Hebrew word and so be it

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Amen (Hebrew: אָמֵן, ʾāmēn; Ancient Greek: ἀμήν, amḗn; Classical Syriac: ܐܡܝܢ, ‘amīn;^[1] Arabic: آمين, ʾāmīn) is an Abrahamic declaration of affirmation^[2] which is first found in the Hebrew Bible, and subsequently found in the New Testament.^[3] It is used in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim practices as a concluding word, or as a response to a prayer.^[2] Common English translations of the word amen include «verily», «truly», «it is true», and «let it be so».^[4][5] It is also used colloquially, to express strong agreement.^[2]

Pronunciations[edit]

In English, the word amen has two primary pronunciations, ah-MEN (/ɑːˈmɛn/) or ay-MEN (/eɪˈmɛn/),^[6] with minor additional variation in emphasis (e.g., the two syllables may be equally stressed instead of placing primary stress on the second). In Anglophone North American usage, the ah-men pronunciation is used in performances of classical music and in churches with more formalized rituals and liturgy.

The ay-men pronunciation is a product of the Great Vowel Shift (i.e., it dates from the 15th century); it is associated with Irish Protestantism and with conservative evangelical denominations generally. It is also the pronunciation typically used in gospel music.^[7]

Etymology[edit]

Amen is a word of Biblical Hebrew origin.^[8] It appears many times in the Hebrew Bible as a confirmatory response, especially following blessings.^[9] The basic triconsonantal root א-מ-נ, from which the word is derived, is common to a number of languages in the Semitic branch of the Afroasiatic languages, including biblical Aramaic. Meanings of the root in Hebrew include to be firm or confirmed, to be reliable or dependable, to be faithful, to have faith, to believe. The word was imported into Greek from the Judaism of the early Church.^[3][10] From Greek, amen entered other European languages. According to a standard dictionary etymology of the English word, amen passed from Greek into Late Latin, and thence into English.^[11]

From Hebrew, the word was later adopted into the Arabic religious vocabulary and leveled to the Arabic root ء م ن, which is of similar meanings to the Hebrew. The interjection occurs in the Christian and Islamic lexicons, most commonly in prayer, as well as secularly, albeit less commonly, so as to signify complete affirmation or deference. In religious texts, it occurs in Arabic translations of the Bible and after reciting the traditionally first chapter of the Quran, which is formally akin to religious supplications.

Popular among some theosophists,^[12] proponents of Afrocentric theories of history,^[13] and adherents of esoteric Christianity^[14] is the conjecture that amen is a derivative of the name of the Egyptian god Amun (which is sometimes also spelled Amen). Some adherents of Eastern religions believe that amen shares roots with the Hindu Sanskrit word Aum.^{[15][16][17][18]} Such external etymologies are not included in standard etymological reference works. The Hebrew word, as noted above, starts with aleph, while the Egyptian name begins with a yodh.^[19]

In French, the Hebrew word amen is sometimes translated as Ainsi soit-il, which means «So be it.»^[20]

The linguist Ghil’ad Zuckermann argues that, as in the case of Hallelujah, the word amen is usually not replaced by a translation due to the speakers’ belief in iconicity, their perception that there is something intrinsic about the relationship between the sound of the signifier (the word) and what it signifies (its meaning).^[21]: 62

Hebrew Bible[edit]

The word occurs in the Hebrew Bible 30 times; in Deuteronomy alone 12 times beginning at 27:15. The fixed phrase ‘Amen, Amen’ is seen five times – Psalm 41:13; 72:19; 89:52; Numbers 5:22; Nehemiah 8:6. It is translated as ‘of truth’ two times in Isaiah 65:16. Three distinct Biblical usages of amen may be noted:^[3]

1. Initial amen, referring back to words of another speaker and introducing an affirmative sentence, e.g. 1 Kings 1:36.^[3]
2. Detached amen, again referring to the words of another speaker but without a complementary affirmative sentence, e.g. Nehemiah 5:13.^[3]
3. Final amen, with no change of speaker, as in the subscription to the first three divisions of Psalms.^[3]

New Testament[edit]

