People and family in Hebrew
138 words in Hebrew on the topic “people and family”: חבר — friend, משפחה — family, אמא — mom, אבא — dad.
138 words on the topic
- חברхаверfriendA friend, a comrade, and also a boyfriend (of a girl). A woman friend is chavera
- משפחהмишпахаfamilyFeminine. It covers the kin wider than the English family — cousins and grandmothers included
- אמאимаmomBoth the call and the ordinary word for mother — there are no others in daily life. Reads ima
- אבאабаdadThe pair to ima. These words are native to Hebrew too — they sound close in half the languages of the world
- ילדйеледchildA girl is yalda, children are yeladim. The plural for two children is the dual: shnei yeladim
- מוכרмохерsellerFrom the root m-ch-r, to sell. A woman seller is mocheret, and at the shuk it is more often she
- קונהконеbuyerFrom the root k-n-h, to buy. At the market no words are needed: you point a finger and you are already the kone
- שכןшахенneighborShachen — a neighbor, shchena — a neighbor (f). The root sh-ch-n is the same as in michan, a dwelling: live next door and you are kin
- אדםадамpersonA human being; the plural is special — anashim. People are counted with it: kama anashim? — how many people?
- גברгеверmanIn the plural gvaryim — men. Gveret — madam: the same word with another vowel, politeness in one syllable
- אישהишаwomanA woman; the same word means wife — the context tells them apart. Ish is the old-style man, and isha comes from there too
- בחורбахурyoung manA lad: from the root b-ch-r, to choose — the chosen one. Bachura is a young woman, and the pair matches in shape
- בחורהбахураyoung womanA young woman. The plural bachurot — you will hear this word in the group of any language course, this one included
- זקןзакенold manAn old man and old — one word: the subject will tell you who is in front of you. You will return to the pair zaken — tzair (young) more than once
- זרзарstrangerAlien and stranger in one: sfat zar — a foreign language, literally the tongue of the stranger. To an unknown woman — zara
- קהלкахальcrowdA crowd and an audience: the kahal is what has gathered to watch and listen. lekahel — to gather — is the same root
- נוכריнохриforeignerA foreigner, an outlander. The colloquial zar — a stranger — is already yours, and nochri sounds more exact: a person from another country. A woman is nochria
- פקיד הקבלהпакид ха-кабалаreceptionistLiterally "the clerk of the reception": a pakid is any clerk, from a bank to a hotel. A woman is pkida
- דייגдайягfishermanFrom ladug — to fish. A woman fisher is dayaget. The Kinneret is the main fishing water of the country
- שיערсэарhairHair as a whole; a single hair is sear too. Long is sear aroch, short — sear katzar
- גבוהгавоаtallAbout a person, about a house and about a price alike. The feminine is gvoha; mechir gvoha — a high price
- נמוךнамухlowThe pair to tall in everything: a person, a chair, a ceiling. The feminine is nmucha
- צעירцаирyoungYoung; the pair to zaken — old — which you know. Bachur tzair — a young man — is almost a formula
- זָקָןзаканbeardThe same spelling as zaken, an old man: the vowel decides — zaken is old, zakan is a beard. Without vowels the phrase carries the meaning
- שפםсафамmoustacheA moustache, masculine: safam aroch — long moustaches. The pair to zakan, the beard — together they change a face
- רזהразэthinThin, slim; about a person and about a book alike. The pair to shamen, fat
- שמןшамэнfatAbout a person and about oil in the pan: one word, the context separates. The root sh-m-n — greasy and fat from one nest
- יפהяфэgood-lookingGood-looking about a person and well, nicely done about a matter: yafe meod! is both a compliment and well done. The feminine is yafa
- מראהмарэlooksThe looks; the same spelling as mar-a, a mirror: the stress and the place tell them apart. Bemare rishon — at first sight
- נחמדнехмадkind; pleasantNice and friendly: the word of the first impression about a person. The feminine is nechmadet
- שמחсамэахcheerfulBoth merry and joyful — one word, as in your phrase ani sameach. A sameach child is a lively, sunny child
- חכםхахамcleverClever and wise in one; a sage is called a chacham — a respectful title. The feminine is chachama
- רשעрашаwickedWicked and a villain in one; the villain of the fairy tale is the rasha, and children know his face. A woman is reshua
- רגועрагуаcalmFrom rega — the instant: calm is the one whose everything is regulated. It is said about the sea too: yam ragua — a calm sea
- מנומסменумасpoliteFrom numas — manners: polite is the one who has them. Bli numas — without manners — is almost an insult
- עצלןацланlazyLazy; atzlanut — laziness — lives nearby, and so does the colloquial formula ein koach — no strength
- אמיץамицbraveBrave; otzma — the fortress — and bravery holds the same way. The feminine is amitza
- הגוןхагонhonestA bookish word; the colloquial yashar — straight — you know as straight ahead, and it also means honest. The feminine is hogenet
- אופיофиcharacterThe character; ofi also means sort of: ze ofi davar acher — it is sort of another matter. Everyone has an ofi of their own
- מלצרмэльцарwaiterA waiter; a woman is meltzarit. To call him politely you still use the slicha — which you have known since the first week
- מתולתלметултельcurlyFrom motal — a curl: the hairdresser does a motal. Straight hair is the familiar sear yashar
- קירחкиреахbaldThe bald patch is called koreket — of the same root. The plural is krchaim
- מאפירмаафирgrey-hairedMade from the familiar afor — grey: literally turned grey. In the newspapers it is written about politicians too
- גובהговаheight (of a person)One word for the height of a person and the height of a house. They ask exactly so: ma hagova shelcha?
