Hebrew for Travelers: Essential Phrases for Israel
Heading to Israel? This guide covers 100+ essential Hebrew phrases for travelers — from airport arrivals to restaurant orders, market bargaining to emergency help — with pronunciation guides to get you speaking from day one.
Your Hebrew Survival Kit
You do not need to be fluent in Hebrew to enjoy Israel. Most Israelis in tourist areas speak English, and many speak it well. But learning even a handful of Hebrew phrases will transform your trip. Israelis light up when visitors try to speak their language — and the effort signals respect for the culture in a way that no amount of English can.
This guide is organized by situation: greetings, getting around, eating, shopping, and emergencies. Each phrase includes a pronunciation guide (the stressed syllable is shown in bold). Hebrew distinguishes between masculine (m.) and feminine (f.) forms — use the one that matches the gender of the speaker (you), not the person you are talking to.
Greetings and Basics
| English | Hebrew | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Hello / Goodbye / Peace | שלום | sha-LOM |
| Good morning | בוקר טוב | BO-ker tov |
| Good evening | ערב טוב | E-rev tov |
| Good night | לילה טוב | LAI-lah tov |
| How are you? (m.) | ?מה שלומך | mah shlom-KHA |
| How are you? (f.) | ?מה שלומך | mah shlo-MEKH |
| Fine, thank you | בסדר, תודה | be-SE-der, to-DAH |
| Thank you | תודה | to-DAH |
| Thank you very much | תודה רבה | to-DAH ra-BAH |
| Please / You’re welcome | בבקשה | be-vaka-SHAH |
| Excuse me / Sorry | סליחה | sli-KHAH |
| Yes | כן | ken |
| No | לא | lo |
| I don’t understand | אני לא מבין/מבינה | a-NI lo me-VIN (m.) / me-vi-NAH (f.) |
| Do you speak English? | ?אתה מדבר אנגלית | a-TAH me-da-BER ang-LIT? |
| My name is… | …שמי | shmi… |
Numbers
| Number | Hebrew | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | אחד | e-KHAD |
| 2 | שניים | shna-YIM |
| 3 | שלושה | shlo-SHAH |
| 4 | ארבעה | ar-ba-AH |
| 5 | חמישה | kha-mi-SHAH |
| 6 | שישה | shi-SHAH |
| 7 | שבעה | shiv-AH |
| 8 | שמונה | shmo-NAH |
| 9 | תשעה | tish-AH |
| 10 | עשרה | a-sa-RAH |
| 20 | עשרים | es-RIM |
| 50 | חמישים | kha-mi-SHIM |
| 100 | מאה | me-AH |
Getting Around
| English | Hebrew | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Where is…? | ?…איפה | EI-foh…? |
| How do I get to…? | ?…איך מגיעים ל | eikh ma-gi-IM le…? |
| Right | ימינה | ya-MI-nah |
| Left | שמאלה | smo-LAH |
| Straight ahead | ישר | ya-SHAR |
| Stop here, please | עצור כאן, בבקשה | a-TSOR kan, be-vaka-SHAH |
| How much is the taxi? | ?כמה עולה המונית | KA-mah o-LAH ha-mo-NIT? |
| Bus station | תחנת אוטובוס | ta-kha-NAT o-to-BUS |
| Train station | תחנת רכבת | ta-kha-NAT ra-KE-vet |
| Airport | שדה תעופה | sdeh te-u-FAH |
| Hotel | מלון | ma-LON |
| Beach | חוף | khof |
| Old City | העיר העתיקה | ha-ir ha-a-ti-KAH |
At the Restaurant
| English | Hebrew | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| A table for two, please | שולחן לשניים, בבקשה | shul-KHAN le-shna-YIM, be-vaka-SHAH |
| The menu, please | את התפריט, בבקשה | et ha-taf-RIT, be-vaka-SHAH |
| Water | מים | MA-yim |
| Coffee | קפה | ka-FEH |
| Beer | בירה | BI-rah |
| Wine | יין | ya-YIN |
| The bill, please | את החשבון, בבקשה | et ha-khesh-BON, be-vaka-SHAH |
| Delicious! | !טעים | ta-IM! |
| Is this kosher? | ?זה כשר | zeh ka-SHER? |
| Vegetarian | צמחוני | tsim-kho-NI |
| I’m allergic to… | …יש לי אלרגיה ל | yesh li a-ler-gi-AH le… |
| No meat | בלי בשר | bli ba-SAR |
Shopping and the Shuk
| English | Hebrew | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| How much is this? | ?כמה זה | KA-mah zeh? |
| Too expensive | יקר מדי | ya-KAR mi-DAI |