In the New Testament, the Greek word ἀμήν is used as an expression of faith or as a part of a liturgical formula.^[5] It also may appear as an introductory word, especially in sayings of Jesus. Unlike the initial amen in Hebrew, which refers back to something already said, it is used by Jesus to emphasize what he is about to say (ἀμὴν λέγω, «truly I say to you»),^[22] a rhetorical device that has no parallel in contemporary Jewish practice.^[23] Raymond Brown says that Jesus’s peculiar and authentic reminiscent use of amen in the Fourth Gospel is an affirmation that what he is about to say is an echo from the Father.^[24] The word occurs 52 times in the Synoptic Gospels; the Gospel of John has 25.^[25]

In the King James Bible, the word amen is seen in a number of contexts. Notable ones include:

• The catechism of curses of the Law found in Deuteronomy 27.^[3]
• A double amen («amen and amen») occurs in Psalm 89 (Psalm 41:13; 72:19; 89:52), to confirm the words and invoke the fulfillment of them.^[26]
• Amen occurs in several doxology formulas in Romans 1:25, 9:5, 11:36, 15:33, and several times in Chapter 16.^[3] It also appears in doxologies in the Psalms (41:14; 72:19; 89:53; 106:48). This liturgical form from Judaism.^[27]
• It concludes all of Paul’s general epistles.
• In Revelation 3:14, Jesus is referred to as, «the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.» The whole passage reads as «And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God». Notably, the text never specifically says that Jesus is the Amen. Although the letter is attributed to Jesus, the text refers to the Amen as having spoken the information that is being reported by Jesus in the letter. That the Amen is a witness, suggest some scholars, implies that the Amen is a being of some kind whose words are being referenced.
• Amen concludes the last book of the New Testament, at Rev. 22:21.

Congregational use[edit]

Judaism[edit]

Although amen, in Judaism, is commonly used as a response to a blessing, it also is often used by Hebrew speakers as an affirmation of other forms of declaration (including outside of religious context).

Jewish rabbinical law requires an individual to say amen in a variety of contexts.^[28][29][30] With the rise of the synagogue during the Second Temple period, amen became a common response, especially to benedictions. It is recited communally to affirm a blessing made by the prayer reader. It is also mandated as a response during the kaddish doxology. The congregation is sometimes prompted to answer «amen» by the terms ve-‘imru (Hebrew: ואמרו) = «and [now] say (pl.),» or, ve-nomar (ונאמר) = «and we will say.» Contemporary usage reflects ancient practice: As early as the 4th century BCE, Jews assembled in the Temple responded «amen» at the close of a doxology or other prayer uttered by a priest. This Jewish liturgical use of amen was adopted by the Christians.^[23] But Jewish law also requires individuals to answer amen whenever they hear a blessing recited, even in a non-liturgical setting.

The Talmud teaches homiletically that the word amen is an acronym for אל מלך נאמן (ʾEl melekh neʾeman, «God, trustworthy King»),^[31] the phrase recited silently by an individual before reciting the Shma.

Jews usually use Hebrew pronunciations of the word: ah-MEN (Israeli and Sephardi) or a-MAYN (Ashkenazi).^[32]

Christianity[edit]

The use of «amen» has been generally adopted in Christian worship as a concluding word^[33] for prayers and hymns and an expression of strong agreement.^[23] The liturgical use of the word in apostolic times is attested by the passage from 1 Corinthians cited above, and Justin Martyr (c. 150) describes the congregation as responding «amen» to the benediction after the celebration of the Eucharist.^[3][33] Its introduction into the baptismal formula (in the Eastern Orthodox Church it is pronounced after the name of each person of the Trinity) was probably later.^[34][33]

In Isaiah 65:16, the authorized version has «the God of truth» («the God of amen» in Hebrew). Jesus often used amen to put emphasis to his own words (translated: «verily» or «truly»). In John’s Gospel, it is repeated, «Verily, verily» (or «Truly, truly»). Amen is also used in oaths (Numbers 5:22; Deuteronomy 27:15–26; Nehemiah 5:13; 8:6; 1 Chronicles 16:36) and is further found at the end of the prayer of primitive churches (1 Corinthians 14:16).^[26]

Amen is also used in standard, international French, but in Cajun French Ainsi soit-il («so be it») is used instead.

