Hebrew is the first official
language of lsrael (Arabic is the second), and is written from right to left.
For many centuries, Hebrew
was only used as the language of study and prayer among Jews, but with the
beginning of the Zionist movement, an attempt was made to make it the language
of daily life. Today, Hebrew is a flourishing, living language.
Note: "kh" is the gutteral "khet" or
"khaf " sound, sometimes written as "h" or "ch",
and pronounced like the "ch" in the Scottish "loch".
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Sunday - yom ri-shón
Wednesday - yom re-vi-i |
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Monday - yom shey-ni
Thursday - yom kha-mi-shi |
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Tuesday - yom shli-shi Friday
- yom shi-shi |
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Saturday - sha-bat |
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afternoon - a-kha-rây |
tomorrow - ma-khâr |
|
ha-tzo-ho-râ-yim |
week - sha-vu-a |
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day - yom |
month - kho-desh |
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evening - é-rev |
year - sha-na |
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night - lai-la |
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goodbye - sha-lom
le-hit-ra-ót |
hello - sha-lom |
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How are you? - ma shlom-kha
(m), ma shlo-mekh (f)? |
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I'm fine - be-se-der |
excuse me- sli-kha |
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see you later -
le-hit-ra-ót |
please - be-va-ka-sha |
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good morning - bo-ker tov |
thank you - to-da |
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good evening - é-rev tov |
yes - ken |
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good night - Iai-la tov |
no - lo |
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Can you help me? - tu-khâl
la-a-zór li? |
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Where is the central bus
station? - efo ha-ta-kha-nâ ha-mer ka-zit? |
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How do I get to the museum?
- ekh a-ni ma-g-ia la-mu-zé on? |
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How many kilometres to
Haifa? - ka-ma ki-lo-met-rim le khey-fa? |
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Tell me when to get off -
ta-gid li ma-tây la-ré-det |
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Take me to the theatre -
kakh o-ti la-te-a-trón |
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Where is bus no. 5? - é-fo
kav mis-pâr kha-mesh? |
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straight on - ya-shar,
ya-shar up - le-mâ-la |
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to the right - ye-mi-na
down - le-mâ-ta |
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to the left - smo-la bus -
ó-to-bus |
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traffic light - ram-zor
taxi - ta-ksi (mo-nit) |
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How much is this? |
books - se-fa-rim |
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ka-ma ze o-léh? |
bookstore - kha-nut |
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store - kha-nut |
se-fa-rim |
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clothing - b'ga-dim |
shoes - na-a-la-yirn |
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gift - ma-ta-nâ |
money - ke-sef |
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jewellery - takh-shi-tim |
expensive - ya-kar |
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market - shuk |
cheap - zol |
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newspaper - i-tón |
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post office - do-ar stamps
- bu-lim |
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postcard - glu-yâ air mail
- do-ar a-vir |
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aerogramme - i-gé-ret a-vir
registered - ra-shum |
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How much is a postcard to
the U.S./Europe? |
|
ka-ma o-lâh glu-yâ
le'artzot ha-brit/Eyrópa? |
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Give me three stamps for an
air mail letter |
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ten li shlo-sha bu-lim
le-mikh-tâv do-ar a-vir |
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Send this registered -
shlakh et ze do-ar ra-shum |
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chemist (drugstore) - bet
mir-ka-khat |
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soap - sa-bón comb -
mas-rék |
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toothpaste -mish-khât
shaving cream - mish |
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shi-na-yim khat gi-Iu-akh |
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toothbrush - razor blades |
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mi-vré-shet shi-na-yim
sa-ki-néy gi-lu-akh |
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doctor - ro-féh |
accident - te-u-nâh |
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dentist - ro-féh |
police - mish-ta-rah |
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shi-na-yirn |
fire - esh |
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hospital - bet kho-lim |
first aid - ezra rishona |
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restaurant - mi-sa-dâ |
salad - sa-lât |
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dining room - kha-dar
ó-khel |
fish - dag |
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menu - taf-rit |
chicken - off |
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waiter - mel-tzar |
meat - ba-sar |
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breakfast - a-ru-khât
bo-ker |
veal - é-gel |
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turkey - tar-ne-gol ho-du |
lamb - ke-vess |
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orange juice - mitz
ta-pu-zim |
vegetables - ye-ra-kot |
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bread - 1é-khem |
fruits - pei-rot |
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white cheese - gvi-na
le-va-nâ |
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salt - me-lakh |
pepper - pil-pel |
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yellow cheese -gvi-nâ
tze-hu-ba |
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dessert - ki-nu-ach |
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cold drink - ma-shkd kar |
water - ma-yim |
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egg - be-tza |
ice - ke-rakh |
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omelette - kha-vi-ta |
ice cream - gli-da |
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coffee - ka-fe |
please - be-va-ka-sha |
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black coffee - ka-fe
sha-khor (or) turki |
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thank you - to-da |
cup – kos |
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coffee with milk |
plate - tza-Ia-khat |
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ka-fe im kha-lav |
knife - sa-kin |
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milk - kha-lav |
fork - maz-leg |
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lunch - a-ruk-khât |
teaspoon - ka-pit |
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tzo-ho-ra-yim |
spoon – kaf |
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supper - a-ru-khât é-rev |
serviette - ma-pit |
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first course - ma-nâ
ri-sho-nâ |
white wine - ya-yin la |
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red wine - ya-yin a-dóm |
van |
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main course - ma-nâ
i-ka-rit |
soup - ma-râk |
For those who are mystified
by the names of local dishes on the menus, we offer a short list of
definitions.
Baklawa: Oriental sweetmeat made of thin dough, honey,
pistachio nuts and ground nuts.
Blintzes: thin pancakes usually filled with cheese and served
with cream or apple puree.
Burekas: a leafy pastry pie filled with either salty cheese,
spinach, or mashed spiced potatoes.
Calamary: squid.
Cholent: one variation includes pearl‑barley, potatoes,
kishke, beans, fat, cooked slowly all night.
Felafel: ground chick pea paste fried in small patties which
are then put into a pita with salad and tehina; if you like hot food ask for
"harif " ‑ a chili‑type red sauce which also goes into the pita.
Houmus: a spicy paste made with ground chick peas as the
base, and sharp spices added. Often eaten with tehina sauce.
Kebab: grilled minced meat on a skewer.
Kishe: beef derma stuffed with flour and shortening.
Kreplach: a sort of ravioli with minced meat or cheese
stuffing.
Kubeh: wheat and flour sculptured by hand and filled with
lamb or other meat, onions and pine seeds, and then fried.
Mamitze: Rumanian dish; the fat back part of a cow's tongue.
Moussaka: baked eggplant, minced meat, onion and parsley.
Mousakhan: baked chicken.
Pita: round white bread.
Shakshuka: eggs cooked in tomato sauce with onion.
Shishlik: pieces of meat grilled on a skewer.
Shwarma: lamb on a spit.
Snia: flat hamburger of beef or mutton, baked in the oven
with tehina and pine seeds or tomatoes.
Tehina: a sauce made with ground sesame seeds as the base.
May be eaten by itself, or with houmus or felafel.