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100 Essential Hebrew Words for Beginners

Start with what you would say on an ordinary day: שלום (hello), תודה (thank you), מים (water) and לאכול (to eat). Below are 100 beginner words in 9 groups — greetings & basics, people & family, everyday verbs, describing words, colors, numbers, time, food & drink and home — each with its English meaning and its pronunciation in Latin letters.

Key takeaways

  • Hebrew is written in the Hebrew script, written right to left, so every word below has its pronunciation beside it in Latin letters. For example, שלום is read “shalom”.
  • You can already count to three: אחת (one), שתיים (two) and שלוש (three).
  • The longest word here is אחר הצהריים (afternoon).
The Old City of Jerusalem with the Dome of the Rock
Photo: Walkerssk

Greetings & basics

16 words
EnglishHebrewPronunciationType
helloשלוםshalominterjection
goodbyeלהתראותlehitraotinterjection
yesכןkeninterjection
noלאlointerjection
pleaseבבקשהbevakashainterjection
thank youתודהtodainterjection
sorryמצטערmitsta'erinterjection
andוveconjunction
butאֲבָלavalconjunction
orאוoconjunction
becauseכיkiconjunction
hereכאןkanadverb
thereשםshamadverb
alwaysתמידtamidadverb
neverלעולם לאle'olam loadverb
togetherיחדyachadadverb

People & family

14 words
EnglishHebrewPronunciationType
manגברgevernoun
womanאשהishanoun
boyילדyelednoun
girlילדהyaldanoun
friendחברchavernoun
motherאמאimanoun
fatherאבאabanoun
brotherאחachnoun
sisterאחותachotnoun
sonבןbennoun
daughterבתbatnoun
husbandבעלba'alnoun
wifeאישהishanoun
parentהורהhorenoun

Everyday verbs

16 words
EnglishHebrewPronunciationType
to beלהיותlihyotverb
to haveיש לyesh leverb
to doלעשותla'asotverb
to goללכתlalechetverb
to comeלבואlavoverb
to eatלאכולleecholverb
to drinkלשתותlishtotverb
to wantלִרְצוֹתlirtsotverb
to needלהזדקקlehizdakekverb
to knowלדעתlada'atverb
to speakלדברledaberverb
to readלקרואlikroverb
to writeלכתובlichtovverb
to listenלהקשיבlehakshivverb
to workלעבודla'avodverb
to buyלקנותliknotverb

Describing words

10 words
EnglishHebrewPronunciationType
goodטובtovadjective
badרעraadjective
newחדשchadashadjective
oldזָקֵןzakenadjective
youngצעירtsa'iradjective
tallגבוהgavohaadjective
shortנמוךnamuchadjective
niceנחמדnechmadadjective
kindאדיבadivadjective
shyביישןbayshanadjective

Colors

8 words
EnglishHebrewPronunciationType
redאדוםadomadjective
blueכחולkacholadjective
greenירוקyarokadjective
yellowצהובtsahovadjective
blackשחורshachoradjective
whiteלבןlavanadjective
orangeכתוםkatomadjective
purpleסגולsagoladjective

Numbers

12 words
EnglishHebrewPronunciationType
oneאחתachatnumber
twoשתייםshtayimnumber
threeשלושshaloshnumber
fourארבעarbanumber
fiveחמשchameshnumber
sixששsheshnumber
sevenשבעshevanumber
eightשמונהshmonenumber
nineתשעteshanumber
tenעשרesernumber
zeroאפסefesnumber
twentyעשריםesrimnumber

Time

10 words
EnglishHebrewPronunciationType
todayהיוםhayomadverb
tomorrowמחרmacharadverb
yesterdayאתמולetmoladverb
morningבוקרbokernoun
afternoonאחר הצהרייםachar hatsohorayimnoun
eveningעֶרֶבerevnoun
nightלילהlaylanoun
dayיוםyomnoun
weekשבועshavuanoun
monthחודשchodeshnoun

Food & drink

10 words
EnglishHebrewPronunciationType
waterמיםmayimnoun
coffeeקפהkafenoun
teaתהtenoun
milkחלבchalavnoun
breadלחםlechemnoun
cheeseגבינהgvinanoun
fruitפריprinoun
appleתפוחtapuachnoun
eggביצהbeitsanoun
riceאורזoreznoun

Home

4 words
EnglishHebrewPronunciationType
houseביתbayitnoun
doorדלתdeletnoun
windowחלוןchalonnoun
bedמיטהmitanoun

Emoji: Twemoji, CC-BY 4.0

Learn these Hebrew words for good

Watch Your LanguageVocabulary widgets for iPhone & Apple Watch

A list is where learning starts, not where it ends. Watch Your Language puts Hebrew words like these on your iPhone Lock Screen and on your Apple Watch face, so you see a few every time you check the time, and it schedules the repeats so the words you keep forgetting come back more often.

You can add your own words too, from a photo, a page of notes or a spreadsheet.

Download on the App Store

Keep going with Hebrew

Hebrew vocabulary by topicLonger word lists, one topic at a time Hebrew vocabulary testFind your level How long does Hebrew take to learn?A realistic plan

Hebrew for beginners questions

What are the first Hebrew words to learn?

Start with the words you use every day: greetings, numbers, the days and times, food, family and a handful of verbs. For Hebrew that means words like שלום (hello), תודה (thank you), מים (water) and לאכול (to eat). The list above groups 100 of them by topic.

Do I need to learn the Hebrew script before these words?

You can start without it: Hebrew is written in the Hebrew script, written right to left, and every word here has a pronunciation in Latin letters beside it so you can sound it out. Learning the script soon after is still worth it, because real signs, menus and messages are not romanised. Treat the Latin-letter pronunciation as a guide to the sound, and listen to the language as well.

Is 100 words enough to speak Hebrew?

No. This is a starting set: enough to greet people, count, talk about time, name food and family, and say what you want or need. Conversation needs more words, and above all hearing and using them. Treat the list as the first step, then add words from topics you care about.

How do I remember these Hebrew words?

Read a few at a time, say them out loud, and come back to them on a schedule rather than once. Watch Your Language puts words like these in a widget on your iPhone Lock Screen and on your Apple Watch face, and brings back the ones you keep forgetting more often.

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