Yes, no and the essentials in Hebrew
The small words that carry half of every conversation, and the ones that rescue it. Play the ten Hebrew words against the clock, with a note on how locals really use each one after every answer. All ten are written out below.
All 10 Hebrew phrases in this lesson
- ืืken
- Yes
- ืืlo
- No
- ืืกืืจbe-SE-der
- Okay
- ืื ื ืื ืืืืa-NEE lo me-VIN
- I don't understand
- ืืชื ืืืืจ ืื ืืืืช?a-TA me-da-BER ang-LIT?
- Do you speak English?
- ืืคืฉืจ ืืืืืจ ืขื ืื?ef-SHAR lakh-ZOR al ZEH
- Can you repeat that?
- ืืื, ืืืงืฉืle-AT, beh-va-ka-SHA
- Slowly, please
- ืื ืื?mah ZEH
- What is this?
- ืื ื ืฆืจืื...a-NEE tsa-RIKH
- I need...
- ืืชื ืืืื ืืขืืืจ ืื?a-TA ya-KHOL la-a-ZOR li
- Can you help me?
Simple and direct. Israelis often answer yes with a rising tone to double-check, especially on the phone: "ken?" with a question mark.
The basic refusal. "Lo, todah" (no, thanks) is how Israelis decline. Stronger refusal: "absolutely not" is "lo!!" with emphasis.
Literally "in order". The universal Israeli okay for anything: meeting time, plans, asking for something. Warm and agreeable in tone.
The masculine form. Say it slowly and people will switch to English. This is your escape hatch in any conversation.
The masculine form. Israel ranks among the highest English-speaking countries outside the Anglosphere. The answer is almost always yes, but asking in Hebrew first is appreciated.
Literally "is it possible to repeat that?".
A woman says ืฆืจืืื (tsri-KHA).
To a woman: ืืช ืืืืื (at ye-kho-LA).