֵב! /sim lev/ (to male), /simi lev/ (to female)
Caution! in Hebrew זְהִירוּת! /ze.iˈʁut/
Police in Hebrew מִשְׁטָרָה /miʃtaˈʁa/
Emergency services in Hebrew שֵׁרוּתֵי חֵרוּם /ʃeʁuˈte χeˈʁum/
Fire brigade in Hebrew מַכְבֵּי אֵשׁ /maˈkaːbi eʃ/
Passage forbidden. in Hebrew הַמַּעֲבָר אָסוּר /ha.ma.aˈvaʁ aˈsuʁ/

hebrew signs israel travel everyday life

Numbers 1–25 in Hebrew

Numbers in Hebrew have a grammatical quirk worth knowing early: the number itself changes form depending on whether it refers to a masculine or feminine noun. The forms below are the masculine (default) forms used in counting and general contexts.

English Hebrew Phonetic (IPA)
1 in Hebrew אֶחָד /eˈχad/
2 in Hebrew שְׁנַיִם /ʃnaˈim/
3 in Hebrew שְׁלוֹשָׁה /ʃloˈʃa/
4 in Hebrew אַרְבָּעָה /arbaˈa/
5 in Hebrew חֲמִישָׁה /χamiˈʃa/
6 in Hebrew שִׁישָׁה /ʃiˈʃa/
7 in Hebrew שִׁבְעָה /ʃivˈa/
8 in Hebrew שְׁמוֹנָה /ʃmoˈne/
9 in Hebrew תִּשְׁעָה /tiʃˈa/
10 in Hebrew עֲשָׂרָה /aˈsaʁa/
11 in Hebrew אַחַד עָשָׂר /eˈχad asˈaʁ/
12 in Hebrew שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר /ʃnaˈim asˈaʁ/
13 in Hebrew שְׁלוֹשָׁה עָשָׂר /ʃloˈʃa asˈaʁ/
14 in Hebrew אַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר /arbaˈa asˈaʁ/
15 in Hebrew חֲמִישָׁה עָשָׂר /χamiˈʃa asˈaʁ/
16 in Hebrew שִׁישָׁה עָשָׂר /ʃiˈʃa asˈaʁ/
17 in Hebrew שִׁבְעָה עָשָׂר /ʃivˈa asˈaʁ/
18 in Hebrew שְׁמוֹנָה עָשָׂר /ʃmoˈne asˈaʁ/
19 in Hebrew תִּשְׁעָה עָשָׂר /tiʃˈa asˈaʁ/
20 in Hebrew עֶשְׂרִים /esˈʁim/
21 in Hebrew עֶשְׂרִים וְאֶחָד /esˈʁim ve.eˈχad/
22 in Hebrew עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁנַיִם /esˈʁim uʃnaˈim/
23 in Hebrew עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁלוֹשָׁה /esˈʁim uʃloˈʃa/
24 in Hebrew עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבָּעָה /esˈʁim vaʁbaˈa/
25 in Hebrew עֶשְׂרִים וַחֲמִישָׁה /esˈʁim vaχamiˈʃa/

Colours in Hebrew

Note: Colours in Hebrew also change form for feminine nouns – e.g. adom (red, masculine) becomes aduma (red, feminine). The forms below are the masculine base forms.

English Hebrew Phonetic (IPA)
Red in Hebrew אָדֹם /aˈdom/
Blue in Hebrew כָּחֹל /kaˈχol/
Yellow in Hebrew צָהֹב /tsaˈhov/
Green in Hebrew יָרֹק /jaˈʁok/
Orange in Hebrew כָּתֹם /kaˈtom/
Purple in Hebrew סָגֹל /saˈɡol/
Pink in Hebrew וָרֹד /vaˈʁod/
Black in Hebrew שָׁחֹר /ʃaˈχoʁ/
White in Hebrew לָבָן /laˈvan/
Brown in Hebrew חוּם /χum/

Days, Months and Seasons in Hebrew

Cultural note: The Hebrew calendar runs alongside the Gregorian calendar in Israel. Days of the week are numbered rather than named after gods or planets – Sunday is Yom Rishon (first day), Monday is Yom Sheni (second day), and so on. Saturday – Shabbat – is the only day with a distinct name, reflecting its religious and cultural centrality.

English Hebrew Phonetic (IPA)
Days of the Week
Sunday in Hebrew יוֹם רִאשׁוֹן /ˈjom ʁiˈʃon/
Monday in Hebrew יוֹם שֵׁנִי /ˈjom ʃeˈni/
Tuesday in Hebrew יוֹם שְׁלִישִׁי /ˈjom ʃliˈʃi/
Wednesday in Hebrew יוֹם רְבִיעִי /ˈjom ʁeviˈʔi/
Thursday in Hebrew יוֹם חֲמִישִׁי /ˈjom χamiˈʃi/
Friday in Hebrew יוֹם שִׁישִׁי /ˈjom ʃiˈʃi/
Saturday (Shabbat) in Hebrew שַׁבָּת /ʃaˈbat/
Months
January יָנוּאָר /ˈjanu.aʁ/
February פֶבְרוּאָר /ˈfebʁuaʁ/
March מָרְץ /meʁt͡s/
April אַפְרִיל /aˈpʁil/
May מַאי /maj/
June יוּנִי /ˈjuni/
July יוּלִי /ˈjuli/
August אוֹגוּסְט /ˈoɡust/
September סֶפְטֶמְבֶּר /sepˈtembeʁ/
October אוֹקְטוֹבֶּר /okˈtobeʁ/
November נוֹבֶמְבֶּר /noˈvembeʁ/
December דֶּצֶמְבֶּר /deˈtsembeʁ/
Seasons
Spring in Hebrew אָבִיב /aˈviv/
Summer in Hebrew קַיִץ /ˈkajits/
Autumn in Hebrew סְתָיו /stav/
Winter in Hebrew חֹרֶף /ˈχoʁef/

OUR TIP:

Want to practise these Hebrew phrases interactively with native speaker audio? Try the free course demo from 17-Minute-Languages today.

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From Phrases to Fluency – Your Next Step

Phrases are the best entry point into any language – they give you immediate utility and a feel for the rhythm and sound of Hebrew. But from my experience learning five languages to different levels of fluency: phrases alone hit a ceiling quickly. The step that makes the real difference is building systematic vocabulary alongside them.

The complete Hebrew learning guide on this site covers the best courses, apps and methods – including what worked for me with Norwegian and what translates directly to Hebrew. If you want to start practicing phrases with audio today, the Mondly Hebrew review is a good starting point for conversational practice.


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About the author

This guide was compiled by Sven Mancini, published language author and language learning expert with over 20 years of self-study experience across Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, French and Spanish. His four published vocabulary guides document the systematic methods that took him from beginner to business-level fluency – methods that apply equally to building a foundation in Hebrew.

→ Learn more about Sven and his language learning approach