Amen is used at the end of the Lord’s Prayer,^[35] which is also called the Our Father or the Pater Noster.

In some Christian churches, the «amen corner» or «amen section» is any subset of the congregation likely to call out «Amen!» in response to points in a preacher’s sermon.^[36] Metaphorically, the term can refer to any group of heartfelt traditionalists or supporters of an authority figure. The term has also been used as a place name, and as a title for musical and literary works; see Amen Corner.

Islam[edit]

ʾĀmīn (Arabic: آمين) is the Arabic form of Amen. In Islam, it is used with the same meaning as in Judaism and Christianity; when concluding a prayer, especially after a supplication (du’a) or reciting the first surah Al Fatiha of the Qur’an, as in prayer (salat), and as an assent to the prayers of others.^[37][38]

Arabic dictionaries define ʾāmīn as an imperative verbal noun, whose meaning is answer or reply (i.e., imploring God to grant one’s prayer). Therefore, it is strictly used as a final amen to conclude supplications or to declare affirmation, and has no initial amen usage with the meaning of truly or certainly.

See also[edit]

• Selah
• Svaha
• So mote it be

References[edit]

Further reading[edit]

• Schnitker, Thaddeus A. «Amen.» In The Encyclopedia of Christianity, edited by Erwin Fahlbusch and Geoffrey William Bromiley, 43–44. Vol. 1. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1999. ISBN 0802824137

External links[edit]

• «Amen» from the Catechism of the Catholic Church
• Strong’s Concordance H543
• Strong’s Concordance G281

Compared to languages like English and French, Hebrew has relatively fewer words. According to the Hebrew Language Academy, Hebrew has an estimated 75,000-85,000 lexemes, or abstract lexical units roughly corresponding to the entries you’d expect to find in a dictionary. 

But where does one start? 

Fear not! Today, HebrewPod101 is going to introduce you to the top 220 basic Hebrew words for beginners. We’ve included everything from pronouns to conjunctions and categorized our lists to cover various everyday topics. By the time you reach the end, you’ll be well-equipped to manage yourself in any situation!

To make it easier for you to learn these Hebrew words for beginners, we suggest that you don’t attempt to learn all of them in one go. Rather, pick a category or two, and start practicing them. If you need tips on some good and creative ways to practice your Hebrew, check out this article and this one for some ideas.

Before we plunge right in, don’t forget that no matter how you choose to practice the Hebrew vocabulary you pick up, the key is exposure and repetition. The more you read, hear, speak, and write a word, the easier it will be for you to retain it and to recall it on demand in a real-life situation. Make sure you review the new words you learn! 

Now, without further ado, let’s have a look at the top Hebrew beginner words.

Table of Contents

1. Pronouns
2. Numbers
3. Nouns
4. Verbs
5. Adjectives
6. Words for Describing the Weather
7. Conjunctions
8. Bonus: Words That Only Exist in the Hebrew Language
9. Let HebrewPod101 Help You with the Basics

1. Pronouns

A solid place to start (if admittedly not the most glamorous) is with the pronouns. These are words that we use to substitute for a noun, like when we replace “the boy” with “he.” Pronouns should be part of any beginner’s toolkit, as they enable you to refer to all sorts of people, places, and things, even if you don’t know or remember the precise word. After all, sometimes the only words you need are “this” and “that”!

Note that in Hebrew, nouns, pronouns, verb conjugations, and adjectives are both gendered and numbered. So try to keep your male and female pronouns—and any other words you use to go with them—in the correct gender and count!

For more information on Hebrew pronouns, have a look at this lesson.

A. Personal Pronouns

Personal pronouns refer to people, specifically, so this is a great place to start. Let’s have a look.

1. אני

ani

“I”

2. אתה

atah

“you” (m.)

3. את

at

“you” (f.)

4. הוא

hu

“he”

5. היא

hi

“she”

6. אנחנו

anakhnu

“we”

7. אתם

atem

“you” (m. pl.)

8. אתן

aten

“you” (f. pl.)

9. הם

hem

“they” (m.)

10. הן

hen

“they” (f.)

B. Demonstrative Pronouns

We use demonstrative pronouns to “point” to things or to distinguish which noun, in particular, we’re referencing. Here are the top demonstrative pronouns in Hebrew:

11. זה

zeh

“this” (m.)

