Hebrew is one of the world’s oldest languages, with a script dating back thousands of years. Today about 12 million people speak Hebrew as their first language. It is spoken by Jews and Arabs alike in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, Iran, Iraq and Syria. Although Hebrew has many dialects, they are mutually intelligible to a large degree.
This free Hebrew dictionary includes more than 60,000 entries covering everyday words in modern Hebrew, as well as archaic terms from Biblical Hebrew and Yiddish. Look up how to say common phrases like “hello” or “thank you,” or discover how to write words like “computer” in Hebrew letters.
The entries are categorized into general topics such as greetings, numbers, days of the week and colors; verbs; nouns; adjectives; names (personal); place names; animals; plants; gerunds (verb forms ending with -ing); and some miscellaneous topics such as idioms and proverbs. The dictionary also covers technical terms related to computers, electronics and communications.
Greetings
and other expressions
Here are just some of the entries you will find in this dictionary:
ברוכים הבאים (Sephardi greeting) ֽ אַל תקרה בי-הָבאת משפחת (Jewish blessing on a visit) ֽ ראשון, ראשו. (morning, morning time) ֽ ְלמה? (why?)
As you can see, the definitions for many Hebrew words vary depending on the dialect. So if you’re looking for a standard dictionary full of terms from one dialect, this is not the place to look. But if you’re looking for a dictionary that has more than 60,000 entries covering all aspects of modern Hebrew and its related dialects, you’ve found it!
Numbers and counting
Numbers in Hebrew are written with the letters “פ” and “ץ”.
Number 1 is ארבעה, 2 is שלשים, 3 is שתיים and so on.
Hence, ארבעה is four, שארבעה is five and so on.
The numbers are also divided into groups: 0-9; tens (10-19); hundreds (20-99); thousands (100-199); tens of thousands (200-999); hundreds of thousands (1,000-1,999) and millions (2,000 – 9,999).
One million equals one thousand times ten thousand. Hence the number nine hundred ninety nine equals one thousand times nine hundred ninety nine.
In addition to this concept of numbers there are also three types of counting: cardinal numbers which are used to count things like people or animals; ordinal numbers which help to identify places in a list; and fractions which help to make a calculation in order for two or more measurements to be added up correctly.
Days of the week
The Hebrew language has seven days of the week and three names for each day:
Monday : שבת (Shabbat)
Tuesday : שני (Shanay)
Wednesday : חמישי (Chamashechi)
Thursday : ראשון (Roshon)
Friday : שישי (Sheishon)
Saturday : הרביעי (Haraviah)
Sunday: טובתא(Tova).
Colors
The Hebrew word for green is ברוך אתם -baruch atah- meaning “blessings to you.” The word also means “fresh,” which is why the color green has been associated with life, springtime and hope.
Verbs
The Hebrew verb is one of the most important parts of speech. The Hebrew verb has its own unique conjugation patterns, which are very different from the patterns used in English.
All verbs have a stem plus a perfect participle (which is the equivalent of the present tense in English) and sometimes an imperfect participle. The perfect participle is formed by adding לו to the end of the imperfective stem; this ending also ends many nouns and adjectives.
Nouns
When you’re looking up a noun, you’ll find that the dictionary includes the following vocabulary categories: Personal (people); Place names; Animals; Plants; and Common objects.
Personal: Names of people, professions, nationalities, religions and places.
Place names: Cities and towns, mountains and rivers.
Animals: Mammals and birds.
Plants: Flowers, trees and vegetables.
Common objects: Clocks and watches; computers; TV sets; telephones; radios; bookshelves; clothes hangers; picture frames (frames for paintings or photographs); floor tiles; pens.
Idioms and proverbs
One of the most interesting aspects of this dictionary is the inclusion of idioms and proverbs in Hebrew. Idioms are phrases that have a commonly understood meaning, but might have a different derivation from their literal meaning. For example, an idiom might be “the whole nine yards,” which means “the whole thing.” The word is usually used figuratively to mean something large or extensive. Proverbs are sayings that have their origins in ancient times and continue to carry wisdom today.
