The city and its places in Hebrew
81 words in Hebrew on the topic “the city and its places”: עיר — city, רחוב — street, כיכר — square, בית מרקחת — pharmacy.
81 words on the topic
- עירирcityFeminine: ir gdola — a big city. The first letter ע is not read
- רחובреховstreetThe throaty ח inside. In an address the street comes first: Rothschild, Tel Aviv
- כיכרкикарsquareBoth a city square and a bread roll — the same word for a round shape. Kikar Rabin is Tel Aviv's main square
- בית מרקחתбейт меркакетpharmacyLiterally "the house of preparing" — medicines are compounded there. Look for the green cross on it
- בנקбанкbankAn international word, written right to left: b-n-k. Closed on Friday after midday
- קהלкахальcrowdA crowd and an audience: the kahal is what has gathered to watch and listen. lekahel — to gather — is the same root
- רמזורрамзорtraffic lightLiterally "a pointer of light", from ramiz — blinking. Red is adom, green is yarok — the colours you know: the traffic light is honest in any language
- אופנייםофанаимbicycleAlways plural with the dual -aim: a bicycle as a pair of wheels. One rides it rochev al ofanaim — astride, like on a horse
- תחנת אוטובוסтаханат отобусbus stopLiterally "the station of the bus": the same tachana as in the railway station you know. The bus is the otobus — an international word
- כרטיסיהкартисияtravel passFrom your cartis — the ticket: tap it — and ride. The monthly pass is kartisia chodeshit — the most frequent specification
- מסלולмаслульrouteThe route of a bus, a walk, a plane: the line one follows. Route five on the board is maslul chamesh
- מעבר חצייהмаавар хацаяpedestrian crossingLiterally "the crossing of the intersection": maavar is both a crossing and a ferry. The zebra is painted white — and the signs call it by the same name
- פקקпэкэкtraffic jamThe same word as the cork in a bottle: the thing that blocks the road. The plural is pkakim — and everybody fears them in the morning
- חניהханияparkingA parking and a lot in one; from lalin — to spend the night: to park is to spend the night in place. Paid parking is chanya betashlum
- תחנת דלקтаханат дэлекpetrol stationLiterally "the station of fuel": delek — the fuel — from ladluk — to burn. The same root as in lechabot — to extinguish: fire is in the flame and in the button
- גןганparkA park and a garden in one; you have already heard it in the hint to the gina — the garden by the house: the big public one is the gan. The kindergarten is gan yeladim
- ספרייהсприяlibraryFrom the root of sefarim — books, which have a lesson of their own further on. The bookshop is chanut sfarim: there they sell, here they lend
- מוזיאוןмузеонmuseumAn international word with the Israeli stress on the last syllable: muzeON. The entrance is by the cartis, which you know
- תיאטרוןтеатронtheatreInternational spelling, Israeli reading: teatRON. The hall in it is the ulam — a word from Arabic — and concert halls are named by it too
- קולנועкольноаcinemaLiterally "sound-light": the cinema was named poetically in Hebrew. BaKolnoa — to the cinema: the preposition has glued on, like the ha-
- כנסייהкнесияchurchOld churches stand in Jaffa and Acre, and one is let in as into a museum. The word is old: knesset — an assembly — and the parliament of Israel carries the same name
- אצטדיוןицтадионstadiumThe stress on the di: itztadiON. The big stadiums stand in Tel Aviv, Haifa and Beer Sheva — and on Saturdays it is loud there
- צומתцоматan intersectionLiterally a knot: the roads are tied in a knot — and the same word means a knot in a rope. A roundabout is a tzomet with a circle
- מדרכהмидрахаa sidewalkFrom derech — the road — you know from in general: the midracha is what one walks on. A bicycle has no place there
- שדרהсдэраan avenueA wide street with rows of trees; the plural sderot is the Rothschild Boulevard. By ear do not mix it up with the sdera — the series: another first letter there
- סמטהсимтаa laneA narrow street where two cars cannot pass. By ear it is close to the shtika — to be silent: the difference is one vowel
- טיילתтайлетa promenadeFrom letaiel — to walk: the place arranged for strolling. The big Tel Aviv promenade is called exactly so — the big tayelet
- גשרгешерa bridgeA bridge over the river and over the road — a footbridge is also a gesher. From it also to bridge — in the figurative sense
- מנהרהмнихараa tunnelA mountain pierced through: the Israeli road to Jerusalem goes through three tunnels. The metro train also lives in a tunnel
- פנס רחובфанас рэховa street lampThe panas — a flashlight — in general, in the hand too; the street one is specified by rechov. The lamp at home — the menora you know — shines differently
- ספסלсапсальa benchA bench in the park and a school desk — one word: the elderly and the first-graders sit at the same sapsal
- סל אשפהсаль ашпаa litter binYou already know pach aspa — the garbage bin; the street litter bin is the sal — from the basket. The aspa — the trash — and the flea market share the word
- נהג אוטובוסнахаг отобусthe bus driverThe nahag — a driver — of anything: a car, a bus, a train. A woman at the wheel is a nahaga — and half the drivers in Israel are women
