There are several Jewish and Hebrew greetings, farewells, and phrases that are used in Judaism, and in Jewish and Hebrew-speaking communities around the world. Even outside Israel, Hebrew is an important part of Jewish life. Many Jews, even if they do not speak Hebrew fluently, will know several of these greetings—most are Hebrew, and among Ashkenazim, some are Yiddish.
Shabbat
For Shabbat, there are several ways to greet people in a variety of languages, including Hebrew, Yiddish, and Judeo-Spanish.
| Phrase | Hebrew script | Translation | Pronunciation | Language | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shabbat shalom | שַׁבַּת שָׁלוֹם | Peaceful Sabbath | [ʃaˈbat ʃaˈlom] | Hebrew | Used any time on Shabbat, especially at the end of a Shabbat service. Used also preceding Shabbat almost like "have a good weekend." |
| Gut Shabbes |
גוּט שַׁבָּת | Good Sabbath | [ɡʊt ˈʃabəs] | Yiddish | Used any time on Shabbat, especially in general conversation or when greeting people. |
| Shavua tov | שָׁבוּעַ טוֹב | Good week | [ʃaˈvu.a tov] | Hebrew | Used on Saturday nights (after Havdalah), and even on Sundays, "shavua tov" is used to wish someone a good coming week. |
| Gut Voch | גוט וואָך | Good week | Yiddish | Same as above, but Yiddish | |
| Buen shabat | בוען שבת | Good sabbath | [buen ʃabat] | Judaeo-Spanish | |
| Sabado dulse i bueno | Sweet and good sabbath | Judaeo-Spanish | |||
| Boas entradas de Saba | Good entry to the sabbath | Portuguese or Judaeo-Portuguese |
Holidays
Different expressions are used for the Three Pilgrimage Festivals (Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot) and the other Jewish holidays.
| Phrase | Hebrew script | Translation | Pronunciation | Language | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hag sameah | חַג שָׂמֵחַ | Happy holiday | [χaɡ saˈme.aχ] | Hebrew | Used as a greeting for the holidays, can insert holiday name in the middle; e.g. "ḥag Hanukkah sameaḥ" (חַג חֲנוּכָּה שַׂמֵחַ). Also, for Passover, "ḥag kasher vesameaḥ" (חַג כָּשֵׁר וְשָׂמֵחַ) meaning wishing a happy and kosher(-for-Passover) holiday. |
| Moed tov Moadim l'simha |
מועד טובֿ מועדים לשמחה |
A good festival period A happy festival period |
[ˈmoʼed tov mo.aˈdim le simˈχa] |
Hebrew | Used as a greeting during Chol HaMoed (the intermediate days) of Passover and Sukkot. |
| Gut Yontev | גוט יום־טובֿ | Good holiday! | [ɡut ˈjɔntɛv] | Yiddish | Used as a greeting for the holidays. Often spelled Gut Yontif or Gut Yontiff in English transliteration. |
| Gut'n Mo'ed | גוטן מועד | Good ḥol hamoed | [ˈɡutn̩ ˈmɔjɛd] | Yiddish | As above (as a greeting during the chol ha-moed (intermediate days) of the Passover and Sukkot holidays), but Yiddish/English |
| L'shanah tovah or Shana Tova | לְשָׁנָה טוֹבָה | good year | [leʃaˈna toˈva] | Hebrew | Used as a greeting during Rosh Hashanah and the Days of Awe; or shana tova (שָׁנָה טוֹבָה), "a good year", or shana tova umetuqa (שָׁנָה טוֹבָה וּמְתוּקָה) "a good and sweet year". This is short for leshana tova tiqatevu veteḥatemu (לְשָׁנָה טוֹבָה תִכָּתֵבוּ וְתֵּחָתֵמוּ) "may you be inscribed and sealed (in the Book of Life) for a good year". A shorter version is often used: ktiva veḥatima tova (כְּתִיבָה וְחֲתִימָה טוֹבָה) "(have a) good signature (in the Book of Life)" and literally "good inscribing and signing". In Israel, also used during Passover due to the renewal of spring, the Exodus narrative and the new beginning of being freed from slavery, and because it says in the Bible itself, as to the month of Nissan, that "this month shall mark for you the beginning of the months; it shall be the first of the months of the year for you." (Sh'mot 12:1-3) Nissan is the Babylonian month name used by Jews in the Babylonian captivity and replaced the month name of Aviv. For these reasons, the greeting has wide usage in Israel around Passover. |
| Tzom kal | צוֹם קַל | Easy fast | [tsom kal] | Hebrew | Used to wish someone an easy Yom Kippur fast. In some English-speaking communities today, the greeting " an easy and meaningful fast" is used. |
| Gemar Ḥatima Tova | גְּמַר חֲתִימָה טוֹבָה | May you be sealed for good | Hebrew pronunciation: [gmaʁ χati.ma to.va] | Hebrew | Used to wish someone well for and on Yom Kippur. Tradition teaches that Jews' fates are written on Rosh Hashanah and sealed on Yom Kippur. |
| Tizku Leshanim Rabbot - Neʼimot veTovot | תזכו לשנים רבות - נעימות וטובות | May you merit many pleasant and good years | [tizˈku leʃaˈnim raˈbot - ne.iˈmot vetoˈvot] | Hebrew | Used in Sephardic communities to wish someone well at the end of a holiday. |
Greetings and farewells
There are several greetings and good-byes used in Hebrew to say hello and farewell to someone.
