Verbs in Hebrew

86 words on the topic

• אני רוצה

  ани роце

  I want

  A woman says ani rotza. The polite order at a cafe goes through rotse, not through a command
• אני אוהב

  ани охев

  I love

  A woman says ani ohevet. Loving a taste and loving a person is the same word
• ללכת

  лалехет

  to go

  The present comes from another root: holech, holechet, holchim. The means of travel (by what) is said separately
• לאכול

  леэхоль

  to eat

  The present: ochel, ochelet, ochlim. The same ochel also means food — only the place in the sentence tells them apart
• לשתות

  лиштот

  to drink

  The present: shote, shota, shotim. One form drinks water, coffee and takes medicine
• לקרוא

  ликро

  to read

  From the same root as call: the reader, as it were, calls the words. The present: kore, koret, korim
• לדבר

  ледабер

  to speak

  A language is spoken with the preposition be-: medaber ivrit — I speak Hebrew. The present: medaber, medaberet, medabrim
• לעבוד

  лаавод

  to work

  The present: oved, ovedet, ovdim. One root with avoda, work
• אני חייב

  ани хайав

  I must

  A woman says ani chayevet. The infinitive follows: chayav laavod — must work
• לגור

  лагур

  to live (reside)

  Residing, not life in general. The present: ger, gara, garim — the place takes the preposition be-
• יש

  йеш

  to have

  Hebrew has no verb to have: there is stands with to me — yesh li. Literally "there is to me"
• יש לי

  йеш ли

  I have

  The pattern: yesh + who + what. The negation is ein li — I have no
• ללמוד

  лилмод

  to study

  Root l-m-d: to study, to teach and to teach someone — one word. A pupil is talmid
• לבחור

  ливхор

  to choose

  The root b-ch-r: whether you choose or fate does — the root is one. I choose is ani bocher, a woman — bocheret
• לימודים

  лимудим

  studies

  Limudim — studies: the same word is said about studying in general. You know the verb itself — lilmod, to study
• לזכור

  лизкор

  to memorize

  Lizkor — to remember and to memorize in one: Hebrew does not divide them the way English does. From the same root zikaron — memory and a monument
• לראות

  лирот

  to see

  The root r-a-h, to see — the same as in lehitraot. The present: roe, roa, roim — she sees, they see
• לשמוע

  лишмоа

  to hear

  The root sh-m-a, to hear: shma! — listen! Hearing and listening on purpose are one word — the intention differs, not the verb
• לישון

  лишон

  to sleep

  The present: yashen — he sleeps. On paper it is almost the same as yashan, old: only the vowel tells them apart, and without nikud — the context
• לסחוב

  лисхов

  to carry

  To carry and to haul: the everyday verb for everything in the hands. sohev — I carry, sohevet — she carries
• לשים

  ласим

  to put

  To lay and to stand in one: sim et zeh al hashulchan. Lying flat and standing upright — one word here
• לשבור

  лишвор

  to break

  The root sh-b-r: shavur — broken, which you know. It broke by itself — nishbar; somebody broke it — shavar: different phrases
• לבנות

  ливнот

  to build

  The root b-n-h: bone — he builds; binyan — a building. The same root is in ben, a son: the thing that grows and holds
• לחמם

  лехамем

  to heat

  The root ch-m-m — the same as cham, hot: to heat, to warm up. Reheating food is lechamem, and the microwave is the main tool
• להתקשר

  леиткашер

  to call

  One calls le-: lehitkasher lechaver. The present: mitkasher — he calls, mitkasheret — she calls. The root k-sh-r is connection: kesher is both a link and a knot
• להוריד

  лехорид

  to download

  Literally "to bring down": a file is downloaded — brought down onto the computer — and uploaded — brought up. Up and down decide everything
• לשלוח

  лишлоах

  to send

  To send and to dispatch in one: a letter, a message, a person for bread. The present: sholeach — he sends, sholeachet — she sends
• לקבל

  лкабель

  to receive

  To receive and to accept in one: a parcel, a salary, guests. The present: mekabel — he receives, mekabelet — she receives
• לענות

