30 Ways to Say Hello in Hebrew & Other Greetings

We all have different reasons for picking up a language. Some may find joy in exploring its poetry, while others are looking to get ahead in their career abroad. With Hebrew, that’s no different – it’s spoken by millions around the world to recite holy texts, to share jokes on school playgrounds, to negotiate international contracts, and everything in between.

No matter what your motivation might be, there is for sure one thing that is absolutely essential to learn, and that is how to say hello in Hebrew. Simple phrases of common courtesy like ‘Hello’, ‘Goodbye’, ‘Thank you’, and ‘You’re welcome’ are essential to survive in the day-to-day world, and they are appreciated and expected in Hebrew just like in any other language.

In that spirit, let’s dedicate today’s guide to just that! Below, we will take a good look at all the basic greetings and formalities in Hebrew that you will need to get by in any setting. We will look both at formal and business-appropriate vocabulary as well as expressions suitable for more relaxed settings, so no matter where you’re coming from, rest assured you will find what you need to know.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at all the most essential, widespread, and useful Hebrew greetings!

A Short note on formality in Hebrew

During this overview, the concept of formality (or lack thereof) will pop up a few times. Hence, let’s take a few moments to understand just how the concept of formality works in the Hebrew language.

Unlike many European languages like French and Spanish, Hebrew does not distinguish between levels of formality by the use of different pronouns. The second person singular is always את or אתה, depending on gender, regardless of whether you are speaking to a stranger, to your boss, or your childhood friend.

However, this does not mean that Hebrew does not distinguish at all between formal and informal language! Rather, its distinctions are more fluid than what you might be used to, which can easily lead to misunderstandings.

Because of this, I have decided to include short notes on formality for most of the expressions listed below. Do note that, in contemporary Israeli usage, hardly any popular expressions are considered ‘very formal’ – to the extent you’d only use them at a black-tie dinner, let’s say – and casual language is very widespread, even if poorly defined.

Because of the near-complete lack of standardization, the grammars you use to learn Hebrew may explain these varying levels of formality in different words than I did in this guide. Do take into account that this does not mean that either me or your books are wrong, but rather that language is very fluid and there are many ways to look at it!

How to say ‘hello’ in Hebrew

1. שלום (shalom)

By far the most widespread, ancient, and universal Hebrew greeting, שלום (shalom) transcends almost any boundaries of social setting. In some very highly formal situations, a simple ‘shalom’ and nothing more may be taken as an indication that you are acting reserved, but apart from that, you can count on this simple greeting serving you well just about anywhere.

The literal meaning of the word ‘shalom’ is actually ‘peace’! The idea of wishing peace to the person you greet, both when you say hello in Hebrew and when you part ways, is an old and treasured aspect of many Middle Eastern cultures.

2. שלום עליך

While a mere ‘Shalom’ should cover you for the vast majority of everyday social interactions (remember, you can even use it to say goodbye!), sometimes a little extra politeness is appreciated, if not outright demanded when interacting in Hebrew.

The most widespread formal greeting that you can use in Hebrew is שלום עליך, literally ‘peace upon you’. Note that there are two ways to read this phrase depending on the gender of the person you are addressing. When speaking to a woman, you will say it as shalom a-layikh.

However, when speaking to a man, the same phrase is read as shalom a-ley-kha.

In some less common cases, you may also want to use this greeting with a group of people. In a mixed group, Hebrew uses the masculine plural by default, so you will say שלום עליכם (shalom a-ley-khem, or if using casual speech, shalom a-ley-khem).

When facing a group of women, however, the phrase differs slightly and becomes שלום עליכן (shalom a-ley-khen or shalom a-ley-khen, as above).

Note that, in formal speech, it is sometimes considered rude to use the masculine plural for mixed groups of people. In such cases, it might be more appropriate to say both gendered inflections, either as שלום עליכם ושלום עליכן or vice versa as שלום עליכן ושלום עליכם.

3. אהלן (ahalan)

This is a more casual way of saying “hello” in Hebrew. If you’re among same-aged friends and just wish to drop in with something like a ‘hi’, use אהלן (ahalan, though sometimes also ahlan). This word comes from Arabic and is part of a very popular expression (pronounced ahalan wa-sahalan) used to greet others and welcome them, usually into your own home.