- תחנה סופיתтахана софитthe last stopThe sofit — the last — from sof — the end — which you know. At the last stop the driver announces: bevakasha laredet — please get off
- מספר קוмиспар кавthe route numberThe city route is a kav — a line — like a line on the map. They say it shorter: kav chamishim — route fifty — and that is enough
- שעת עומסшаат омасthe rush hourLiterally the hour of the load: amas — the load. The crowd at the shop is called by the same amas — without any hour
- לוח זמנים של אוטובוסיםлуах зманим шель отобусимthe bus timetableYou already know luach zmanim — the timetable; here the buses are attached to it. Such a luach hangs at every stop
- לשלם על הנסיעהлешалэм аль ха-нсияto pay the fareYou know nesia — the ride: one pays not for the passing but for the ride. The payment is the tashlum — and the machine in the bus swallows the card itself
- לתפוס מקוםлитафос макомto take a seatLitfos — to catch: a seat here is caught like a fish. Taken is tafus — and the same sign hangs on the doors of the booths
- להזמין מוניתлехазмин монитto call a taxiYou know monit — the taxi — and lehazmin — to order — too: the hotel room you ordered with the same verb
- לרדת בתחנה הבאהларэдэт ба-тахана ха-бааto get off at the next stopFrom the transport an Israeli descends — laredet — not gets out. The habaa — the next — as in next month
- שכונהшхунаa neighbourhoodA district of the city — the shchuna — from shachen — to dwell: the place where people live. The station district of any city
- מרכז העירмерказ ха-ирthe city centreThe mercaz — the centre — of anything: the mall is the centre of purchases, literally. The meetings are usually exactly there
- פריפריהпериферияthe outskirtsA Greek borrowing, like the English periphery: what is at the edge. The work — in the centre; the housing is cheaper — in the outskirts
- אתר בנייהатэр бнияa construction siteYou know atar — a place — from the website; the bniya — the construction — is from binyan — the building — which you know from the form of the building. The crane is a manof
- עבודות כבישаводот квишroadworksA thing is fixed with letaken — but a road is not fixed: on it they conduct avodot — works. The sign on the road stands exactly so: roadworks on the highway
- שילוטсилутa signpostThe shelet — a sign — is taken by the TV remote; the street signposts are called silut. By the silut one finds both the nature reserve and the hospital
- שירותים ציבורייםшерутим цибуриимa public toiletThe sherutim — always plural — is both the toilet and the services. The tziburi — public — is from tzibur — the public — as in public opinion
- נקיнакиcleanA relative of nikayon — the cleaning — you know. The naki — about things, hands and conscience at once: a clean conscience
- מלוכלךмелюхляхdirtyFrom lechalech — to dirty: the prefix me- and the doubled l-ch-l — dirtied. Clothes, a road and a joke — all can be dirty
- עמוסамусcrowdedThe amus — loaded: said about people, about the road and about the schedule alike. From the same amas — the load — as in the rush hour of the last lesson
- כפרкфарa villageHalf the place names in Israel start with kfar: Kfar Saba, Kfar Yona. Kfari — village-like, simple-minded
- עיר הבירהир ха-бираthe capitalBira by itself is beer — a familiar word! That is why the capital is said whole: ir ha-bira — the city-capital
- תחבורה ציבוריתтахбура цибуритpublic transportTachbura is transportation: transport is what carries. Tzibur — the public — you know from the toilet: public is literally of the people
- גן ילדיםган йеладимa kindergartenA garden of children, literally: gan — the garden — you know. The teacher is called ganenet — like a gardener, only for people
- מגרש משחקיםмиграш мисхакимa playgroundMigrash — the ground, mischakim — the games: a ground of games, literally. The swing is miglal, the slide is maglesha
- מזרקהмазрекаa fountainRelated to mayan — the spring: a mazreka is the one that sprinkles. On a hot day the children in it are wet from head to toe
- בית עלמיןбейт алминa cemeteryLiterally a house of eternity: alma — the age, the eternity. People go there with a pebble — to put on the monument, not with flowers
- כבאיתкваитa fire truckA relative of kvai — the firefighter — from the first lesson: the one that extinguishes. The red truck with a ladder you recognize at once
- רובעроваa quarter (of a city)A part of the city with its own streets: the old city, for instance, divides into four rova-im. Its relative is revea, a quarter as a fraction
- גן ציבוריган цибуриa public gardenGan is a garden, tsiburi public: the green patch between houses where children and dogs live. Ginah is the smaller patch
- מגדלмигдалa towerA structure taller than everything around: the fortress tower of the old city or a glass office one. From it migdal shmira, a watchtower
- פרברправерa suburbThe residential belt around a big city: houses with gardens, quieter and greener than the center. Usually in the plural — prvarim
- יישובйишувa settlementA place smaller than a city — a town or a village. A word from the paperwork, but it lives in the news too
