Hebrew Greetings: 60 Essential Phrases for Every Situation
The first Hebrew word almost everyone learns is שָׁלוֹם (shalom).
And yes, it means hello. But it also means goodbye, peace, well-being, and "how are you" (kind of). Understanding the full range of greetings — and when Israelis actually use them versus when they use something more casual — is one of those early breakthroughs that makes Hebrew start to feel real.
This guide covers 60 phrases across every common social situation: greetings, farewells, thanks, apologies, getting attention, and small talk. I've included notes on when each phrase is appropriate, because Israeli social context matters as much as the words themselves.
Basic Greetings
| Hebrew | Transliteration | Meaning | When to use |
|---|---|---|---|
| שָׁלוֹם | shalom | Hello / Goodbye / Peace | Universal, any time, any context |
| הַי | hai | Hi | Casual, friends, younger people |
| אֵיךְ הַלְּכוּ הַדְּבָרִים? | eich halchu ha'dvarim? | How's it going? | Casual, when you haven't seen someone |
| מַה שְּׁלוֹמְךָ? | ma shlomcha? (to a man) | How are you? | Standard polite greeting |
| מַה שְּׁלוֹמֵךְ? | ma shlomech? (to a woman) | How are you? | Standard polite greeting |
| מַה נִּשְׁמַע? | ma nishma? | What's up? / What's new? | Very common casual greeting |
| מַה קוֹרֶה? | ma kore? | What's happening? | Casual, friendly |
| בּוֹקֶר טוֹב | boker tov | Good morning | Morning, until about noon |
| צָהֳרַיִם טוֹבִים | tzohorayim tovim | Good afternoon | Midday, noon–4pm |
| עֶרֶב טוֹב | erev tov | Good evening | Evening, from about 5pm |
| לַיְלָה טוֹב | layla tov | Good night | Parting at night |
Responding to "how are you"
| Hebrew | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| בְּסֵדֶר | beseder | Fine / Okay (the most Israeli word) |
| טוֹב, תּוֹדָה | tov, toda | Good, thanks |
| מְעֻיָּף קְצָת | me'uyaf ktzat | A bit tired |
| סַבָּבָה | sababa | Great / Cool (very casual, slang) |
| הַכֹּל בְּסֵדֶר | ha'kol beseder | Everything's fine |
| אֵין מַה לְּהִתְלוֹנֵן | ein ma lehishtonen | Can't complain |
💡 בְּסֵדֶר (beseder) is hands-down the most useful word in Israeli Hebrew. It means "okay," "fine," "alright," "got it," "understood," and "no problem" depending on tone and context. Master this word early.
Farewells
| Hebrew | Transliteration | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| שָׁלוֹם | shalom | Goodbye | Works for hello and goodbye |
| לְהִתְרָאוֹת | lehitraot | See you / Goodbye | Standard farewell |
| יַלְלָה בַּאי | yalla bye | Bye, cya | Very Israeli, casual |
| בַּאי | bye | Bye | Borrowed from English, very common |
| לְהִתְרָאוֹת בְּקָרוֹב | lehitraot be'karov | See you soon | |
| נִדְבֵּר | nidaber | We'll talk / Talk soon | Parting phrase among friends |
| תִּשְׁמֹר עַל עַצְמְךָ | tishmor al atzmecha | Take care (to a man) | Warm farewell |
| תִּשְׁמְרִי עַל עַצְמֵךְ | tishmeri al atzmech | Take care (to a woman) | Warm farewell |
| סוֹף שָׁבוּעַ טוֹב | sof shavua tov | Have a good weekend | Thursday evening → Friday |
| שַׁבָּת שָׁלוֹם | Shabbat shalom | Good Sabbath | Friday–Saturday, Jewish context |
Please and Thank You
| Hebrew | Transliteration | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| תּוֹדָה | toda | Thank you | Universal |
| תּוֹדָה רַבָּה | toda raba | Thank you very much | More emphasis |
| תּוֹדָה יָפָה | toda yafa | Thank you (warmly) | Literally "beautiful thanks" |
| בְּבַקָּשָׁה | bevakasha | Please / You're welcome / Here you go | Three meanings depending on context |
| אֵין בְּעָיָה | ein be'aya | No problem / Sure | Response to thanks |
| עַל לֹא דָּבָר | al lo davar | Don't mention it | More formal "you're welcome" |
💡 בְּבַקָּשָׁה (bevakasha) is the Hebrew word that does three jobs: (1) "please" when making a request, (2) "you're welcome" in response to thanks, (3) "here you go" when handing something to someone. Context always makes it clear.
