Hebrew Days of the Week, Months & Telling Time: Complete Guide
Here's something that trips up almost every Hebrew learner: in Israel, the week doesn't start on Monday. It doesn't even start on Sunday the way you might think โ Sunday in Hebrew is literally called "first day" (ืืื ืจืืฉืื, Yom Rishon). That's right, the days of the week in Hebrew are literally numbered. And the whole week revolves around one day: Shabbat.
Once you understand this cultural anchor, the entire system clicks into place. This guide covers everything you need to know about time in Hebrew โ days, months, telling the clock, time expressions, and the fascinating world of the Jewish calendar. By the end, you'll be able to schedule meetings, discuss holidays, and impress Israeli friends with your temporal fluency.
Key takeaway: Hebrew days are ordinal numbers (first day, second day...) anchored around Shabbat. This makes them logical and memorable once you understand the system.
Days of the Week
Hebrew days are beautifully systematic. Six of them are just numbers, and the seventh โ Shabbat โ is the name that gives the whole week its identity.
| English | Hebrew | Transliteration | Literal Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday | ืืื ืจืืฉืื | Yom Rishon | First day |
| Monday | ืืื ืฉื ื | Yom Sheni | Second day |
| Tuesday | ืืื ืฉืืืฉื | Yom Shlishi | Third day |
| Wednesday | ืืื ืจืืืขื | Yom Revi'i | Fourth day |
| Thursday | ืืื ืืืืฉื | Yom Chamishi | Fifth day |
| Friday | ืืื ืฉืืฉื | Yom Shishi | Sixth day |
| Saturday / Sabbath | ืฉืืช | Shabbat | Rest / Sabbath |
๐ก Tip: In everyday conversation, Israelis often drop "Yom" and just say the ordinal number. Instead of "Yom Sheni," you'll often hear just "sheni" (Monday). Think of it like saying "Tuesday" instead of "Tuesday the day."
Using days in sentences:
- "ืืืื ืืื ืฉื ื" (Hayom Yom Sheni) โ Today is Monday
- "ืื ื ืขืืื ืืืื ืืืืฉื" (Ani oved be'Yom Chamishi) โ I work on Thursday
- "ื ืชืจืื ืืืื ืจืืฉืื" (Nitraeh be'Yom Rishon) โ See you on Sunday
Cultural Note: Shabbat as the Week's Anchor
Understanding Shabbat transforms how you see the Israeli week. Shabbat begins at sundown on Friday and ends Saturday night when three stars appear in the sky. During this time, traditional families observe a complete rest โ no work, no screens, no driving for the observant.
But even for secular Israelis, Shabbat has a special rhythm. Friday afternoon is the big grocery rush. Friday evening is family dinner time. Saturday is for rest, brunch, and family outings. The phrase "ืฉืืช ืฉืืื" (Shabbat Shalom, "Peaceful Sabbath") is heard everywhere from Thursday evening onward.
The workweek in Israel runs Sunday through Thursday (or Friday for some businesses), with the weekend being FridayโSaturday. This catches many visitors off guard โ arriving on a Sunday expecting shops to be closed, only to find it's a regular workday!
๐ก Tip: If you're scheduling something in Israel, remember that Friday afternoon and Saturday are off for most people. "Let's meet next week" often means Sunday, not Monday.
Months of the Year
The Gregorian months in Hebrew follow the familiar twelve-month structure. Most are adaptations of their Latin roots โ reassuringly recognizable!
| English | Hebrew | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| January | ืื ืืืจ | Yanuar |
| February | ืคืืจืืืจ | Februar |
| March | ืืจืฅ | Merts |
| April | ืืคืจืื | April |
| May | ืืื | Mai |
| June | ืืื ื | Yuni |
| July | ืืืื | Yuli |
| August | ืืืืืกื | Ogust |
| September | ืกืคืืืืจ | September |
| October | ืืืงืืืืจ | October |
| November | ื ืืืืืจ | November |
| December | ืืฆืืืจ | Detsember |
Using months in sentences:
- "ืื ื ื ืืืืชื ืืืฆืืืจ" (Ani noladeti be'Detsember) โ I was born in December
- "ืืืืื ืื ืืืืงืืืืจ ืืฉื ื" (Ha'chagim hem be'October hashana) โ The holidays are in October this year
- "ืืคืืืฉื ืืื ื-15 ืืืื ื" (Ha'pgisha hi be-15 be'Yuni) โ The meeting is on June 15th
The Jewish Calendar and Hebrew Months
Beyond the Gregorian calendar, Hebrew has its own ancient calendar system โ the ืืื ืขืืจื (luach ivri). This is a lunisolar calendar that's been used for thousands of years and determines the dates of Jewish holidays.
