Basic Hebrew Greetings

Greetings, introductions, thanks, apologies, and farewells -- learn 14 basic Hebrew phrases with script and phonetic pronunciation.

Shalom (שלום) - "Hello" / "Goodbye" (all-purpose)

Pronounced shah-LOME. Literally means "peace," and works as both a greeting when meeting someone and a farewell when parting -- a true multipurpose word.

Boker tov (בוקר טוב) - "Good morning"

Pronounced BOH-ker tov. Used in the morning.

Erev tov (ערב טוב) - "Good evening"

Pronounced EH-rev tov. Used when meeting or parting in the evening.

Layla tov (לילה טוב) - "Good night"

Pronounced LIE-lah tov. Used as a phrase right before going to bed.

Ma shlomkha? / Ma shlomekh? (מה שלומך?) - "How are you?"

Pronounced mah shlom-KHAH to a man or mah shlom-EKH to a woman. Hebrew grammar marks the listener's gender, so the ending changes; without the niqqud vowel marks, the written form looks identical, but it is still pronounced differently aloud.

Tov, toda (טוב, תודה) - "Good, thank you"

Pronounced tov, toh-DAH. A standard reply to being asked how you are.

Toda (תודה) - "Thank you"

Pronounced toh-DAH. The most basic way to say thanks.

Toda raba (תודה רבה) - "Thank you very much"

Pronounced toh-DAH rah-BAH. Used to express extra emphasis on your thanks.

Bevakasha (בבקשה) - "You're welcome" / "Please"

Pronounced beh-vah-kah-SHAH. A versatile word used to reply to thanks, to make a request, or to say "here you go" when handing something over.

Slikha (סליחה) - "Sorry" / "Excuse me"

Pronounced slee-KHAH. Used to apologize or to politely ask someone to let you pass.

Ken / Lo (כן / לא) - "Yes" / "No"

Pronounced ken / lo. The two most basic answer words.

Shmi ~ (שמי ~) - "My name is ~"

Pronounced shmee. Used when introducing yourself; fill in your own name where the blank goes.

Naim me'od (נעים מאוד) - "Nice to meet you"

Pronounced nah-EEM meh-OD. Said just after exchanging names with someone you are meeting for the first time.

Lehitraot (להתראות) - "See you"

Pronounced leh-heet-rah-OTE. A slightly more casual farewell than Shalom, used with someone you expect to see again.

Shalom does double duty as hello and goodbye

Hebrew's signature greeting, Shalom, originally means "peace," but has come to serve as an all-purpose word covering both the "hello" you say when meeting someone and the "goodbye" you say when parting.

Word endings change with the listener's gender

Hebrew is a grammatically gendered language, so even a simple question like "how are you?" changes -- Ma shlomkha for a man, Ma shlomekh for a woman. It is worth choosing the form that matches the person you are speaking to.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which direction is Hebrew script written in?

Hebrew, like Arabic, is written and read from right to left. The Hebrew script shown on this page should also be read starting from the right.

Is Shalom the only way to say goodbye?

It is the most common all-purpose option, but Lehitraot ("see you") is a slightly more casual alternative used with someone you expect to see again soon.