| Can you lower the price? | ?אפשר להוריד במחיר | ef-SHAR le-ho-RID ba-me-KHIR? |
| I’ll take it | אני אקח | a-NI e-KAKH |
| Do you accept credit cards? | ?מקבלים כרטיס אשראי | me-kab-LIM kar-TIS ash-ra-I? |
| Receipt, please | קבלה, בבקשה | ka-ba-LAH, be-vaka-SHAH |
| Where is the bathroom? | ?איפה השירותים | EI-foh ha-she-ru-TIM? |
Emergency and Help
| English | Hebrew | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Help! | !עזרה | ez-RAH! |
| Police | משטרה | mish-ta-RAH |
| Hospital | בית חולים | beit kho-LIM |
| Doctor | רופא | ro-FEH |
| I need help | אני צריך/צריכה עזרה | a-NI tsa-RIKH (m.) / tsri-KHAH (f.) ez-RAH |
| I’m lost | אני אבוד/אבודה | a-NI a-VUD (m.) / a-vu-DAH (f.) |
| Call an ambulance | תקראו לאמבולנס | tik-re-U le-am-bu-LANS |
Useful Jewish Phrases
| English | Hebrew | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Shabbat Shalom | שבת שלום | sha-BAT sha-LOM |
| Chag Sameach (Happy holiday) | חג שמח | khag sa-me-AKH |
| Where is the synagogue? | ?איפה בית הכנסת | EI-foh beit ha-kne-SET? |
| Where is the Western Wall? | ?איפה הכותל | EI-foh ha-ko-TEL? |
| Mazal Tov! | !מזל טוב | ma-ZAL tov! |
| B’te’avon! (Bon appetit!) | !בתיאבון | be-te-a-VON! |
Pro Tips for Hebrew in Israel
Israelis are direct. Do not be offended by bluntness — it is cultural, not personal. “What do you want?” is a standard way of asking “How can I help you?” in a shop.
“Akhla” (אחלה) — Borrowed from Arabic, this slang word means “great” or “awesome.” Use it to express approval: “Akhla, todah!” (Great, thanks!).
“Sababa” (סבבה) — Another slang term meaning “cool” or “no problem.” Extremely useful and will earn you smiles.
“Yalla” (יאללה) — From Arabic, meaning “let’s go” or “come on.” Used constantly.
Tipping. In restaurants, 10-15% is standard. Saying “todah” warmly while tipping is the Israeli way.
At the shuk (market): Vendors appreciate effort. Even a basic “KA-mah zeh?” (how much?) followed by “ya-KAR mi-DAI!” (too expensive!) with a smile will get you into the rhythm of friendly bargaining.
“Every language has its own melody. Hebrew’s melody is the sound of homecoming.”
You do not need to speak perfectly. You just need to try. Israelis will meet you more than halfway. B’hatzlacha — good luck!
Frequently Asked Questions
How much Hebrew do I need for a trip to Israel?
Most Israelis in tourist areas speak some English, so you can get by without Hebrew. However, knowing basic greetings, numbers, and common phrases makes a huge difference — Israelis genuinely appreciate the effort, and it opens doors to warmer interactions. Learning 20-30 key phrases will cover most travel situations. For rural areas, smaller restaurants, and markets, a bit more Hebrew is very helpful.
Is Hebrew hard to learn for English speakers?
Hebrew has features that challenge English speakers — a different alphabet, right-to-left reading, and gendered nouns and verbs. However, Modern Hebrew has a relatively simple grammar compared to many languages, consistent pronunciation rules, and a compact vocabulary for everyday situations. For travel purposes, you do not need to read or write — just learning spoken phrases with correct pronunciation will serve you well.
What are the most important Hebrew words to know?
The five most useful Hebrew words for travelers are: Shalom (hello/goodbye/peace), Todah (thank you), Bevakasha (please/you're welcome), Slicha (excuse me/sorry), and Ken/Lo (yes/no). With just these five words, you can navigate basic social interactions. Add numbers 1-10, 'Kamah zeh?' (how much?), and 'Eifoh...?' (where is...?), and you can handle most practical situations.
Sources & Further Reading
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