Yodea, yachol, hitzlachti: how to say "I can"
Three words divide the English "can". Yodea — I know how, a skill: ani yodea letaken mechonit — I know how to fix a car. Yachol — I am able, physically: ani lo yachol lavo — I cannot come, I am busy. Maspik — enough: yesh maspik zman? — is there enough time? For example: “אני יודע לתקן מכונית.” — I know how to fix a car. A rule from the Hebrew course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Three words divide the English "can". Yodea — I know how, a skill: ani yodea letaken mechonit — I know how to fix a car. Yachol — I am able, physically: ani lo yachol lavo — I cannot come, I am busy. Maspik — enough: yesh maspik zman? — is there enough time?
It worked out — hitzlachti, from hatzlacha, success: hitzlachti! — I managed; lo hitzlachti — it did not work out. The wish of luck follows at once: behatzlacha! — to success!
The present changes by gender and number, not by person: yodea — a man, yodeat — a woman, yodeim — they. One form serves I, you and he alike, so these phrases are easy to use.
Table
| verb | meaning | example | translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| yodea | a skill | יודע לתקן | I know how to fix |
| yachol | physically able | לא יכול לבוא | cannot come |
| maspik | enough | מספיק זמן | enough time |
| hitzlachti | it worked | הצלחתי! | I managed! |
| lo hitzlachti | it did not work | לא הצלחתי | it did not work out |
| hatzlacha | success | בהצלחה! | good luck! |
By example
- אני יודע לתקן מכונית.ани йодэа летакэн мехонит.I know how to fix a car.
- אני לא יכול לבוא היום, יש לי עבודה.ани ло яхоль ла-во хайом, йеш ли авода.I cannot come today, I have work.
- יש מספיק זמן לתרגול?йеш маспик зман ле-тиргуль?Is there enough time for practice?
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
How to say I know how to in Hebrew?
Three words divide the English "can". Yodea — I know how, a skill: ani yodea letaken mechonit — I know how to fix a car. Yachol — I am able, physically: ani lo yachol lavo — I cannot come, I am busy. Maspik — enough: yesh maspik zman? — is there enough time?
Yodea or yachol difference in Hebrew?
Three words divide the English "can". Yodea — I know how, a skill: ani yodea letaken mechonit — I know how to fix a car. Yachol — I am able, physically: ani lo yachol lavo — I cannot come, I am busy. Maspik — enough: yesh maspik zman? — is there enough time?
How to say it worked out in Hebrew?
It worked out — hitzlachti, from hatzlacha, success: hitzlachti! — I managed; lo hitzlachti — it did not work out. The wish of luck follows at once: behatzlacha! — to success!
What does maspik mean?
Three words divide the English "can". Yodea — I know how, a skill: ani yodea letaken mechonit — I know how to fix a car. Yachol — I am able, physically: ani lo yachol lavo — I cannot come, I am busy. Maspik — enough: yesh maspik zman? — is there enough time?
What does it look like in a Hebrew example sentence?
“אני יודע לתקן מכונית.” (ани йодэа летакэн мехонит.) — I know how to fix a car. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.