In Hebrew, ahlan works in the same way, but many people also use it much more loosely as a sort of universal casual greeting.

Hebrew greetings for different times of day

4. “Good morning” in Hebrew – בוקר טוב (Boker tov)

Wishing someone a good morning is another one of these basic courtesies that is always received warmly, whether you are with friends or among total strangers. In Hebrew, you wish people a good morning by saying בוקר טוב (boker tov).

This is literally ‘good morning’ the way we say it in English – just note that the adjective comes after the noun due to Hebrew’s different syntax.

There is also one more thing to keep in mind. When somebody wishes you good morning in Hebrew, you reply with a slightly different phrase: בוקר אור (boker or). This means ‘morning of light’, and it is an ancient tradition that is also found in a similar form in Arabic, for example.

In purely casual interactions, most people will probably not mind if you just shoot a ‘boker tov’ back at them, but in circumstances where politeness and respect matter more heavily, remembering this rule can make a difference.

5. “Good evening” in Hebrew – ערב טוב (Erev tov)

To say good evening in Hebrew, simply swap out בוקר for ערב (erev), ‘evening’, to form ערב טוב.

Just as with good morning above, the appropriate response to this expression is ערב אור.

Now, as for why you would wish someone an evening full of light, that’s a whole mystery…

6. “Good night” in Hebrew – לילה טוב (layla tov)

Following the same pattern, saying goodnight in Hebrew is dead simple. Just say לילה טוב (layla tov), and there you go! Now, the one area where stuff works differently here compared to the other times of day above is in the nature of the response.

There is no such thing as saying לילה אור in reply to a לילה טוב. Instead, a variety of phrases are used interchangeably to wish a safe night of rest in response to layla tov. One of my personal favorites, which is pretty universal in terms of who you can say it to, is וחלומות פז (va-kha-lo-mot paz), literally ‘…and dreams of gold!’.

Hebrew	English
שלום	Peace / Hello
שלום עליך / עליכם / עליכן	Peace unto you
אהלן	Hi
בוקר טוב	Good morning
ערב טוב	Good evening
לילה טוב	Goodnight

How to say ‘how are you?’ in Hebrew

The next step after initial greetings is usually a simple question about how the other person is doing, or how they have been since the last time you saw each other. In Hebrew, it is very common to ask these kinds of questions as a matter of principle even if you don’t expect a very detailed, honest answer (though sometimes, you might, so watch out!).

Hence, try to internalize most, if not all of these phrases below, as you will definitely get a chance to use them during your next Hebrew conversation.

7. Basic way of saying “How are you?” in Hebrew – מה שלומך?

The universal way to ask how someone is doing in Hebrew is מה שלומך, literally ‘what is your peace?’.

This phrase can be pronounced in two ways based on the same identical spelling, as with some other everyday greetings in Hebrew we already looked at.

When addressing a male, you are supposed to say ma shlom-kha. However, when addressing a female, use ma shlo-mekh instead.

Again, when addressing mixed groups, be mindful of the social setting and tend towards using both feminine and masculine plural forms to avoid offending anyone.

However, in casual speech and wherever appropriate, feel free to just resort to מה שלומכם (ma shlom-khem) for mixed groups and מה שלומכן (ma shlom-khen) for female groups exclusively.

8. מה נשמע? (ma neeshma)

This is a casual way of saying “how are you?”. Literally ‘what is heard?’, מה נשמע (ma neesh-ma) is one of the most widespread casual ways of saying “how are you?” in Hebrew. You can use this with friends, coworkers, and casual acquaintances alike.

9. ?מה המצב (ma hamatsav)

Here’s another casual way of saying “how are you?” in Hebrew.

In terms of meaning and connotation, this is pretty similar to ma nishma above, מה המצב (ma ha-ma-tsav), literally “what is the situation?”, likely developed out of military slang but has entered everyday casual language and is nowadays used as a perfectly neutral phrase appropriate for the majority of social circumstances.

10. איך הדברים? (eykh hadvareem)

Especially if you are catching up with a friend you have not seen in some time, it is natural in Hebrew to ask איך הדברים (eikh ha-dva-reem). This phrase means “how are things?”, and you can say it very much like you would use its English equivalent.