12. זאת

zot

“this” (f.)

13. זו

zo/zu

“this” (f.)

14. אלה

eleh

“those”

15. אלו

elu

“those”

C. Interrogative Pronouns

Interrogative pronouns are the ones we use for questions. Here are the most common ones in Hebrew:

16. מה

mah

“what”

17. מי

mi

“who”

18. איפה

eyfoh

“where”

19. איך

eykh

“how”

20. מתי

matay

“when”

21. למה

lamah

“why”

22. למי

le-mi

“for whom”

23. לאן

le’an

“to where”

2. Numbers

Next up, we have a critical category for any new language learner: numbers. In Hebrew specifically, this is a bit of a tricky topic, as there are both masculine and feminine number forms—and the first three numbers in each category look deceptively like the opposite gender! 

But don’t get worked up just yet. 

Even if you just start out by acquiring the masculine form of the numbers 1-10, you’ll definitely be able to get around; people will understand you even if you mistakenly use masculine numbers for feminine nouns. In fact, many native Hebrew speakers make this very mistake themselves!

24. אחת

akhat

“one”

25. שתיים

shtayim

“two”

26. שלוש

shalosh

“three”

27. ארבע

arba’

“four”

28. חמש

khamesh

“five”

29. שש

shesh

“six”

30.שבע

sheva’

“seven”

31. שמונה

shmoneh

“eight”

32. תשע

tesha’

“nine”

33. עשר

‘eser

“ten”

3. Nouns

Most of us remember our middle school teacher telling us at some point that nouns refer to “people, places, things, and ideas.” That covers a whole lot of ground, but you won’t get very far in Hebrew (or any language for that matter) without some basic nouns under your belt. Here are some of the most common nouns used in the Hebrew language:

A. Time

Let’s first look at nouns related both to telling time and to identifying the different times of day. Here we go!

34. שעה

sha’ah

“hour”

35. דקה

dakah

“minute”

36. שנייה

shniyah

“second”

37. רגע

rega’

“moment”

38. בוקר

boker

“morning”

39. צהריים

tzohorayim

“noon”

40. אחר הצהריים

akhar ha-tzohorayim

“afternoon”

41. ערב

‘erev

“evening”

42. לילה

laylah

“night”

43. חצות

khatzot

“midnight”

44. זריחה

z’rikhah

“sunrise”

45. שקיעה

sh’ki’ah

“sunset”

B. Family

Now let’s have a look at another essential noun category for beginner Hebrew, namely nouns that we use to refer to family members.

46. אבא

abba

“father”

47. אמא

imma

“mother”

48. סבא

saba

“grandfather”

49. סבתא

savta

“grandmother”

50. אח

akh

“brother”

51. אחות

akhot

“sister”

52. בן

ben

“son”

53. בת

bat

“daughter”

54. נכד

nekhed

“grandson”

55. נכדה

nekhdah

“granddaughter”

56. דוד

dod

“uncle”

57. דודה

dodah

“aunt”

58. בן דוד

ben dod

“cousin” (m.)

59. בת דודה

bat dodah

“cousin” (f.)

60. אחיין

akhyan

“nephew”

61. אחיינית

akhyanit

“niece”

62. אבא חורג

abba khoreg

abba khoreg

63. אמא חורגת

imma khoreget

“stepmother”

64. אח חורג

akh khoreg

“stepbrother”

65. אחות חורגת

akhot khoreget

“stepsister”

C. Jobs and Professions

Note that both the masculine and the feminine forms, in that order, are shown here. These are typically the same word with slight morphological changes to indicate gender, though there are cases where the word changes completely depending on whether we’re talking about a male or female professional. For example, think of the English word “seamstress,” which is the female counterpart of the male word “tailor.” 

Also note that while English has shifted away from gendered professional titles (think “wait staff” instead of “waiter”/”waitress”), the grammatically gendered nature of the Hebrew language is such that professions remain gendered in almost all cases.