- חטובхатувslimLiterally carved, like a statue: about a figure it is said with praise. The word grows from the gym
- בינוני בגובהбинони ба-говаof medium heightThe beinoni — middle; so a person is described in the wanted ads too. Check it through not tall and not short — the words of the second wave
- נדיבнадивgenerousThe same root as ndava — a voluntary donation. Generosity is nadivut
- סבלניсавланиpatientFrom sevel — patience: a person who can endure. The feminine is savlanit
- חרוץхаруцhard-workingLiterally sharp, determined: so they call the one who does not put the matter off. The businesslike spirit is charutzut
- אמיןаминreliableThe same root as emuna — faith: reliable is the one one believes in. Do not mix it up with batuach — sure: that is about a feeling, this is about a person
- צנועцануаmodestThe tzanua is the one who does not stick out. The same word — about modest clothes
- חברותיхаверутиsociableFrom chaver — a friend: sociable is the one who makes friends easily. Greets first and remembers names
- אכפתיэхфатиcaringFrom leetchef — to take interest, to care: caring is the one who has business with others. The feminine is echfatit
- רציניрециниseriousThe same root as ratzon — the will — from this wave: a serious person says what he intends to do. The antonym is laftchan — the joker
- מחונךмехунехwell-manneredA participle from lechaneach — to bring up; the chinuch — the upbringing. About well-brought-up children they say exactly so
- חוש הומורхуш гуморa sense of humourLiterally the sense of humour: chush — a sense — like smell or hearing. Without it — bli chush humor — and that is already a diagnosis
- קמצןкамцанstingyA kamtzan can also be stingy with words: kamtzan bemilim — not talkative. Stinginess is kamtzanut
- עקשןакшанstubbornThe same root as ekev — a heel: the stubborn one stands on his own, like a post. Stubbornness is achshanut
- גס רוחгас руахrudeLiterally coarse of spirit: politeness in Hebrew is about the spirit, not the words. The antonym is adin ruach — gentle of spirit
- חצוףхацувpushy; brazenOne of the most frequent complaint words in Israeli speech. Pushiness ischtzufa
- ערמומיармумиcunningFrom armimus — cunning: cunning is the one who builds armum. The fox in children's books is called exactly so
- פטפטןпетпетанchattyFrom lepatpet — to chatter about nothing. Not a rude word: people say it with a smile
- מפוזרмефузарscattered; absent-mindedA participle from lefazer — to scatter: the things are lost, the keys are not there — the person is scattered. The English word is built the same way
- חמום מוחхамум моахhot-temperedLiterally a hot brain — the liveliest Israeli word about a hot temper. First the explosion, then the thought — that is it
- אדישадишindifferentFrom adishut — indifference: indifferent is the one for whom it is all the same. In Hebrew I do not care is adish li
- הרגלхергельa habitFrom lehitargel — to get used to. Behergel — out of habit; a bad one — hergel ra
- חברהхавераa girlfriendThe feminine of chaver: a friend — and in a couple also a girlfriend. The context tells
- מכרмакерan acquaintanceFrom lehakir — to know: a maker is the one you know but are not friends with. The neighbours on the staircase are often exactly machirim
- כישרוןкишаронa talentThe one who knows his trade — the professional — from the next slot, of the same root m-tz-a — craft. Talented is kishonati
- נולדноладto be bornThe noladti form is one for a man and a woman alike. The yom huledet — the birthday — is of the same root y-l-d as yeled — the child