11. מה קורה? (ma kore)

Another way of asking how someone is doing in a casual context, more or less interchangeable with the other phrases in this section, is מה קורה (ma ko-re). Literally “what’s happening?” or “what’s going on?”, this is a very universal phrase that you can make use of all the time.

Hebrew	English
מה שלומך / מה שלומכם / מה שלומכן?	What is your peace? / how are you?
מה נשמע?	What is being heard?
מה המצב?	What is the situation?
איך הדברים?	How are things?
מה קורה?	What’s happening? What’s going on?

How to greet others formally in Hebrew

Sometimes, you may need to make use of more than everyday polite language, for example in a serious business context.

The Israeli corporate workplace has a reputation for being more loosely-strung than many of its contemporaries, but especially when dealing with international clients and when important negotiations are involved, a certain measure of formality and respect are still desirable.

12. “It’s a pleasure meeting you” in Hebrew – נעים מאוד (na’eem me’od)

When meeting someone and greeting them politely, it’s very handy (and in some circumstances widely expected) to use the phrase נעים מאוד (na’eem me’od), literally ‘very pleasant’.

This phrase has about the same connotations as saying ‘it’s a pleasure to meet you’ in English – the fact that it’s clearly a contraction does not damage its appropriateness for formal situations whatsoever!

13. An alternative way of saying “it’s a pleasure meeting you” in Hebrew – נעים להכיר (na’eem lehakir)

If you have caught yourself using נעים מאוד a bit too much and want some variety, there is a perfect analog in the form of נעים להכיר (na’eem le-ha-keer). Literally, this is the equivalent of saying ‘it’s pleasant to get to know (you)’. Again, a contraction of a potentially longer phrase, but one that you can use without hesitation even in relatively formal situations to be polite.

How to ask for someone’s name in Hebrew

After exchanging greetings, you might also want to ask for their name in case this is the first time you have met. To ask “what’s your name? in Hebrew, you have a few options available, which depend both on the level of formality, your and your opposite’s genders, as well as your own preference.

Let’s take a look at all of the most essential phrases below!

14. מה שמך?

This phrase is read as ma sheem-kha for addressing a male and as ma shmekh when addressing a female. There are also two plural variations: מה שמותיכם (ma shmo-tey-khem or ma shmo-tey-khem) as well as מה שמותיכן for female groups (ma shmo-tey-khen or ma shmo-tey-khen).

Literally, this is akin to asking ‘what’s your name?’ directly, just like we often do in English. As such, it is a pretty universal phrase to use.

15. מה קוראים לך?

Sometimes in Hebrew, we don’t just ask each other for our names. Instead, we might ask someone what they (as in, others) call them. This is the literal equivalent of מה קוראים לך?.

You should be used to the drill by now: since this phrase addresses someone directly, you will need to adapt to the other person’s gender. When facing a man, say מה קוראים לך as ma kor-eem le-kha.

However, when talking to a woman, you should say ma kor-eem lakh.

With groups, you have the familiar choice between מה קוראים לכם (ma kor-eem la-khem) and מה קוראים לכן (ma kor-eem la-khen).

How to say ‘goodbye’ in Hebrew

We already saw above that you can easily use שלום both as a greeting and to say goodbye, whether formally or in a casual setting. However, apart from that, there are numerous other Hebrew expressions you can use to sign off and wish well to someone you have finished talking to.

16. להתראות (leheetra’ot)

Literally ‘(to) see each other’, this is one of the most widespread ways to wish someone goodbye in Hebrew. You can use להתראות (le-heet-ra-ot) with just about anyone, from friends and colleagues to superiors and strangers.

17. להשתמע (leheeshtamea)

When talking over the phone, saying להתראות is sometimes a tad awkward. Especially if you have never met the other person face-to-face before and there is no expectation of that happening in the future, telling them that you’ll ‘see each other’ can rub some people the wrong way or give unwanted insinuations.

In such cases, it’s better to say להשתמע (le-heesh-ta-mea), literally ‘(to) hear each other’. How fitting!

Do note that most Israelis, especially in more relaxed contexts, will hardly mind a non-native speaker saying להתראות over the phone and are very unlikely to get upset by it. Still, it’s a very neat phrase to know for when you do get the chance to use it!

