Hebrew Body Parts: Head to Toe With Tables & Useful Phrases

Whether you're describing an ache to a doctor, playing a game of "head, shoulders, knees and toes," or trying to understand what someone means when they say you have "עיניים יפות" (beautiful eyes), knowing body parts in Hebrew is genuinely useful.

Body vocabulary is one of the most practical things you can learn — it comes up in healthcare, in everyday expressions, in exercise contexts, and in a surprisingly large number of Hebrew idioms. (Spoiler: Israelis have a lot of idioms involving body parts.) Plus, Hebrew has a fascinating grammatical feature for paired body parts that you won't find in most European languages.

Let's start at the top and work our way down.

Key takeaway: Hebrew has a special grammatical form called the dual (זוגי, zugi) for things that come in pairs — eyes, ears, hands, feet. This form adds ַיִם (-ayim) to the noun. It's unique, poetic, and easy to spot once you know it.

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The Head and Face

English	Hebrew	Transliteration	Notes
Head	ראש	rosh	Also means "beginning" and "leader"!
Face	פנים	panim	Grammatically plural — "faces" — but means one face
Hair	שיער	se'ar	Collective noun
Forehead	מצח	metsach
Eye	עין	ayin	Dual: עיניים (einayim)
Eyebrow	גבה	gaba	Dual: גבות (gabot)
Eyelash	ריס	ris	Plural: ריסים (risim)
Ear	אוזן	ozen	Dual: אוזניים (oznayim)
Nose	אף	af	Also means "anger" in biblical Hebrew
Mouth	פה	pe	Also means "here" — same spelling, different vowels!
Lip	שפה	safa	Also means "language/shore" — poetic!
Tongue	לשון	lashon	Also means "language"
Tooth	שן	shen	Plural: שיניים (shinayim) — dual!
Cheek	לחי	lechi	Dual: לחיים (lechaim) — "l'chaim!" means "to life/cheeks"
Chin	סנטר	santar
Jaw	לסת	leset
Neck	צוואר	tsavar
Throat	גרון	garon

💡 Tip: The famous Jewish toast "לחיים!" (L'chaim!) literally means "to the lives!" — the word לחיים is the dual of chayim (life). It's also identical to the dual of lechi (cheek) — making it one of Hebrew's most charming coincidences!

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The Dual Form: A Special Hebrew Feature

Hebrew has three grammatical numbers: singular, plural, and dual. The dual specifically denotes pairs and is used for:

1. Paired body parts (eyes, ears, hands, feet, etc.)
2. Time periods that come in pairs (שבועיים = two weeks, חודשיים = two months)
3. Some common paired objects

The dual adds ַיִם (-ayim) to the base of the noun:

Singular	Meaning	Dual	Meaning
עין (ayin)	one eye	עיניים (einayim)	(two) eyes
אוזן (ozen)	one ear	אוזניים (oznayim)	(two) ears
יד (yad)	one hand	ידיים (yadayim)	(two) hands
רגל (regel)	one leg/foot	רגליים (raglayim)	(two) legs/feet
ברך (berech)	one knee	ברכיים (bircayim)	(two) knees
כתף (katef)	one shoulder	כתפיים (katfayim)	(two) shoulders

In everyday speech, the dual form is used as the default when talking about body parts — you'd say "the eyes" (עיניים) rather than "two eyes" (שתי עיניים), because eyes always come in pairs.

💡 Tip: When a doctor asks about your eye or ear (one specific side), they'll use the singular: "הכאב הוא בעין הימנית" (The pain is in the right eye). For general reference to the organ, the dual is standard.

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The Upper Body

English	Hebrew	Transliteration	Notes
Shoulder	כתף	katef	Dual: כתפיים (katfayim)
Arm	זרוע	zero'a	Also means "strength/power" biblically
Elbow	מרפק	marpek
Wrist	פרק כף היד	perek kaf hayad	Literally "joint of the palm of the hand"
Hand	יד	yad	Dual: ידיים (yadayim)
Palm	כף יד	kaf yad	Literally "spoon of hand"
Finger	אצבע	etsba	Plural: אצבעות (etsba'ot)
Thumb	אגודל	agudal
Fingernail	ציפורן	tsiporen	Also means "claw/nail"
Chest	חזה	chaze
Breast	שד	shad
Heart	לב	lev	One of the most used words in Hebrew!
Lung	ריאה	re'a	Dual: ריאות (re'ot) — actually plural
Stomach	קיבה	keva	The organ
Belly / Tummy	בטן	beten	Colloquial/external
Back	גב	gav
Spine	עמוד שדרה	amud shidra	Literally "pillar of the spine"
Rib	צלע	tsela	Also means "side/flank"

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The Lower Body

English	Hebrew	Transliteration	Notes
Hip	ירך	yarech	Also means "thigh"
Leg / Foot	רגל	regel	Dual: רגליים (raglayim)
Thigh	ירך	yarech	Same as hip! Context matters
Knee	ברך	berech	Dual: ברכיים (bircayim)
Shin	שוק	shok
Ankle	קרסול	karsol
Heel	עקב	akev	Related to the name יעקב (Jacob) — who grasped his brother's heel at birth!
Toe	אצבע רגל	etsba regel	Literally "finger of foot"
Sole	כף רגל	kaf regel	Literally "spoon of foot"

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Internal Organs

English	Hebrew	Transliteration
Brain	מוח	mo'ach
Heart	לב	lev
Lung	ריאה	re'a
Liver	כבד	kaved
Kidney	כליה	kilya
Stomach (organ)	קיבה	keva
Intestine	מעי	me'i
Blood	דם	dam
Bone	עצם	etsem
Muscle	שריר	sharir
Skin	עור	or
Vein	וריד	varid