  леанот

  to reply

  Replying to a message and to a question is one verb. One replies le-: laanot lehodaa. To a call one rather picks up the phone — that is in this course too
• להדליק

  лехадлик

  to switch on

  To switch on the light, the stove, the TV — everything that is lit. The present: madlik — he switches on, madliket — she does. To switch off — its pair, further in the lesson
• לכבות

  лехабот

  to switch off

  To put out and to switch off in one: the light, the engine, the flame. The present: mechabe — he switches off, mechaba — she does. The pair to switching on
• לתקן

  летакен

  to repair

  To fix and to correct in one: a bicycle, a grade, a mistake. From the tikon — the repair — you know. The present: mekanen — he fixes, mekenenet — she fixes
• להחליף

  лехахлиф

  to replace

  To change and to change clothes in one: a wheel, an opinion, a shirt. You have already heard it in the hint to the meil. The present: machlif — he changes, machlifa — she changes
• לנצח

  ленцаах

  to win

  The same spelling as lanetzach — forever: the vowel decides, as with the gate. The present: menatzeach — he wins, menatzeachat — she wins
• להפסיד

  лехафсид

  to lose

  To lose and to waste in one: a match, money, time. The present: mafsid — he loses, mafsidet — she loses. The pair to winning
• לרוץ

  лируц

  to run

  The present changes the stem: ratz — he runs, ratzet — she runs. The morning jog is the ritzua — of the same root
• לקפוץ

  ликфоц

  to jump

  The present: kofetz — he jumps, kofetzet — she jumps. Jumping into water and jumping for joy — one verb
• לשבת

  лашэвет

  to sit

  The present: yoshev — he sits, yoshevet — she sits. Shev! — sit down — is said so, and it is the first word of every bus
• לעמוד

  леамод

  to stand

  The present: omed — he stands, omedet — she stands. Laamod bator — to stand in the queue — the national exercise
• לשכב

  лишхав

  to lie (down)

  The present: shochav — he lies, shochavet — she lies. To go to bed is lishkav lishon — and the second half has long been familiar
• להרים

  лехарим

  to lift

  The same root as har — a mountain: the lifted thing stands up like a hill. To raise a hand is leharim yad — said at school before answering too
• לזרוק

  лизрок

  to throw

  The present: zorek — he throws, zoreket — she throws. To throw out trash is lizrok ashpa — the verb works in cleanliness too
• לתפוס

  литпос

  to catch

  To catch and to grab in one: a ball, a bus, a thought. Tofes! — that is how catch! is shouted. The present: tofes — he catches, tofeset — she catches
• ליפול

  липоль

  to fall

  You have already heard it in mafal — the waterfall: the water that falls. The present: nofel — he falls, nofelet — she falls
• לשיר

  лашир

  to sing

  The present: shar — he sings, sharat — she sings. The same root as shir: a song is what has been sung
• לרקוד

  лиркод

  to dance

  The present: roked — he dances, rokedet — she dances. The dance is the rikud — and it will be needed in the traditions lesson
• לשחק

  лешахек

  to play

  To play — with a ball, on the stage, at a board game: the same root as sachkan, the player. The present: mesachek — he plays, mesacheket — she plays
• לצייר

  лецайер

  to draw

  A drawing is a tziur. The present: metzayer — he draws, metzayeret — she draws. On paper do not mix it up with letzalem — to photograph: one letter
• לצלם

  лецалэм

  to take photos

  A photograph is tmuna — the word from the technology lesson. The present: metzalem — he photographs, metzalemet — she photographs
• לטייל

  летайель

  to go for a walk

  The same root as tiul — the outing — about it further in the lesson. The present: metaiel — he walks, metaiellet — she walks
• לנוח

  линоах

  to rest

  Rest is mnucha. The present: noach — he rests, nochat — she rests. On Saturday the whole country rests — not a figure of speech but a timetable
• להתחתן

  леитхатен

  to get married

  The same about a man and about a woman: the reflexive form fits both. We got married — itchtnu — and no pronoun is needed
• להזמין אורחים