18. נהיה בקשר (nehyeh bekesher)

Especially when wrapping up an important conversation – think, an important business negotiation, a diplomatic meeting, or any kind of major appointment with someone of a certain status – you might want to choose a more respectful and official way of saying goodbye in Hebrew.

In this case, feel free to say נהיה בקשר (ne-hi-yeh be-ke-sher) after giving your thanks for the occasion. Literally, this phrase means ‘we will be in contact’ and it’s a great formal way to bid someone farewell.

19. ביי (bye)

On the other side of the spectrum, Israelis really like to use English loans in their casual everyday language, and nowhere is that more prevalent than with the widespread use of the word bye, or ביי as it is usually written in Hebrew script.

You can tell someone ‘bye’ in Hebrew pretty much the way you are used to doing so in English. Just be aware that it’s a strictly casual expression and may come off as slightly inappropriate in some situations.

Hebrew	English
להתראות	See each other / Goodbye
להשתמע	Hear each other
נהיה בקשר	We will be in touch
ביי	Bye

How to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ in Hebrew

Just as essential as hellos, goodbyes, and the niceties in between, “please” and “thank you” should definitely be part of your basic Hebrew vocabulary in daily conversation.

Compared to some cultures, it is not so common to apologize for small mistakes and mishaps in Israel. Depending on the person and the context, you might also not need to expect many thanks for minor acts of courtesy.

Nonetheless, a little bit of kindness always goes a long way, no matter the language!

20. בבקשה (bevakasha)

The standard word for ‘please’ in Hebrew is בבקשה (be-va-ka-sha). You can insert this word at the beginning, middle, or end of a sentence to express a gentle request – just make sure to not use it too many times in a row or you’ll sound like you’re begging!

21. אני מבקש(ת) ממך

A more polite way of saying “please” in Hebrew or a somewhat more refined way of asking someone (especially for a favor or the like) is אני מבקש ממך, literally ‘I am asking of you’. You can use this in very much the same way as בבקשה, but do note that this phrase conjugates for gender!

When addressing a male, you should pronounce it as a-nee me-va-kesh meem-kha. For women, it’s a-nee me-va-kesh mee-mekh.

In this particular case, you also need to watch out for your own gender, as this is technically a whole sentence with a subject, verb, and all. You need to add a letter ת to the verb to form the first-person feminine, following which it is pronounced me-va-ke-shet instead of me-va-kesh.

Also, for groups, remember to use מכם (mee-kem) or מכן (mee-ken) as appropriate.

Here are all the various forms, for the record:

• Male speaker asking single female: אני מבקש ממך (a-nee me-va-kesh mee-mekh)
• Male speaker asking single male: אני מבקש ממך (a-nee me-va-kesh meem-kha)
• Female speaker asking single female: אני מבקשת ממך (a-nee me-va-kesh-shet mee-mekh)
• Male speaker asking mixed/male group: אני מבקש מכם (a-nee me-va-kesh mee-kem)
• Male speaker asking female group: אני מבקש מכן (a-nee me-va-kesh mee-ken)
• Female speaker asking mixed/male group: אני מבקשת מכם (a-nee me-va-ke-shet mee-kem)
• Female speaker asking female group: אני מבקשת מכן (a-nee me-va-ke-shet mee-ken)

22. “Thank you” in Hebrew – תודה (toda)

The simplest and most straightforward way to express gratitude in Hebrew is תודה (to-da), which is really just the literal equivalent of telling someone ‘thanks’. It’s straightforward, easy on the tongue, and most of all, it’s all you will need in the majority of relaxed social situations in Israel.

23. תודה רבה (toda raba)

If you want to be slightly more courteous and if the favor or good deed was larger than the average, a תודה רבה (to-da ra-ba) may be in order.

Like ‘thank you very much’, it amplifies and strengthens the expression of thanks, making it more appropriate in official situations and when you want to express some serious gratitude as opposed to a more casual kind of appreciation.

24. רב תודות (rav todot)

An alternative, polite way of saying “thank you” in Hebrew is רב תודות (rav todot).

To translate the difference in tone and connotation between תודה רבה and רב תודות (rav to-dot) is tricky, but know that the two phrases are largely interchangeable in the majority of situations. However, רב תודות is often seen as just a little tad more polite and formal than its sibling phrase, so take that in mind.