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Essential Medical Phrases

These phrases could genuinely help you in a medical situation in Israel:

Describing pain:

• "כואב לי ה..." (Ko'ev li ha...) — My ... hurts (literally "it hurts to me the...")
• "יש לי כאב בגב" (Yesh li ke'ev ba'gav) — I have back pain
• "הראש שלי כואב" (Ha'rosh sheli ko'ev) — My head hurts (headache)
• "כואב לי הבטן" (Ko'ev li ha'beten) — My stomach hurts

At the doctor:

• "היכן כואב לך?" (Heychan ko'ev lecha?) — Where does it hurt?
• "מתי זה התחיל?" (Matai ze hitchil?) — When did it start?
• "הראה לי איפה" (Har'e li eifo) — Show me where
• "אני צריך/צריכה לרופא" (Ani tsarich/tsricha le'rofe) — I need a doctor
• "קרא לאמבולנס!" (Kra le'ambulans!) — Call an ambulance!
• "יש לי אלרגיה ל..." (Yesh li alergia le...) — I'm allergic to...

Specific conditions:

• "יש לי חום" (Yesh li chom) — I have a fever
• "אני מרגיש/מרגישה לא טוב" (Ani margish/margisha lo tov) — I'm not feeling well
• "יש לי שיעול" (Yesh li shi'ul) — I have a cough
• "קשה לי לנשום" (Kashe li linshom) — I have difficulty breathing

💡 Tip: The construction "כואב לי ה..." (literally "it hurts to me the...") is how Hebrew expresses pain. The body part takes a definite article (ה-). It's different from English "my X hurts" — think of it as "the X hurts TO me."

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Body Part Idioms in Hebrew

Hebrew is packed with colorful expressions using body parts:

Idiom	Literal	Meaning
לשים לב (lasim lev)	to put the heart	to pay attention
יד ביד (yad be'yad)	hand in hand	together, side by side
פה אחד (pe echad)	one mouth	unanimously
מעל הראש (me'al ha'rosh)	above the head	overwhelmed, over one's head
על הפנים (al ha'panim)	on the face	terrible, awful (slang)
נתן לב (natan lev)	gave heart	paid attention
נקי ידיים (naki yadayim)	clean hands	innocent, not involved
שבר את הראש (shavar et ha'rosh)	broke the head	to rack one's brain
עמד על הרגליים (amad al ha'raglayim)	stood on the feet	became independent/self-sufficient
צמרמורת (tsimarmóret)	chills — literally "goosebumps"	gives me the chills
עיניים מאחורה (einayim me'achoray)	eyes in the back	to have eyes in the back of your head
לב גדול (lev gadol)	big heart	generous, kind

💡 Tip: לשים לב (lasim lev, literally "to put the heart") is one of the most common phrases in Hebrew. It means "to pay attention" or "to notice." You'll hear it constantly: "שים לב!" (Sim lev!) — "Pay attention!" / "Watch out!"

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Quick Reference: 35+ Body Parts at a Glance

English	Hebrew	Transliteration
Head	ראש	rosh
Hair	שיער	se'ar
Face	פנים	panim
Eye	עין / עיניים	ayin / einayim
Ear	אוזן / אוזניים	ozen / oznayim
Nose	אף	af
Mouth	פה	pe
Tooth	שן / שיניים	shen / shinayim
Tongue	לשון	lashon
Neck	צוואר	tsavar
Shoulder	כתף / כתפיים	katef / katfayim
Arm	זרוע	zero'a
Hand	יד / ידיים	yad / yadayim
Finger	אצבע	etsba
Chest	חזה	chaze
Heart	לב	lev
Stomach	בטן	beten
Back	גב	gav
Leg	רגל / רגליים	regel / raglayim
Knee	ברך / ברכיים	berech / bircayim
Foot	רגל	regel
Skin	עור	or
Bone	עצם	etsem
Blood	דם	dam
Brain	מוח	mo'ach

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What's Next

You've covered the body — now flex those Hebrew muscles further:

• Hebrew Verb Conjugation Guide — learn to conjugate action verbs so you can say what the body does, not just what it is
• 100 Everyday Conversational Phrases — put body language and vocabulary together in real conversations
• HebrewGlot Trainer — drill body parts with spaced repetition until they're in your muscle memory (pun intended)

"גוף בריא, נפש בריאה" — A healthy body, a healthy soul. Now your Hebrew vocabulary is both! 💪

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are many Hebrew body parts grammatically feminine?

Body parts that come in pairs — יד (hand), רגל (leg), עין (eye), אוזן (ear) — are usually feminine and take the dual ending ־יים: ידיים, רגליים, עיניים. This is a distinctive and consistent feature worth learning early.

What is the "dual" form and why do body parts use it?

Hebrew has a special dual number (זוגי) for things that naturally come in twos, marked by ־יים. Paired body parts almost always appear in this form rather than a regular plural — עיניים (two eyes), not עינים.

How do I say "my head hurts" in Hebrew?

Use כואב לי ה... + body part: כואב לי הראש (my head hurts), כואב לי הגב (my back hurts). This is one of the most useful patterns for the doctor or pharmacy.

What's the word for "body" in Hebrew?

גּוּף (guf) means body. Related useful words include עור (or — skin), עצם (etsem — bone) and שריר (shrir — muscle).

How can I practice body-part vocabulary?

Point to each part and name it out loud, or play "Simon Says" in Hebrew. Lock the words in with the flashcards trainer — they're also essential for medical situations.

Related lessons and trainers

• HebrewGlot Lessons · Flashcards Trainer
• Related: Medical Hebrew Vocabulary

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