Phrases that save you in Hebrew
17 words in Hebrew on the topic “phrases that save you”: אני לא מבין — I don't understand, לאט — slowly, תחזרו בבקשה — repeat, please, אתם מדברים אנגלית? — do you speak English?
17 words on the topic
- אני לא מביןани ло мэвинI don't understandA woman says ani lo mevina. The negation lo stands right before the verb
- לאטлеатslowlyThe most useful word of the first week: leat, bevakasha — slower, please
- תחזרו בבקשהтахзеру бевакашаrepeat, pleaseFrom the root ch-z-r, to repeat. To one person — tachzor bevakasha
- אתם מדברים אנגלית?атем медабрим англит?do you speak English?About a woman they ask at medaberet anglit? The word order matches English here
- הצילו!хацилу!help!Literally "save us" — the cry for real danger. The calm request is efshar lizror li? — could you help me?
- אבדתיавадтиI'm lostFrom leaved, to lose. I got lost and my thing went missing — one word
- לא עובדло оведnot workingAbout machines and about people alike: hamaalit lo ovedet — the elevator does not work. About a woman — lo ovedet
- רגע, בבקשהрега, бевакашаwait a momentRega — an instant: Israelis count not minutes but regas. The most frequent pause-word of a conversation
- אני לא יכול לפתוחани ло яхоль лифтохI cannot open itYachol — can, from the root y-ch-l. A woman says ani lo yechola. The reason is your own: the key, the strength or the permission
- אמבולנסамбулансambulanceAn international word; the service is called Magen David Adom — the Red Star of David. The single number is 101
- אני צריך רופאани царих рофэI need a doctorLiterally "I need of a doctor": tzarich is both need and must. A woman says ani tzricha rofe
- זהירותзэирутcareful!The yellow signs write exactly zehirut — from the root z-h-r, to beware. A careful person is zahir
- מסוכןмэсуканdangerousFrom the root s-k-n, the same as sakana, danger. Kan mesukan — it is dangerous here; on signs and at the beach it sounds equally strict
- תקראו למשטרהтикру ла-миштараcall the policeMishtara — the police, from the root sh-t-r, the same as shoter, a police officer. Its number is 100
- איבדתי דרכוןибадти дарконI lost my passportThe past of leabed, to lose. A woman says ibadti. The report will be taken at any police station
- לא מרגיש טובло маргиш товI don't feel wellLiterally "I do not feel good". A woman — lo margisha tov. Softer than it hurts, and clearer for the doctor
- אל תיגעוаль тигауdon't touchThe prohibition is built with al plus the future: al tigau. To one person — al tiga
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.
What is worth knowing about these words
אני לא מבין (ани ло мэвин) — I don't understand. A woman says ani lo mevina. The negation lo stands right before the verb.
לאט (леат) — slowly. The most useful word of the first week: leat, bevakasha — slower, please.
תחזרו בבקשה (тахзеру бевакаша) — repeat, please. From the root ch-z-r, to repeat. To one person — tachzor bevakasha.
אתם מדברים אנגלית? (атем медабрим англит?) — do you speak English? About a woman they ask at medaberet anglit? The word order matches English here.
Test yourself
Recalling a spelling from meaning is harder than recognizing a familiar word — and therefore more useful.
- How do you say “I don't understand” in Hebrew?
A woman says ani lo mevina. The negation lo stands right before the verb
- How do you say “wait a moment” in Hebrew?
Rega — an instant: Israelis count not minutes but regas. The most frequent pause-word of a conversation
- How do you say “I lost my passport” in Hebrew?
The past of leabed, to lose. A woman says ibadti. The report will be taken at any police station
- How do you say “help!” in Hebrew?
Literally "save us" — the cry for real danger. The calm request is efshar lizror li? — could you help me?
- How do you say “careful!” in Hebrew?
The yellow signs write exactly zehirut — from the root z-h-r, to beware. A careful person is zahir
How to learn the set instead of just reading it
“I don't understand”, “say that again”, “slower, please”, “help”. They are learned first for a reason: they bring back a conversation that has already gone wrong.
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 “I don't understand” in Hebrew?
«אני לא מבין», read “ани ло мэвин”. A woman says ani lo mevina. The negation lo stands right before the verb. It is one of 17 words in the set “phrases that save you” — the rest are in the table above.
How many emergency phrases do you need to start?
The whole set on this page is 17 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.