Technical terms related to computers, electronics, and communications
The entries in the Hebrew dictionary are categorized into general topics such as greetings, numbers, days of the week and colors; verbs; nouns; adjectives; names (personal); place names; animals; plants; gerunds (verb forms ending with -ing); and some miscellaneous topics such as idioms and proverbs. They also include technical terms related to computers, electronics, and communications that are not found in a general dictionary.
In addition to being a Hebrew dictionary, this resource includes Hebrew-English translations of common phrases used by Jews in Israel. It is an invaluable learning tool for anyone who is interested in language or culture.
Conclusion
Free Hebrew Dictionary is a free resource for anyone who wants to learn to speak and understand Hebrew. It features over 5,000 terms and expressions, as well as an audio recording of each word. This website is an excellent resource for those looking to learn Hebrew as they can search by keyword or by category.
The site also features a list of most used words in each category which is helpful for those just starting out. Additionally, there is a glossary of terms and expressions found in the dictionary which will allow you to deepen your understanding of the language.
It is important to remember that while this website is a great way to learn Hebrew, it cannot replace proper instruction from a qualified teacher.
FAQ’s
What is the Hebrew alphabet?
The Hebrew language (Hebrew: עַכּוֹר ʿāqqōr, IPA: [ˈɑaqˈkɔɾ] ‘aqqur’) is a Northwest Semitic language native to the area of Israel and the Ancient Near East. It is the only Canaanite language remaining in daily use.
The Hebrew alphabet has 23 letters, with three additional consonants used rarely: ʿayin (“), waw (ㄧ), and nun (ן). The internal logic of the Hebrew language allows assimilation of letters to preceding ones, i.e., kheh can be assimilated by tsade or mem, so the last two letters of a word may be any two of those three extras. The following are how the letters of the Hebrew alphabet are pronounced:
When reciting a word or a sentence, one must pronounce its proper vowels and distort the r sound, which is not pronounced in Hebrew, according to its correct pronunciation in English.
The consonants of each word are put together according to their function – whether they are prefixes or suffixes. Note that there are no apostrophes for plurals or possessives as in English. However, there is no need for apostrophes for contractions either (just look down at your phone’s autocorrect marked words). That’s how different Hebrew already is!
What are the differences between Hebrew dialects?
Hebrew is a Semitic language that belongs to the Canaanite branch of the Afro-Asiatic family. It is the ancient language of the Hebrews, and is spoken by an estimated 12 million people today. It is also the official language of Israel and serves as the national language of Palestine. There are many Hebrew dialects, which are based on geographic, social, political and religious differences. Although all Hebrew dialects are mutually intelligible to some extent, there are large differences in how they sound and its usage in different regions. The following are some of the major differences between Hebrew dialects:
1. Southern Hebrew or Mizrahim- This dialect is spoken in Israel and Palestine by Mizrahi Jews who hail from North Africa and the Middle East. This dialect has fewer vowel sounds and more guttural consonants than other dialects of Hebrew.
2. Tiberian- This variant was developed using Phoenician writing system by Jewish scholars during the first century CE in Tiberius (now called Kfar Yuval near Haifa in Israel). This variant is still used as standard written language in Orthodox Judaism today.
3. Israeli- This dialect is most widely spoken due to its use in media like radio and television but has many features that differ from standard Hebrew such as guttural sounds, shortened vowels and uniquely formed pronunciation of words, etc..
What is the purpose of the Hebrew dictionary?
The purpose of a dictionary is to provide the reader with the correct spelling, pronunciation and meaning of words. This will allow the reader to use the word correctly, write or speak it correctly and sound smart without looking like a primitive.
There are many reasons why a person would want to learn Hebrew. It could be for purely intellectual purposes, such as learning how the ancient people of Israel spoke and wrote over 3,000 years ago. It could be for religious reasons such as learning more about the Old Testament in order to understand it better or gain insight into what their lives were like. Or it could be for purely practical purposes such as finding work in Israel or travelling there.
The first step is to understand what you want from a Hebrew dictionary. Are you looking for spelling, pronunciation or meaning? If so, which is most important? Do you only need a single dictionary or would you benefit from multiple sources? Would you prefer an electronic dictionary or one that is printed out?
Once you have your answers, you need to choose a Hebrew dictionary that suits your needs best. There are many available on the market and each has its own features and pros/cons.
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