66. חקלאי/ת

khaklay/khakla’it

“farmer”

67. מהנדס/ת

mehandes/mehandeset

“engineer”

68. עורך דין/עורכת דין

orekh din/orekhet din

“lawyer”

69. רופא/ה

rofeh/rof’ah

“doctor”

70. סופר/ת

sofer/soferet

“author”/”writer”

71. חייל/ת

khayal/khayeletkhayal/khayelet

“soldier”

72. מוֹרֶה/מוֹרָה

moreh/morah

“teacher”

73. מוכר/מוכרת

mokher/mokheret

“salesperson”

74. פקיד/פקידה

pakid/p’kidah

“clerk”/”public servant”

75. צייר/ת

tzayar/tzayeret

“painter”

76. שופט/ת

shofet/shofetet

“judge”

77. כבאי/ית

kabay/kaba’it

“firefighter”

78. חשמלאי/ת

khashmala’i/khashmala’it

“electrician”

79. שרברב/ית

sharvrav/shravrabit

“plumber”

80. מלצר/ית

meltzar/meltzarit

“waiter”/”waitress”

81. חייט/תופרת

khayat/toferet

“tailor”/”seamstress”

82. אח/אחות

akh/akhot

“nurse”

83. אוֹפֶה/אוֹפָה

ofeh/ofah

“baker”

84. שף/שפית

shef/shefit

“chef”

85. מזכיר/ה

mazkir/mazkirah

“secretary”

86. ספר/ית

sappar/sapparit

“barber”/”hairdresser”

87. רופא/ת שניים

rofeh/rof’at shinayim

“dentist”

88. בנאי/ת

banay/bana’it

“builder”/”construction worker”

89. פועל/ת

po’el/po’elet

“laborer”/”factory worker”

90. טייס/ת

tayyas/tayyeset

“pilot”

D. Parts of the Body

Another key group of nouns in Hebrew for beginners are the parts of the body. One thing to note here is that, like Arabic, Hebrew has not only the singular and plural forms, but also a pair form. This form is made by using the suffix -יים (-ayim) and it’s used, among other things, for most body parts that come in pairs (like eyes, ears, and knees).

91. ראש

rosh

“head”

92. גוף

guf

“body”

93. שיער

se’ar

“hair”

94. עיניים

eynayim

“eyes”

95. אוזניים

oznayim

“ears”

96. פה

peh

“mouth”

97. שניים

shinayim

“teeth”

98. שפתיים

sefatayim

“lips”

99. אף

af

“nose”

100. צוואר

tzavar

“neck”

101. כתפיים

k’tefayim

“shoulders”

102. חזה

khazeh

“chest”

103. גב

gav

“back”

104. בטן

beten

“stomach”

105. מתניים

motnayim

“hips”

106. ידיים

yadayim

“hands”/”arms”

107. מרפקים

marpekim

“elbows”

108. פרק יד

perek yad

“wrist”

109. אצבעות

etzba’ot

“fingers”

110. רגליים

raglayim

“legs”/”feet”

111. ירכיים

yerekhayim

“thighs”

112. ברכיים

birkayim

“knees”

113. שוקיים

shokayim

“calves”

114. קרסוליים

karsolayim

“ankles”

115. אצבעות הרגליים

etzba’ot ha-raglayiml

“toes”

116. עקבים

‘akevim’

“heels”

4. Verbs

Now that we’ve seen a fair share of nouns, let’s check out some of the more common verbs you’ll want to know as a beginner Hebrew learner. Remember that verbs are words that describe actions and states of being. We’ve handpicked the most useful verbs for daily activities and situations so that you can easily get by as you start conversing in Hebrew.

As verb conjugation is one of the more challenging aspects of learning Hebrew, one simple trick you can try is to use a simple verb, such as הולך/הולכת (holekh/holeket, “go”) or רוֹצֶה/רוֹצָה (rotzeh/rotzah, “want”), followed by a verb in its infinitive (unconjugated) form to make simple sentences. Note the examples provided with the first two verbs.

For more information on Hebrew verbs, see this lesson.

117. להתעורר

lehit’orer

“to wake up”

• אני לא רוצה להתעורר.
  
  Ani lo rotzeh lehit’orer.
  
  “I don’t want to wake up.”

118. לקום

lakum

“to get up”

• אני הולכת לקום עכשיו.
  
  Ani holekhet lakum ‘akhshav.
  