- ילדותйалдутchildhoodFrom yeled — the child: the suffix -ut makes time out of the child — as health out of healthy
- נעוריםнеуримyouthAlways plural: neurim — both youth and the young people. A naar — a young man — sounds bookish
- בגרותбагрутadulthoodThe bagrut — maturity — and the same word is carried by the school final exam. Passed it — consider yourself grown
- דורдорa generationFrom generation to generation. The same root d-v-r is in dira — the apartment: people live there — and pass it on
- עיר הולדתир холедэтthe hometownLiterally the city of the birth: nolad — to be born — of the same root. About the language they say mother tongue — and about the city — so
- לגור במדינה חמש שניםлигвор ба-медина хамэш шанимto live in the country for five yearsLigvor — to dwell; medina — both the state and the country. After a number bigger than four the year becomes shanim — years
- זיכרוןзихаронa memoryA zikaron — a memory, the memory and the flash drive at once: the storage in the phone is also zikaron. Many memories — zichronot
- תמונה ישנהтмуна йешанаan old photographYou know tmuna — the photograph; yeshana — old — the form of yashan. New shots live in the phone — the old ones in a box
- גורלгоральa fateA goral — a fate and a lot: the die that spins. From liglol — to spin — of the same root as the wheel from the car rental
- להתחיל חיים חדשיםлехатхиль хаим хадашимto start a new lifeThey also say it shorter — to start anew; you know chadash — new
- להקים משפחהлехаким мишпахаto start a familyHebrew raises the family — lehakim — to erect, like a building. The same verb puts a firm and a state on their feet
- עשירаширrichAshir is about money. Rich in time or in experience is said differently: asher be- — rich in something
- עניаниpoorListen carefully: ani is both I and poor — the stress and the context tell them apart. Poverty — oni — is of the same root
- שותף לדירהшутаф ле-дираa roommateShutaf — the partner — you know: a flatmate is also a partner, in the sharing of the home. The flat — dira — means everything here has to be shared
- חבר ילדותхавер йалдутa childhood friendYaldut — childhood — you know from the lesson about biography: a childhood friend is a friend from childhood. Such friends are kept for life
- מפורסםмефорсамfamousFrom fursum — the publication: famous is literally published. A relative of pirsum — the advertisement: it is what makes a person famous
- איתןэтанstrongEtan is strong and sturdy: an arm, health, a bridge. The familiar chazak stayed as the wish hold on — for the quality Hebrew takes a firmer word
- הגיוניхегйониreasonableFrom hegion — logic: hegioni is what agrees with logic. A reasonable decision is hachlata hegionit
- טוב לבтов левkindnessLiterally the goodness of the heart: lev — the heart — you know. About a person they say adam shel tov lev — a person with a kind heart
- שליטה עצמיתшлита ацмитself-controlLiterally the governing of oneself: shlita — the command, atzmi — oneself. About the nerves, not the body; the endurance of the body is savlanut
- סבלנותсавланутpatienceFrom the same root as the familiar saver — the porter: the one who carries the weight. Have patience — they say it to children and adults alike
- אנוכיותанохиютegoismFrom ani — I: everything revolves around me, and the root shows it directly. The adjective anochi — egoistic
- עצלותацлутlazinessFrom the familiar atzlan — lazy: the same root, a noun. The same word scolds the idler too: ata atzlan!
