What you already know
Part of the sound system comes free: sh, z and the ts of cats all exist in English. You only attach them to new shapes. The vowels are carried by the transcription, and the throaty kh and r take practice. For example: “האוטובוס כאן.” — The bus is here. A rule from the Hebrew course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Part of the sound system comes free: sh, z and the ts of cats all exist in English. You only attach them to new shapes. The vowels are carried by the transcription, and the throaty kh and r take practice.
International words are many and easy to recognize by ear: otobus, bank, telefon, universita. What confuses you on a sign is the direction: the word starts at the right end.
False friends are rare, because the languages are far apart. Still, a word that sounds familiar can mean something else, so check the translation once.
By example
- האוטובוס כאן.ха-отобус кан.The bus is here.
- הבנק קרוב.ха-банк каров.The bank is close.
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
Hebrew words an English speaker already knows?
Part of the sound system comes free: sh, z and the ts of cats all exist in English. You only attach them to new shapes. The vowels are carried by the transcription, and the throaty kh and r take practice.
Which Hebrew sounds are easy for English speakers?
Part of the sound system comes free: sh, z and the ts of cats all exist in English. You only attach them to new shapes. The vowels are carried by the transcription, and the throaty kh and r take practice.
International words in Hebrew?
International words are many and easy to recognize by ear: otobus, bank, telefon, universita. What confuses you on a sign is the direction: the word starts at the right end.
What does it look like in a Hebrew example sentence?
“האוטובוס כאן.” (ха-отобус кан.) — The bus is here. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.