  “I’m going to get up now.”

119. לאכול

le’ekhol

“to eat”

120. לשתות

lishtot

“to drink”

121. לישון

lishon

“to sleep”

122. ללמוד

lilmod

“to learn” / “to study”

123. לנסוע

linso’a

“to travel”

124. ללכת

lalekhet

“to go” / “to walk”

125. לרוץ

larutz

“to run”

126. לדבר

ledaber

“to talk” / “to speak”

127. לשאול

lishol

“to ask”

128. לענות

la’anot

“to answer”

129. לכתוב

likhtov

“to write”

130. לקרוא

likro

“to read”

131. לחייך

lekhayekh

“to smile”

132. לבכות

livkot

“to cry”

133. לצחוק

litzkhok

“to laugh”

134. לצעוק

litz’ok

“to yell”

135. להתלונן

lehitlonen

“to complain”

136. לשאת ולתת

laset ve-latet

“to negotiate”

137. לקנות

liknot

“to buy”

138. לשאול

lish’ol

“to borrow”

*Note that this is the same verb as “to ask,” which we saw above.

139. להשאיל

lehash’il

“to lend”

140. לקחת

lakakhat

“to take”

141. לתת

latet

“to give”

142. לעשות

la’asot

“to do”

143. לחפש

lekhapes

“to look for” / “to seek”

144. למצוא

limtzo

“to find”

145. לשחות

liskhot

“to swim”

146. לשחק

lesakhek

“to play”

147. לשקר

leshaker

“to lie”

148. לעזור

la’azor

“to help”

149. להפריע

lehafri’a

“to bother” / “to disturb”

150. לבקר

levaker

“to visit”

5. Adjectives

While it’s true that you can make simple sentences with just nouns/pronouns and verbs, adjectives are what allow us to start making more complex, specific, and interesting statements and questions. Let’s have a look at some of the most commonly used Hebrew adjectives for beginners.

A. Adjectives for Describing Objects

First off, let’s look at some common adjectives we might use to describe everyday objects. Of course, many of these adjectives can be used to describe people as well, just make sure to use the right gender form!

151. גדול/ה

gadol/g’dolah

“big”

152. קטן/קטנה

katan/k’tanah

“small”

153. ארוך/ארוכה

arokh/arukah

“long”

154. קצר/ה

katzar/k’tzarah

“short”

155. כבד/ה

kaved/k’vedah

“heavy”

156. קל/ה

kal/kalah

“light”

157. חדש/ה

khadash/khadashah

“new”

158. ישן/ישנה

yashan/yeshanah

“old”

159. מעניין/מעניינת

me’anyen/me’anyenet

“interesting”

160. משעמם/משעממת

mesha’amem/mesha’amemet

“boring”

161. מיוחד/ת

meyukhad/meyukhedet

“special”

162. רגיל/ה

ragil/regilah

“regular” / “ordinary”

163. יקר/ה

yakar/yekarah

“expensive” / “valuable”

164. זול/ה

zol/zolah

“cheap”

165. נדיר/ה

nadir/nedirah

“rare”

166. נפוץ/נפוצה

nafotz/nefotzah

“common”

B. Adjectives for Describing People

Now, let’s see some adjectives that are generally used for describing people and their characteristics. As before, some of these can certainly be used for non-people nouns, too. Just pay attention to the proper gender for whom or what you’re describing.

167. יָפֶה/יָפָה

yafeh/yafah

“handsome” / “pretty”

168. גבוה/גבוהה

gavoha/g’vohah

“tall”

169. נמוך/נמוכה

namukh/nemukhah

“short”

170. רָזֶה/רָזָה

razeh/razah

“thin”

171. שמן/שמנה

shamen/sh’menah

“fat”

172. חכם/חכמה

khakham/khakhamah

“smart”

173. טיפש/טיפשה

tipesh/tipshah

“stupid”

174. אינטליגנטי/ת

inteligenti/inteligentit

“intelligent”

175. חרוץ/חרוצה

kharutz/kharutzah

“hard-working” / “industrious”

176. עצלן/עצלנית

‘atzlan/’atzlanit

“lazy”

177. רציני/ת

retzini/retzinit

“serious”

178. נינוח/ה

nino’akh/ninokhah

“easy-going” / “laid back”

179. משכיל/ה

maskil/maskilah

“educated” / “sage”

180. בור/ה

bur/burah

“ignorant”

C. Adjectives for Describing Emotions

Now, let’s see some adjectives that can help us describe emotions. Some people find it helpful to study these with emoticons or emojis to help them remember which word goes with which emotion.