- עקשנותакшанутstubbornnessFrom akshan — stubborn — of the same root as kashe — hard: stands as if planted. A child's stubbornness is akshanut shel yeladim
- סקרנותсекарнутcuriosityThe wish to know; the word does not condemn: inquisitiveness and curiosity are one here. Sakran — curious
- יושרйошерintegrityFrom the familiar yashar — straight: straightness as honesty. One word for honesty and integrity, and the hint does not confuse it with emuna — the faith
- תושיהтушияresourcefulnessThe ability to find a way in any situation. There is no root here like in hitkadmut — progress: this is one's own resourcefulness, not schooling
- חוסר דאגהхосэр дэагаcarelessnessLiterally the lack of worry: choser — the lack, daaga — the worry, from the familiar al daaga — do not worry. The word is rather warm than condemning
- נחושнахушresoluteFrom nechoshet — copper: hard, like metal. Nachush bedaato — firm in his decision; of the same root is the familiar hachlata — the decision
- ביישןбайшанshyFrom boshet — the shame; a shy person is baishan, the shyness as a trait is baishanut
- נוטה להיעלבноте леиальевtouchyLiterally inclined to take offence: note — inclined, and lehitaalev — to take offence — you know from no offence. The offence as a feeling is aliva
- צייתןцайтанcompliantCompliant is the one who obeys: the familiar lishmoa bekol — from this same lesson. The taken gamish — flexible — stayed with rubber and schedules
- קפדןкэфданmeticulousThe one who checks to the last letter: bdika kafdanit — a meticulous check. The shade is serious, without mockery; neutrally they say mdudek — exact
- מרוכז בעצמוмерухаз бе-ацмоself-absorbedLiterally concentrated on oneself: everything revolves around him. Proud in the good sense — gee, haughty — shachtan — these are the words next door
- מתחשבмитхашевconsiderateFrom lehitchashev — to take into account the other: considerate is the one who keeps the neighbour in mind. The taken achfati — caring — is close in sense
- סגור בתוך עצמוсагур бе-тох ацмоwithdrawnLiterally closed inside oneself: the familiar sagur — closed — here about a person. In one word they say introverti, but the turn sounds livelier
- ישירяширstraightforwardFrom the familiar yashar — straight: the one who speaks straight. Tshuva yshira — a straight answer; a rude straightness they will call tzach canoni — blunt
- בלתי צפויбилти цафуиunpredictableThe negation of tzafui — predictable — from the previous lesson: the prefix bilti — not. About a person and about the weather alike: mezeg avir bilti tzafui
- לשמוע בקולлишмоа бэ-кольto obeyLiterally to listen into the voice: to obey is to obey the voice. The familiar lishmoa — to hear with the ears; here the same verb with bekol and already about obedience
- להתפארлеитфаэрto boastLiterally to show oneself off: it demands be- — to boast of something. The noun hitpaarut — the boasting — is of the same root
- לרכולлерхольto gossipFrom rachil — the gossip: to wash the bones. It demands al — to gossip about someone. The rumour is the familiar shmua, while gossip is exactly rachil
- להתחזותлеитхазотto pretend (to be)Literally to pass oneself off as another: it demands le- — who exactly. The taken lehaamid panim — to make a face — is about the mask; here one pretends to be someone
- להתאפקлеитапэкto restrain oneselfLiterally to hold oneself: bekoshi hitapek — he barely restrained himself. Careful: the same word means to abstain — from sweets too one hitapek
- להתל בлеитель беto teaseLiterally to befuddle: it demands be- — to tease someone. Al titael bi! — do not tease me! To play a prank on — matzchik
- לפברקлефабрэкto make up (a story)From fabrika: to fabricate a story, an excuse, a clue. The taken lesheker — to lie — is about the lie itself, while lefabrek is to invent it whole
- לצותתлецотэтto eavesdropTo listen secretly: by the door, behind the wall. It demands le- — to eavesdrop on a conversation; to peep is letzpot — a separate word
- לדחוף את עצמוледхоф эт ацмоto push oneself inLiterally to push oneself: to climb where one was not called. Al tidchof et atzmcha — do not push yourself in; the adjective dchofani — pushy
- לקיים הבטחותлекайем автахотto keep one's wordLiterally to carry out the promises: the familiar lehavtiach — to promise — here as a noun. Literally the same as in ours: the word is kept, not carried
- לזכותлезхотto deserveTo be granted: of the same root are zchut — the merit — and zchuyot — the rights — which you know. Zacha leshvach — earned the praise
- להוכיחлеохиахto reproachTo tell off, to point at a fault: it demands et — to reproach someone. The same verb means to prove: the phrase tells them apart, not the stress
- להללлеалельto praiseTo extol, to exalt: from halel — the praise sung by a choir. The taken leshabeach — to praise; lehalel is stronger: to sing praises
- לגנותлигонto condemnTo condemn with words, publicly: kulam ginu oto — everyone condemned him. The noun ginua — the condemnation; in court they say it differently