Apologies and Excuses
| Hebrew | Transliteration | Meaning | When to use |
|---|---|---|---|
| סְלִיחָה | slicha | Sorry / Excuse me | Bumping into someone, getting attention |
| מְצַטֵּר | metzta'er (m) | I'm sorry | Genuine apology (man speaking) |
| מְצַטֶּרֶת | metzta'eret (f) | I'm sorry | Genuine apology (woman speaking) |
| אֶת הַסְּלִיחָה | et ha'slicha | Pardon? / What? | Didn't hear or understand |
| לֹא הָבַנְתִּי | lo hevanti | I didn't understand | |
| אֶפְשָׁר לְחַזֵּר עַל זֶה? | efshar le'chazor al ze? | Can you repeat that? | |
| תְּדַבֵּר לְאַט בְּבַקָּשָׁה | tedaber le'at bevakasha | Please speak slowly | Survival phrase for beginners |
Meeting People
| Hebrew | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| מָה שִׁמְךָ? | ma shimcha? (to a man) | What's your name? |
| מָה שְׁמֵךְ? | ma shmech? (to a woman) | What's your name? |
| שְׁמִי... | shmi... | My name is... |
| נָעִים לְהַכִּיר | naim lehakir | Nice to meet you |
| אֵיפֹה אַתָּה מִן? | eifo ata min? | Where are you from? |
| אֲנִי מִ... | ani mi... | I'm from... |
| אֲנִי לוֹמֵד עִבְרִית | ani lomed ivrit (m) | I'm learning Hebrew |
| כַּמָּה זְמַן אַתָּה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל? | kama zman ata be'Yisrael? | How long have you been in Israel? |
Useful Everyday Phrases
| Hebrew | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| כֵּן | ken | Yes |
| לֹא | lo | No |
| אוּלַי | ulay | Maybe |
| אֲנִי לֹא יוֹדֵעַ | ani lo yodea (m) | I don't know |
| אֲנִי לֹא מֵבִין | ani lo mevin (m) | I don't understand |
| אַתָּה מְדַבֵּר אַנְגְּלִית? | ata medaber anglit? | Do you speak English? |
| אֶפְשָׁר לַעֲזֹר לִי? | efshar la'azor li? | Can you help me? |
| אֵיפֹה...? | eifo...? | Where is...? |
| כַּמָּה זֶה עוֹלֶה? | kama ze ole? | How much does this cost? |
| אֲנִי רוֹצֶה... | ani rotze... (m) | I want... |
| אֵין לִי | ein li | I don't have |
| מַעֲנָיִין | ma'anyan | Interesting |
| מַמָּשׁ? | mamash? | Really? |
| וַאי | vai | Wow / Oh no (depends on tone) |
Jewish Holiday Greetings
These are worth knowing — you'll hear them constantly in Israel and the diaspora.
| Hebrew | Transliteration | Meaning | Occasion |
|---|---|---|---|
| שַׁבָּת שָׁלוֹם | Shabbat shalom | Peaceful Sabbath | Friday–Saturday |
| חַג שָׂמֵחַ | chag sameach | Happy holiday | Any Jewish holiday |
| שָׁנָה טוֹבָה | shana tova | Happy New Year | Rosh Hashana |
| גְּמַר חֲתִימָה טוֹבָה | gmar chatima tova | May you be sealed [in the book of life] | Yom Kippur |
| חַג פֶּסַח שָׂמֵחַ | chag Pesach sameach | Happy Passover | Pesach |
| חֲנֻכָּה שָׂמֵחַ | Chanuka sameach | Happy Hanukkah | Hanukkah |
Israeli Hebrew vs. Textbook Hebrew
One thing you'll notice immediately when you arrive in Israel: real conversations move fast and include a lot of slang that didn't appear in your learning materials.
A few common ones:
- יַלְלָה (yalla) — borrowed from Arabic, means "let's go," "come on," "hurry up," or "bye" depending on context. You'll hear this constantly.
- אַחְלָה (achla) — borrowed from Arabic, means "great," "excellent," "awesome"
- וַאי (vai) — expression of surprise, pain, or wonder, depending on tone
- נוּ (nu) — Yiddish-origin particle meaning "so?" or "well?" or "come on already"
- בְּדִיוּק (bediyuk) — "exactly," used constantly in conversation
These won't appear in basic greetings guides. They'll appear in every conversation you have.
How to Sound Less Like a Tourist
Three small things that make a big difference:
1. Use מַה נִּשְׁמַע? instead of מַה שְּׁלוֹמְךָ?
Both mean "how are you," but מַה נִּשְׁמַע? (literally "what is heard?") is what Israelis actually say in casual conversation. מַה שְּׁלוֹמְךָ? is more formal.
2. Respond with בְּסֵדֶר, not טוֹב
When someone asks how you are, "beseder" (okay/fine) is the Israeli default. Saying "tov" (good) is totally correct but slightly more formal.
3. Learn יַלְלָה
Using yalla naturally in conversation — "yalla, let's go," "yalla bye" — is a small signal that you've spent time around real Israeli Hebrew. It sounds disproportionately fluent.
Practice Makes Permanent
Reading this list is a start. Saying these phrases out loud — to yourself, to your phone, to anyone who'll listen — is what actually makes them available when you need them.
The HebrewGlot Trainer has a phrases set if you want structured drilling. But honestly, for greetings, the best practice is picking five phrases and actively using them this week.
- Hebrew Numbers Guide — practical vocabulary for daily life
- 100 Everyday Conversational Phrases — next level after greetings
- HebrewGlot Lessons from Scratch — structured course if you want to go deeper
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