181. שמח/ה

same’akh/smekhah

“happy”

182. עצוב/ה

‘atzuv/’atzuvah

“sad”

183. מפחד/ת

mefakhed/mefakhedet

“scared”

184. כועס/כועסת

ko’es/ko’eset

“angry” / “upset”

185. בודד/בודדה

boded/bodedah

“lonely”

186. קנאי/ת

kanay/kana’it

“jealous”

187. אופטימי/ת

optimi/optimit

“optimistic” / “hopeful”

188. פסימי/ת

pesimi/pesimit

“pessimistic”

189. מופתע/ת

mufta’/mufta’at

“surprised”

190. בטוח/ה

batu’akh/betukhah

“confident” / “certain”

191. בספק

be-safek

“doubtful”

6. Words for Describing the Weather

What is it that we all know strangers tend to talk about? The weather, of course! 

Whether it’s to be able to chit-chat with the person sitting next to you on the bus or to understand tomorrow’s forecast, knowing basic weather words is a key part of beginner Hebrew. Here are the top words for describing the weather. Note that these are all nouns.

192. שמש

shemesh

“sun”

193. ענן

‘anan

“cloud”

194. גשם

geshem

“rain”

195. שלג

sheleg

“snow”

196. ברד

barad

“hail”

197. ברק

barak

“lightning”

198. רעם

ra’am

“thunder”

199. כפור

kfor

“frost”

200. קרח

kerakh

“ice”

201. טל

tal

“dew”

202. רוח

ru’akh

“wind”

203. סערה

se’arah

“storm”

7. Conjunctions

While these words might be considered slightly more advanced, conjunctions are sort of like the glue that holds together the rest of the words in a sentence. Considering their importance, then, it’s a good idea to pick up the more commonly used ones. Let’s check them out.

204. ו-

ve-/u-

“and”

205. או

o

“or”

206. אבל

aval

“but”

207. אך

akh

“however”

208. לכן

lakhen

“therefore”

209. אם

im

“if”

210. גם

gam

“also”

211. כי

ki

“because”

212. אכן

akhen

“indeed”

213. אלא

ela

“rather”

8. Bonus: Words That Only Exist in the Hebrew Language

Finally, here are some words that have no parallel in English. This is a mixed bag, but these are all words that have a special flavor that really only works in Hebrew. We’ve provided sample sentences to help illustrate the meaning and usage of each word.

214. את

et

(no English equivalent – linker to direct objects)

*This word is one that will only start to make sense once you’ve seen it being used a number of times. Essentially, it’s a linker between a verb and a direct object, with no semantic meaning of its own.

• אני אוהב את השיר הזה.
  
  Ani ohev et ha-shir ha-zeh.
  
  “I like this song.”

215. דווקא

davka

(no English equivalent – similar to “on purpose” or “of all things”)

• את רוצה לאכול דווקא את מה שאכלת בדיוק לפני שעה?
  
  At rotzah le’ekhol davka et mah she-akhalt lifney sha’ah?
  
  “You want to eat exactly what you ate an hour ago, of all things?”

216. סתם

stam

“for no reason”

• לפעמים היא שרה סתם כי בא לה.
  
  Lifamim hi sharah stam ki ba lah.
  
  “Sometimes she sings for no reason just because she feels like it.”

217. תכלס

takhles

“honestly”

• תכלס, אני לא ממש אוהב כדורסל.
  
  Takhles, ani lo mamash ohev kadursal.
  
  “Honestly, I don’t really care for basketball.”

218. דוגרי

dugri

“straight” / “to the point”

• אני אגיד לך דוגרי. אתה לא הטיפוס שלי.
  
  Ani agid lekha dugri. Atah lo ha-tipus sheli.
  
  “I’ll give it to you straight. You’re not my type.”