  лехазмин орхим

  to invite guests

  Literally "to order guests": the same lehazmin that orders a table at a restaurant. One verb invites both guests and orders — the object tells them apart
• להתפלל

  леитпалель

  to pray

  A reflexive form, like lehitpalel — to be surprised: on paper tell one and two letters l apart. The present: mitpalel — he prays, mitpalelet — she prays
• לצום

  лецум

  to fast

  A fast is a tzom. One fasts not only for faith: before the blood test you know one also tzum — does not eat in the morning
• לברך

  леварех

  to congratulate

  To congratulate and to bless in one: mevarech — he congratulates, mevarechet — she congratulates. Mevarech leyom huledet — the standard formula
• לטאטא

  летатеа

  to sweep

  The broom is the matatea — and the verb is an obvious relative of it: the word swings, like the broom. The present resembles the broom on paper too
• לכבס

  лехабэс

  to wash (laundry)

  From kvisa — the laundry — you know. The present: mechabs — he washes, mechabset — she washes. The washing machine is mechonat kvisa
• לגהץ

  легахец

  to iron

  The iron is the magachetz — about it further in the lesson: the verb and the iron are of one nest. The present: magachetz — he irons, magachetzet — she irons
• לעזור

  леазор

  to help

  One helps le-: laazor leima. The present: ozer — he helps, ozeret — she helps. Efshar laazor? — the most frequent phrase of kindness
• לבקש

  левакеш

  to ask (request)

  From the same root as bevakasha — please — which you have said since day one: a request and please are one word. The present: mevakesh — he asks, mevakeshet — she asks
• לאפשר

  леашер

  to allow

  From efshar — may — which you know: to allow means to make possible. Nearby lives mutar — allowed — the word from all the parking signs
• לאסור

  леасор

  to forbid

  From asur — forbidden — which you know from not allowed: the verb makes the ban an action. Asur lehikanes — entering is forbidden: on such signs the verb lives
• להעתיק

  леатик

  to copy

  Literally to copy: a file on the computer is copied with the same verb. In the classroom it is the English cribbing — from the neighbour at the desk
• לסדר

  лесадер

  to correct

  To sort out and set right: tesader et hataut — correct the mistake. For broken technique you have letaken — Hebrew divides putting right and fixing
• לחסוך

  лахсох

  to save (money)

  Lachsoch is both to save and to economize: one verb covers both senses. From it also chisachon — savings
• לבזבז

  ливзбез

  to waste

  To spend easily and usually too much: al tevazbez! — do not squander! The neutral to pay is leshalem — which you know
• לצבור

  лицбор

  to accumulate

  To pile up: snow, experience and money pile up alike — one verb. What is piled up is the tzibur: the public, the crowd
• לבטח

  леватэах

  to insure

  From bituach — insurance: to insure the car, the apartment, the trip. The reflexive levatech et atzmo — to insure oneself
• להתעטש

  леитатэш

  to sneeze

  A reflexive verb from atich — a sneeze: the doubled t-t as in English. After a sneeze an Israeli hears livriut — be healthy
• לחלות

  лахалот

  to fall ill

  To fall ill with something takes be-: chaliti beshaat — I caught the flu. Do not mix it up with koev li: there a body part hurts, here you are ill
• להחלים

  лехахалим

  to recover

  The same root ch-l-h as in machala: the illness goes — the strength returns. The wish to a patient is refua shlema — a full recovery
• לתאם

  летаэм

  to arrange

  Letaem — to coordinate: the time, the place, the details. From it toem — a coordinator; after letaem everything is clear: who, where, when
• להתפטר

  леитпатэр

  to resign

  You leave yourself: hitpatarti — I resigned. The reflexive form — you act; the opposite is lefater — when they fire you
• לפטר

  лепатэр

  to fire

  The boss fires, not you; impersonally they say putru oti — I was fired. Unpleasant news — but the pair of words is useful
• לעבור דירה

  лаавор дира

  to move house

  Laavor — to go through and to move: the same verb as passing an exam. Where you move to takes the preposition le-: laavor lechaifa — to move to Haifa
• לעטוף