| Phrase | Hebrew script | Translation | Pronunciation | Language | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shalom | שָׁלוֹם | Hello, goodbye, peace | [ʃaˈlom] | Hebrew | A Hebrew greeting, based on the root for "completeness". Literally meaning "peace", shalom is used for both hello and goodbye. A cognate with the Arabic-language salaam. |
| Shalom aleichem | שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם | Peace be upon you | [ʃaˈlom ʔaleˈχem] | Hebrew | This form of greeting was traditional among the Ashkenazi Jewish communities of Eastern Europe. The appropriate response is "Aleichem Shalom" (עֲלֵיכֶם שָׁלוֹם) or "Upon you be peace." (cognate with the Arabic-language "assalamu alaikum" meaning "The peace be upon you.)" |
| L'hitraot | לְהִתְרָאוֹת | Goodbye, lit. "to meet" | [lehitʁaˈʔot] | Hebrew | Perhaps the most common Hebrew farewell in Israel (English "bye" is also commonly used). Sometimes shortened to לְהִתְ ("l'heet"). |
Phrases
These are Hebrew phrases used in Jewish communities both inside and outside of Israel.
| Phrase | Hebrew script | Translation | Pronunciation | Language | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mazal tov / Mazel tov | מַזָּל טוֹב | good luck/congratulations | [maˈzal tov] [ˈmazəl tɔv] |
Hebrew/Yiddish | Used to mean congratulations. Used in Hebrew (mazal tov) or Yiddish. Used on to indicate good luck has occurred, ex. birthday, bar mitzvah, a new job, or an engagement. Also shouted out at Jewish weddings when the groom (or both fiances) stomps on a glass. It is also used when someone accidentally breaks a glass or a dish. However, it is NOT normally used on news of a pregnancy, where it is replaced by "b'sha'ah tovah" ("may it happen at a good time/in the proper time"). |
| B'karov etzlech (f.) B'karov etzlecha (m.) |
בְּקָרוֹב אֶצְלְךָ | Soon so shall it be by you | [bekaˈʁov ʔetsˈleχ] [bekaˈʁov ʔetsleˈχa] |
Hebrew | Used in response to "mazal tov" |
| Im Yirtzeh HaShem | אִם יִרְצֶה הַשֵּׁם | God willing | [ɪmˈjɪʁtsə.aʃɛm] | Hebrew | Used by religious Jews when speaking of the future and wanting God's help. |
| B'ezrat HaShem | בְּעֶזְרָת הַשֵּׁם | With God's help | [beʔezˈʁat haˈʃem] | Hebrew | Used by religious Jews when speaking of the future and wanting God's help (similar to "God willing"). |
| Yishar koach (or ShKoiAch) | יְישַׁר כֹּחַ | You should have increased strength | [jiˈʃaʁ ˈko.aχ] | Hebrew | Meaning "good for you", "way to go", or "more power to you". Often used in synagogue after someone has received an honour. The proper response is "baruch tiheyeh" (m)/brucha teeheyi (f) meaning "you shall be blessed." |
| Chazak u'varuch | חֵזָק וּבָרוךְ | Be strong and blessed | [χaˈzak uvaˈʁuχ] | Hebrew | Used in Sephardi synagogues after an honour. The response is "chazak ve'ematz" ("be strong and have courage"). It is the Sephardi counterpart pair to the Ashkenaz ShKoiAch and Boruch TihYeh. |
| Nu? | ?נו | So? | [nu] | Yiddish | A Yiddish interjection used to inquire about how everything went. |
| Kol ha'ka'vod | כֹּל הַכָּבוֹד | All of the honour | [kol hakaˈvod] | Hebrew | Used for a job well done. |
| L'chaim | לְחַיִּים | To life | [leχaˈjim] [ləˈχajm] |
Hebrew/Yiddish | Hebrew and Yiddish equivalent of saying "cheers" when doing a toast |
| Gesundheit | געזונטהייט | Health | [ɡəˈzʊnthajt] | Yiddish | Yiddish (and German) equivalent of saying "bless you" when someone sneezes. Also sometimes "tsu gezunt". |
| Labriut (or Livriut) | לַבְּרִיאוּת | To Health | [livʁiˈʔut] | Hebrew | Hebrew equivalent of saying "bless you" when someone sneezes. |
| Refuah Shlemah | רְפוּאָה שְׁלֵמָה | Get well soon. Lit. full recovery | Hebrew | Used when someone is sick or injured. Also see related daily prayer addition. |
See also
References
- ^ Jacobs, Jill Suzanne. "Speaking of Favorite Hebrew Expressions". Dummies.com. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
- ^ "Expressions and Greetings". Judaism 101. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
- ^ "Rosh ha-Shana (Jewish New Year)". Hebrew: Virtual Ulpan. Archived from the original on 5 May 2017. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
- My Jewish Learning. "How to Greet Someone on Yom Kippur". My Jewish Learning. 70/Faces Media. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
- Staff, Jspace. "G'mar Chatimah Tovah from Jspace". Jspace. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
- Jacobs, Jill Suzanne. "Hebrew For Dummies". Dummies.com. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
- Daniels, Sariya. "B'Sha'ah Tovah". The Jewish Magazine. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
- contraction of the two words
- ^ "Jewish Holiday Greetings". Patheos.com. Archived from the original on 26 September 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
- "refua shlema - Jewish English Lexicon". Retrieved 26 March 2019.
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