| Hebrew Month | Approximate Gregorian | Major Holidays |
|---|---|---|
| ืชืฉืจื (Tishrei) | SepโOct | Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot |
| ืืฉืืื (Cheshvan) | OctโNov | โ |
| ืืกืื (Kislev) | NovโDec | Hanukkah begins |
| ืืืช (Tevet) | DecโJan | Hanukkah ends |
| ืฉืื (Shevat) | JanโFeb | Tu BiShvat |
| ืืืจ (Adar) | FebโMar | Purim |
| ื ืืกื (Nisan) | MarโApr | Passover |
| ืืืืจ (Iyar) | AprโMay | Yom Ha'atzmaut |
| ืกืืืื (Sivan) | MayโJun | Shavuot |
| ืชืืื (Tammuz) | JunโJul | โ |
| ืื (Av) | JulโAug | Tisha B'Av |
| ืืืื (Elul) | AugโSep | Preparation for High Holidays |
๐ก Tip: The Jewish year starts in the fall with Rosh Hashanah (ืจืืฉ ืืฉื ื) in the month of Tishrei โ so "Happy New Year!" in Hebrew is "ืฉื ื ืืืื" (Shana Tova, "Good Year"), not in January!
Telling Time in Hebrew
Asking and telling time is something you'll do every single day. The good news: Hebrew time-telling is logical and straightforward.
Asking for the time
- "ืื ืืฉืขื?" (Ma ha'sha'a?) โ What time is it?
- "ืืื ืืฉืขื?" (Kama ha'sha'a?) โ What time is it? (more casual)
- "ืืฉืขื ืืื...?" (Be'sha'a kama...?) โ At what time...?
Telling the time
The word for "hour/o'clock" is ืฉืขื (sha'a). Hebrew tells time on the hour simply:
| Time | Hebrew | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| 1:00 | ืฉืขื ืืืช | sha'a achat |
| 2:00 | ืฉืขืชืืื | sha'tayim (special dual form!) |
| 3:00 | ืฉืืืฉ | shalosh |
| 4:00 | ืืจืืข | arba |
| 5:00 | ืืืฉ | chamesh |
| 6:00 | ืฉืฉ | shesh |
| 7:00 | ืฉืืข | sheva |
| 8:00 | ืฉืืื ื | shmone |
| 9:00 | ืชืฉืข | tesha |
| 10:00 | ืขืฉืจ | eser |
| 11:00 | ืืืช ืขืฉืจื | achat esre |
| 12:00 | ืฉืชืื ืขืฉืจื | shteim esre |
For minutes:
- Half past: ืืืฆื (va'chatzi) โ "and a half"
- Quarter past: ืืจืืข (va'reva) โ "and a quarter"
- Quarter to: ืจืืข ื- (reva le-) โ "quarter to"
- Minutes: ื-[number] ืืงืืช (ve-[number] dakot)
Examples:
- "ืืฉืขื ืฉืืืฉ ืืืฆื" โ It's 3:30
- "ืืฉืขื ืืจืืข ืืจืืข" โ It's 4:15
- "ืจืืข ืืฉืฉ" โ Quarter to six (5:45)
- "ืืฉืขื ืฉืืื ื ืืขืฉืจืื ืืงืืช" โ It's 8:20
๐ก Tip: Israel uses the 24-hour clock in official/written contexts (train schedules, official documents), but in conversation, people use 12-hour time and rely on context or add "in the morning/evening" to clarify.
Parts of the Day
| English | Hebrew | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| Morning | ืืืงืจ | boker |
| Noon / Midday | ืฆืืจืืื | tsohorayim |
| Afternoon | ืืืจ ืืฆืืจืืื | achar ha'tsohorayim |
| Evening | ืขืจื | erev |
| Night | ืืืื | layla |
| Midnight | ืืฆืืช | chatsot |
Greetings by time of day:
- "ืืืงืจ ืืื" (Boker tov) โ Good morning
- "ืฆืืจืืื ืืืืื" (Tsohorayim tovim) โ Good afternoon
- "ืขืจื ืืื" (Erev tov) โ Good evening
- "ืืืื ืืื" (Layla tov) โ Good night
Time Expressions
These are the glue of daily conversation:
| English | Hebrew | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| Today | ืืืื | hayom |
| Yesterday | ืืชืืื | etmol |
| Tomorrow | ืืืจ | machar |
| Day after tomorrow | ืืืจืชืืื | machratayim |
| The day before yesterday | ืฉืืฉืื | shilshom |
| This week | ืืฉืืืข | hashavua |
| Last week | ืฉืืืข ืฉืขืืจ | shavua she'avar |
| Next week | ืฉืืืข ืืื | shavua haba |
| This year | ืืฉื ื | hashana |
| Last year | ืฉื ื ืฉืขืืจื | shana she'avra |
| Next year | ืฉื ื ืืืื | shana haba'a |
| Now | ืขืืฉืื | achshav |
| Soon | ืืงืจืื | bekarov |
| Later | ืืืืืจ ืืืชืจ | me'uchar yoter |
| Always | ืชืืื | tamid |
| Never | ืืฃ ืคืขื | af pa'am |
What's Next
Time flies when you're learning Hebrew โ now keep the momentum going:
- Hebrew Alphabet in 1 Day โ master the script so you can read all those Hebrew words above
- 100 Everyday Conversational Phrases โ use your time vocabulary in real conversations
- HebrewGlot Trainer โ drill days, months, and time expressions until they're second nature
"ืืื ืืื ืืื ืืืืื" โ There's no time like the present. Start practicing! โฐ
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