  леатоф

  to pack

  To wrap and to mummy up: the dishes in paper, the things in film. Packing a suitcase is leareg — which you know; here things are hidden and closed
• לפרוק

  лефрок

  to unpack

  To unload and to unpack: the boxes open, the things go onto the shelves. The same verb unloads the truck
• להסתדר

  леистадэр

  to settle in

  To get things arranged: the things in their places, the life going. The same word means to get on with a person: anachnu mistadrim — we get on
• להיות

  лихйот

  to be

  In the present Hebrew most often just skips the linker: ani kan — I am here, no verb. Lihyot is needed in the future and the past and after rotze — want to be
• להסתכל

  лехистакель

  to look at

  You have met lirrot, to see; to look on purpose, to direct the gaze, is lehistakel, and after it comes al: I am looking at the photograph
• לעוף

  леуф

  to fly

  What has wings flies: hatzipor afa — the bird flies; hamatos af — the plane flies. Gender and number change, not person
• להשתמש

  лехиштамеш

  to use

  You have met lehishtamesh be- as to apply; to use something is the same verb with be-: mishtamesh bemachshev — I use a computer
• יודע

  йодэа

  to know how to

  You have met yodea as knowing facts; knowing how is the same word: yodea lischot — I can swim, literally "know to swim"
• לפגוש

  лифгош

  to meet

  Meeting by chance or on purpose in the street is lifgosh; yesterday I met a friend — pagashti chaver. The root is p-g-sh
• לגעת

  леагет

  to touch

  To touch is to reach: nogea bezeh — I touch it; after the verb stands be-, where English expects a plain object

How it sounds in a sentence

A word list is a blank. Conversation is made of sentences, and these are the ones the words fit into most often.

• אני רוצה מים.

  ани роце маим.

  I want water.
• אני אוהב קפה.

  ани охев кафе.

  I love coffee.
• אני הולך לעבודה.

  ани ходех ла-авода.

  I am walking to work.
• אני רוצה לאכול לחם עם גבינה.

  ани роце леэхоль лехем им гвина.

  I want to eat bread with cheese.
• אני רוצה לשתות מים.

  ани роце лиштот маим.

  I want to drink water.
• אני אוהב לקרוא בערב.

  ани охев ликро бе-эрэв.

  I love to read in the evening.

What is worth knowing about these words

אני רוצה (ани роце) — I want. A woman says ani rotza. The polite order at a cafe goes through rotse, not through a command.

אני אוהב (ани охев) — I love. A woman says ani ohevet. Loving a taste and loving a person is the same word.

ללכת (лалехет) — to go. The present comes from another root: holech, holechet, holchim. The means of travel (by what) is said separately.

לאכול (леэхоль) — to eat. The present: ochel, ochelet, ochlim. The same ochel also means food — only the place in the sentence tells them apart.

Test yourself

Recalling a spelling from meaning is harder than recognizing a familiar word — and therefore more useful.

How to learn the set instead of just reading it

I want, I can, I am going, I know. The verb holds a sentence together: a few of the most frequent ones cover more everyday talk than a long list of nouns.

A list is read in a minute and forgotten in a day. What works: hide the translation, try to recall, get it wrong — and come back to the same words tomorrow.

• Recalling beats re-reading. Covering the translation and trying to remember it does more than reading it ten more times.checked many times
  Adesope, Trevisan & Sundararajan, 2017, Review of Educational Research 87(3) · 188 experiments, 272 comparisons. g = 0.61; against plain re-reading 0.51, against passive review 0.93.
• Study spread over days wins not only in experiments but in ordinary classrooms, with real students.checked many times
  Mawson & Kang, 2025, Behavioral Sciences 15(6):771 · 22 studies, d = 0.54 (confidence interval 0.31–0.77). The authors warn that individual studies disagree widely.

Next

• All topics of the Hebrew language4011 words by topic and letter
• Greetings and goodbyes9 words
• Numbers and counting57 words
• Food and drink177 words
• At a café and a restaurant9 words
• Shopping and money82 words
• Why a word list doesn't sticka note