219. חוצפה

khutzpah

“gall” / “nerve”

• איזה חוצפה! אכלת את ארוחת הצהריים שלי אפילו בלי לשאול!
  
  Eyzeh khutzpah! Akhalt et arukhat ha-tzohorayim sheli afilu bli lish’ol!
  
  “What nerve! You ate my lunch without so much as asking!”

220. להתחדש

lehitkhadesh

(no English equivalent – literally “to renew oneself”)

• התחדשי על השמלה. ממש יפה לך!
  
  Hitkhadshi ‘al ha-simlah. Mamash yafah lakh!
  
  “Enjoy that new dress. It’s really nice on you.”

9. Let HebrewPod101 Help You with the Basics

As experts in language education, we know how overwhelming it can be to begin studying a new language. That is all the more true in the case of a language so different from English as Hebrew, with an entirely new alphabet and sound system, not to mention the grammar. But not to worry! That’s exactly why we at HebrewPod101.com are here to offer you all of the resources you need to successfully progress from beginner all the way to advanced and beyond.

We believe that the key to successful language learning is to take things a bit at a time. Few of us (if any) could possibly learn more than 200 words without a significant amount of repetition. So take it slow and stay focused. Apart from today’s lesson on the top 220 beginner words in Hebrew, we have specific lessons on a broad array of topics. Using our resources, you can build up your vocabulary, work on grammar points, or even practice your pronunciation—all at your own pace and on your own schedule.

→ Not sure where to start? Why not explore our series of Hebrew beginner lessons? This course is specially designed to help you level up in no time!

Anything unclear about today’s words? Any words we skipped that you’d like to know? Questions about pronunciation or grammar? Whatever it may be, we’re always happy to hear from our students, so don’t hesitate to get in touch with any questions or doubts you may have.

Until next time, shalom!

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The word את [et] is the most frequent word in Hebrew . It constitutes over 2%  of the words in any text – making it more than twice as frequent as the next word on the list. And it doesn’t even mean anything. That is, it is a structural word that tells us something about the grammar of the sentence. The word את comes before a definite object. It has no equivalent in the English language – and therefore is difficult to translate.

It’s not a surprising that the most common word in Hebrew is a structural word. In every language structural words are frequent.   Almost every sentence has an object and many of them are definite objects. Few sentences repeat the same content or meaning.

A quick word about definite  objects for the grammatically challenged. Almost every sentence has an object – that is the part of the sentence that something is happening to. For example, in the sentence ‘The boy kicked a ball’ – the ball is the object because that is what the boy is kicking. If it is any ball – ‘a ball’ –  then it is an indefinite object. If it is a specific ball – ‘ the ball’ – then it is a definite object – and in Hebrew it gets the word את  in front of it to tell us that this is the case.

There are also other uses of the word את. The word את also means ‘with’. In Modern Hebrew it rarely appears in that form. It is very common in other forms such as the word אתו – with him, or אתה  with her. But in the Torah את  can come by itself. For example, in the verse: וגם ללוט ההולך את אברם היה צאן ובקר ואהלים / Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. /  [Gen 13:5]

There is another word in Hebrew than means ‘with’ – and that is עם [im]. In modern Hebrew there isn’t a big difference between the two words, but in Biblical Hebrew they are used differently.  If two people are together, but there is no strong connection between them, you would use the word את.

The word עם signifies a much closer tie. It tells us that the people were really together, with an identification in purpose or a spiritual connection between them.

This helps us understand one of the mysteries of the Torah. In the story of the prophet Balaam, the King of Moab approaches Balaam and askes him to go and curse the Children of Israel. Balaam refuses, saying that he is unable to do anything without God’s permission. Eventually God tells him to go, but as soon as he starts his journey God is angry with Balaam. The question is why does God get angry, when Balaam is only doing what God told him to do.

The answer lies in the use of the word את. When God tells Balaam to go He says קום לך אתם – arise and go with them – using the word את. But when Balaam actually goes, the verse reads וילך עם שרי מואב – and he went with the princes of Moab – using עם. God tells him to go with the Moabite princes  – but Balaam identifies with the Moabites  and becomes one with them – and that is his crime.

So את  is a very small word, but can still seriously influence our understanding of the text.

Rabbi Chaim Weiner