- לאכזבлеахзевto let downTo disappoint: not to live up to the hopes. Ichzav oti — he let me down; the noun achzava — the disappointment — is of the same root
- במכווןбэмховэнon purposeFrom kavvana — the intention — a word you know: done with a purpose. The familiar bechavana — deliberately — is a synonym; bemchovan is livelier and more often with vexation
- מטיפשותми-тифшутout of foolishnessFrom tipshut — the foolishness: did it without thinking. Nearby mibaarut — out of ignorance, from not knowing; here exactly foolishness
- מתוך כוונה טובהми-тох квана товаwith the best intentionsLiterally from inside a good intention: mitoch — from inside, kavvana — the intention, tova — good. So they excuse the one who meant well
- זה לא יפהзэ ло яфэit is not niceThe most frequent remark in an Israeli family: ze lo yafe mitzidecha — it is not nice of you. About an act they speak with the same words as about a thing
- הוא לא התכוון לרעху ло хиткавэн ле-раhe meant no harmLiterally he did not intend to the bad: the familiar lo hitkavanti — I did not mean — plus lera — to the evil, to the harm. A woman says hi lo hitkavna lera
- אמוןэмонtrustFrom lismoch — to trust — which you have: trust as a thing that is built and lost. Careful: emuna — the faith — is one letter different
- קנאהкинааenvyFeminine: bli kinaa — without envy. The verb is lekane with the dative: kane — I envy you. The envious one is mekane
- רחמיםрахамимcompassionOnly the plural, like maim; pity and mercy at once. Out of pity — mitoch rachamim; in speech they more often say racham alav — he pities him
- השפעהхашпааan influenceThe noun from the familiar lehashpia — to influence: hashpaa al — an influence on someone. Under the influence — tachat hashpaa — and this expression is from the news about the road
- סמכותсмахутan authorityFrom lismoch — to rely: the one who is relied on. Both the weight among people and the powers: samchut is also the power of the office
- הדדיתхададитmutualFrom chad — sharp and alternate: there and back, to each other. Kavod hadadi — mutual respect; it sounds bookish but is frequent in contracts
- בגובה העינייםбэ-гова ха-эйнаимas equalsLiterally at the height of the eyes: to look into each other's eyes, not from above down. Assembled from the familiar gavoa — tall — and ayin — the eye
- למצוא שפה משותפתлимцо сафа мешутефетto get alongLiterally to find a common language: safa you know from a foreign language. The familiar lehitstader is taken by to settle in, so to get along goes through this turn
- להישאר בצדлеишаэр ба-цадto stay asideLiterally to remain at the side: tzad — the side, from the familiar mitzad echad — on the one hand. They also say lashevet batzad — to sit aside
- אנשיםанашимpeopleThe plural of adam, a person, is special and must be memorized: anashim. Compare ish, a man, and nashim, women
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.
- הוא חבר טוב.ху хавер тов.He is a good friend.
- המשפחה גרה כאן.ха-мишпаха гера кан.The family lives here.
- אמא בבית.има ба-байт.Mom is at home.
- אבא בעבודה.аба ба-авода.Dad is at work.
- הילד קורא.ха-йелед коре.The child is reading.
- המוכר שוקל ירקות.ха-мохер шокель йеракот.The seller is weighing the vegetables.
What is worth knowing about these words
חבר (хавер) — friend. A friend, a comrade, and also a boyfriend (of a girl). A woman friend is chavera.
משפחה (мишпаха) — family. Feminine. It covers the kin wider than the English family — cousins and grandmothers included.
אמא (има) — mom. Both the call and the ordinary word for mother — there are no others in daily life. Reads ima.
אבא (аба) — dad. The pair to ima. These words are native to Hebrew too — they sound close in half the languages of the world.
Test yourself
Recalling a spelling from meaning is harder than recognizing a familiar word — and therefore more useful.
- How do you say “friend” in Hebrew?
A friend, a comrade, and also a boyfriend (of a girl). A woman friend is chavera
- How do you say “neighbor” in Hebrew?
Shachen — a neighbor, shchena — a neighbor (f). The root sh-ch-n is the same as in michan, a dwelling: live next door and you are kin
- How do you say “stranger” in Hebrew?
Alien and stranger in one: sfat zar — a foreign language, literally the tongue of the stranger. To an unknown woman — zara
- How do you say “low” in Hebrew?
The pair to tall in everything: a person, a chair, a ceiling. The feminine is nmucha
- How do you say “looks” in Hebrew?
The looks; the same spelling as mar-a, a mirror: the stress and the place tell them apart. Bemare rishon — at first sight
How to learn the set instead of just reading it
Mum, friend, child, neighbour. The first thing people ask you about, and the first thing you tell about yourself.
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 “friend” in Hebrew?
«חבר», read “хавер”. A friend, a comrade, and also a boyfriend (of a girl). A woman friend is chavera. It is one of 138 words in the set “people and family” — the rest are in the table above.
How many family words do you need to start?
The whole set on this page is 138 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.