ModernHebrew (עִבְרִית) is spoken as a daily language inIsrael and in parts of the Palestinian Territories. Biblical Hebrew is used as a religious language inJudaism. It is written using its own script which is written from right to left.
The Hebrew script is an abjad, not an alphabet, meaning that it consists entirely of consonants, and vowels are usually not written out. Vowels can be indicated by a system of dots and dashes next to the letters, but these are normally omitted except in Bibles and children's books. It is common for words, especially foreign words, to be spelled in more than one way; theAbu-l`afia Synagogue has five different spellings of its name on its signs.
The stress is usually on the last syllable; most of the exceptions are segol-ates (words in whichsegol, the /e/-sound), such aselef "thousand". Some words have a diphthong "ua" or "ia" which is one syllable but sounds like two, like English "oil". This is calledpatah gnuva "stolen /a/-sound" and occurs in שבועshavua[`] "week", which is stressed on the-u-.
In conversational Hebrew, only three letters (בכפ) are pronounced differently when they contain a dot in the center called adagesh.
Five letters (מנצפכ) have a different form at the end of a word (םןץףך, respectively). These are named by adding סופית (sofit - so-FEET) "final" to the name of the letter, e.g. נון סופית (nun sofit - noon so-feet)
א alef (', a)
glottal-stop(IPA:/ʔ/) or silent (sometimes used as the lettera when rendering English in Hebrew)
ב בּ bet, vet (b, v)
with a dot likebig; without a dot likemove
ג gimel (g)
likego
ד dalet (d)
likedark
ה he (h)
likehe or silent at the end of a word with a preceding-a or-e
ו vav (v, o, u)
likeviolin; some dialects pronounce asweek; alsoor ormoon when used as a vowel
ז zayin (z)
likezoo
חhet (h)
Normally as Scottishch inloch and as GermanBach(IPA:/χ/). Some people pronounce it as the Arabicح(IPA:/ħ/)
ט tet (t)
ast instick
י yud (y, e, i)
likeyet; alsosay orhoney when used as a vowel
כ כּ ך kaf, khaf (k, kh)
with a dot likeskip; without a dot like the Scottishch inloch and as GermanBach(IPA:/χ/)
ל lamed (l)
likeleave, pronounced more forward in the mouth.
מ ם mem (m)
likemother
נ ן nun (n)
likenever
ס samekh (s)
likesome
ע `ayin (`)
similar to Cockney pronunciation ofwater(IPA:/ʔ/) and sometimes silent. Some people pronounce it as a constriction of the throat as in the Arabicع(IPA:/ʕ/)
פ פּ ף peh, feh (p, f)
with a dot likespoon; without a dotoff
צ ץ tsadi (ts)
asboots
ק kof (k)
As inskip
ר resh (r)
pronounced as the Frenchr(IPA:[ʁ]). Some pronounce it rolled as in Spanishburro(IPA:[r])
שׁ שׂ sin, shin (sh, s)
with a right-hand dot likeshoot(IPA:[ʃ]), or with a left-hand dot likesee
ת tav (t)
ast instick
Adding an apostrophe (geresh) to some letters may change their sounds.
Hebrew verbs conjugate according to the gender of the sentence's subject: different verb forms must thus be used when referring to men and women. These have been noted below when appropriate.
In everyday life, most Israelis use the Gregorian Calendar. The month names pronunciation resembles Central-European (e.g. German) pronunciation.
January
ינואר (yanuar - YAH-noo-ar)
February
פברואר (februar)
March
מרץ (merts)
April
אפריל (april - ap-REEL)
May
מאי (may - my)
June
יוני (yuni - YOU-nee)
July
יולי (yuli - YOU-lee)
August
אוגוסט (ogust - OH-goost)
September
ספטמבר (september)
October
אוקטובר (october)
November
נובמבר (november)
December
דצמבר (detsember)
For holidays and events, Israeli Jews and Jews worldwide use a lunisolar calendar, in which the month begins at the new moon and a thirteenth month is added every few years. The months start with Tishrei (Sept.-Oct.) and run through Elul (August-September); thus Elul 5760 is followed by Tishrei 5761. "Aviv," the word for "spring," is sometimes substituted for "Nisan" and is also the name of a stage that the growth of barley reaches at that time.