- עובר אורחовэр орэхa passer-byLiterally "one passing by way": a person who was walking past and stopped for a minute. The best one to ask the way
- הולך רגלхолех регельa pedestrianLiterally "one walking by foot": the one who goes on foot. For them the crossing and the sidewalk; for the cars, the lights
- שלט חנותшлет ханутa shop signYou know shelet as a remote control; any street plate-sign is also shelet. The shop sign tells you from afar what is sold inside
- פחпахa binA short word for any container: a street bin, a wastebasket, a toy box. The full pach aspa you have met; pach is the vessel itself
- עמוד תאורהамуд теураa street lampLiterally "a column of lighting": an iron post with a lamp on top. You have met pnas rechov for lamp; amud teura is the formal name of the same post
- מדשאהмадшеаa lawnYou know deshe, grass; the mowed grass field in the yard and the park is madshea — people sunbathe and play ball on it
- ערוגת פרחיםаругат прахимa flower bedAruga, the vegetable-garden bed, was taken; so Hebrew calls the flower bed a bed of flowers — arugat prachim
- מרפסת כניסהмирпесет книсаa porchMirpeset, the balcony, was taken; the open area before the door is named the same way: mirpeset knisa, literally the balcony of the entrance
- מדרגהмадрегаa stepYou know madregot, the staircase; one step is madrega. Careful: the same word also means a level
- מספר הביתмиспар ха-баитa house numberYou know mispar, a number, and bait, a house; in the address the number comes after the street: Herzl 7
- שם הרחובшэм ха-рэховa street nameShem — the same letters as the there you know, but here it is a name: the street name is literally the name of the street
- עמודамудa postYou have seen amud teura, the lamp post; a bare amud is any post or column. The first letter ע is not read
- העיר העתיקהха-ир ха-атикаthe old cityAtik means ancient; the old city of Jerusalem is called exactly that — hair haatika, literally the city the ancient one
- בניין מגוריםбиньян мегуримan apartment buildingYou know binyan, a building, and megurim, housing; an apartment building is where people live, not work
- שקטшекетsilenceYou know shaket, quiet; here it is the silence itself: at night in the neighborhood there is shaket. The word is masculine
- בנייןбиньянa buildingAny structure, from a school to an office; the word grows from the root b-n-h, the same as livnot, to build
- אולםуламa hallYou have met ulam as a lecture hall; a big hall for concerts and assemblies is the same word, and the airport halls too
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.
- העיר גדולה.ха-ир гдола.The city is big.
- הבית ברחוב.ха-байт барехов.The house is on the street.
- השוק בכיכר.ха-шук бакикар.The market is on the square.
- איפה בית מרקחת?эйфо бейт меркакет?Where is the pharmacy?
- איפה הבנק?эйфо ха-банк?Where is the bank?
- יש קהל בשוק.йеш кахаль ба-шук.There is a crowd at the market.
What is worth knowing about these words
עיר (ир) — city. Feminine: ir gdola — a big city. The first letter ע is not read.
רחוב (рехов) — street. The throaty ח inside. In an address the street comes first: Rothschild, Tel Aviv.
כיכר (кикар) — square. Both a city square and a bread roll — the same word for a round shape. Kikar Rabin is Tel Aviv's main square.
בית מרקחת (бейт меркакет) — pharmacy. Literally "the house of preparing" — medicines are compounded there. Look for the green cross on it.
Test yourself
Recalling a spelling from meaning is harder than recognizing a familiar word — and therefore more useful.
- How do you say “city” in Hebrew?
Feminine: ir gdola — a big city. The first letter ע is not read
- How do you say “bicycle” in Hebrew?
Always plural with the dual -aim: a bicycle as a pair of wheels. One rides it rochev al ofanaim — astride, like on a horse
- How do you say “petrol station” in Hebrew?
Literally "the station of fuel": delek — the fuel — from ladluk — to burn. The same root as in lechabot — to extinguish: fire is in the flame and in the button
- How do you say “stadium” in Hebrew?
The stress on the di: itztadiON. The big stadiums stand in Tel Aviv, Haifa and Beer Sheva — and on Saturdays it is loud there
- How do you say “a tunnel” in Hebrew?
A mountain pierced through: the Israeli road to Jerusalem goes through three tunnels. The metro train also lives in a tunnel
How to learn the set instead of just reading it
Street, square, pharmacy, bank. An address is built out of these, and an address is something you have to both say and understand.
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 timesAdesope, 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 timesMawson & 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.
Frequently asked
How do you say “city” in Hebrew?
«עיר», read “ир”. Feminine: ir gdola — a big city. The first letter ע is not read. It is one of 81 words in the set “the city and its places” — the rest are in the table above.
How many street and place words do you need to start?
The whole set on this page is 81 words, but there is no need to start with all of it: the words you will need in the next few days are enough. Take them a few at a time — five to seven new ones per session.