Tishrei
תשרי (tishrey - tish-REY)
Heshvan
חשון (heshvan - ḥesh-VAN)
Kislev
כסלו (kislev - kis-LEV)
Tevet
טבת (tevet - tey-VET)
Shevat
שבט (shevat - shuh-VAT)
Adar
אדר (adar - ah-DAR)
First Adar (the leap month)
אדר ראשון (adar rishon - ah-DAR ree-shone) or אדר א (adar alef - ah-DAR alef)
Second Adar
אדר שני (adar sheni - ah-DAR shey-NEE) or אדר ב (adar beth - ah-DAR bet)
הקונסוליה ה אמריקאית/בריטית/צרפתית/סינית/הודית/רוסית/פולנית (konsuliyah ha'amerikait/habritit/hatsarfatit/hasinit/hahodit/harusit/hapolanit? - HaKonSULia ha ahmehriKAHit/BRItit/tsorfaTIT/SInit/HOdit/ruSIT/polaNIT?)
Where are there a lot of...
איפה יש הרבה (eifoh yesh harbeh... - EIfo yesh harBE...)
...hotels?
מלונות (...melonot? - meloNOT)
...restaurants?
מסעדות (...mis`adot? - mis`aDOT)
...bars?
ברים (...barim? - BArim)
...things to see?
דברים לראות (...dvarim lir'ot? - dvaRIM lirOT)
Can you show me on the map?
אפשר להראות לי במפה (efshar lehar'ot li bamapah? - efSHAR leharOT li bamaPA)
תוכל להשתמש במונה בבקשה? (tukhal lehishtamesh bemoneh bevakasha? - tuKHAL le-hish-ta-MESH be-moNEH be-va-ka-SHA?). A counter/taximeter (מונה - moneh) gives the price based on certain factors such as travel time and distance (plus initial price), rather than a fixed overprice. Luggage costs extra in either case.
In Israel, many restaurants and eating places arekosher meaning that they observe the Jewish dietary laws ofkashrut. For a restaurant to be officially kosher and have a Kosher Certificate, in addition to serving only correctly prepared kosher food, it must also not open on the Shabbat - from sundown on Friday through sundown on Saturday.
In many places in Israel such as Tel Aviv, there are non-kosher restaurants that will open on Shabbat and will serve non-kosher food (e.g. the restaurant serves both meat and milk dishes). Comparatively few places serve non-kosher food items like pork.
In some religious villages and small towns there are very few if any places that open on Shabbat.
לאן אתה לוקח אותי? (L’an atah loke’ah oti?)lean at kokakhat oti
Am I under arrest?
האם אני עצור? (Ha’im ani atzur?)
I am an American/Australian/British/Canadian citizen
אני אזרח אמריקאי / אוסטרלי / בריטי / קנדי (Ani ezrah America’i / Australa’i / Briti / Canadi )
I want to talk to the American/Australian/British/Canadian embassy/consulate
אני רוצה לדבר עם השגרירות / הקונסוליה האמריקנית / אוסטרליה / בריטניה / קנדה (Ani rotzeh/ rotzah l’daber im ha-shagrirah / ha-consoliyah shel America / Australia / Britania / Canada)
I want to talk to a lawyer
אני רוצה לדבר עם עורך דין (Ani rotzeh/ rotzah l’daber im oreh din)
Can I just pay a fine now?
אוכל לשלם את הקנס עכשיו? (Oohal l’shalem et ha-k’nas ahshav?)
ThisHebrew phrasebookis ausable article. It explains pronunciation and the bare essentials of travel communication. An adventurous person could use this article, but pleasefeel free to improve itby editing the page.