25. “Thanks for coming” in Hebrew – תודה שבאתם (toda shebatem)

Here’s a way to say “Thanks for coming” in Hebrew. When welcoming friends or acquaintances to an event, such as a small gathering or a party that you are hosting, it is customary to thank them for their arrival specifically. This is usually done in Hebrew via the phrase תודה שבאתם (to-da she-ba-tem). Of course, if it is an all-female group, make sure to say תודה שבאתן (to-da she-ba-ten).

And if you are thanking just one person in particular (for example in the context of a personal invitation, or picking someone up on the way to a concert, a movie, or something similar), you can say תודה שבאת.

This is read as to-da she-ba-ta for addressing a male and to-da she-bat for a female.

Hebrew	English
בבקשה	Please
אני מבקש/ת ממך / מכם / מכן	I ask of you
תודה	Thanks
תודה רבה	Thank you very much
רב תודות	Thank you a lot
תודה שבאת / שבאתם / שבאתן	Thanks for coming

How to say ‘welcome’ in Hebrew

26. ברוך הבא (barukh haba)

The most general and useful phrase for welcoming someone in any occasion is ברוך הבא (ba-rukh ha-ba), literally ‘blessed be the one that is coming’. This is the variation of the phrase suitable for a single male subject.

For a single female, we say ברוכה הבאה (bru-kha ha-ba-a). For a mixed/masculine group, it is      ברוכים הבאים (bru-kheem ha-ba-eem) and for a female group, it is ברוכות הבאות (bru-khot ha-ba-ot).

Especially because the gendered inflections of this phrase all sound quite distinct from each other, make sure to pay attention and use the right forms to avoid an embarrassing faux-pas. When welcoming a large, mixed group of people, you might also want to say ברוכים הבאים וברוכות הבאות (bru-kheem ha-ba-eem u-vroo-khot ha-ba-ot) to be more inclusive.

27. ברוך בואך

A perfectly interchangeable alternative phrase for welcoming someone is ברוך בואך. Again, this form is for a male singular subject, read as ba-rukh bo-a-kha.

For addressing a woman, read it as ba-rukh bo-ekh instead. Note that this phrase does not change nearly as much as ברוך הבא because here we are blessing the arrival of the person we welcome, not the person themselves.

Variations for the plural include ברוך בואכם (ba-rukh bo-a-khem) for a mixed/male group and ברוך בואכן (ba-rukh bo-a-khen) for a female group.

How to say ‘excuse me’ in Hebrew

28. סליחה (sleekha)

The simplest way to excuse yourself in Hebrew, equivalent to the way we say ‘sorry’ in Hebrew, is סליחה (slee-kha). You can use this word to express your regret, to apologize for a mistake, or even to ask for a moment of someone’s time, akin to ‘excuse me’ or something similar.

29. (מצטער(ת (meetsta’er or meetsta’eret)

This is a somewhat more formal but still widely applicable way of saying sorry or excusing yourself in Hebrew.

The expression מצטער (meets-ta-er) or מצטער (meets-ta-e-ret) for a feminine speaker is best used for serious, heartfelt apologies and more formal social situations. That being said, you can still utilize it as a casual means of apologizing for something small without needing to worry about being misunderstood.

When excusing yourself with this kind of expression, you may add the word אני (a-nee), “I”, towards the beginning. This is optional, however, because the conjugation of the word already makes the context of the phrase clear.

30. (מתנצל(ת(meetnatsel or meetnatselet)

For the most serious and sincere apologies and for when really owning up to your mistakes is something you want to get across, use the verb להתנצל (le-heet-na-tsel).

For a male speaker, it is conjugated as מתנצל אני (a-nee meet-na-tsel) whereas for a female speaker it is אני מתנצלת (a-nee meet-na-tse-let) instead.

Again, note that the אני is optional due to the conjugation.

Hebrew	English
סליחה	Sorry / Excuse me
מצטער/ת	Please forgive me
מתנצל/ת	I sincerely apologize

Final thoughts

I hope you enjoyed this deep dive into the world of Hebrew greetings and everyday phrases! Knowing how to say hello in Hebrew definitely levels up your conversational skills, giving you a solid foundation to use for day-to-day interactions.

Maybe this lesson has left you still curious and eager and your hunger is not served by Hebrew greetings alone. If you want to move beyond saying hello in Hebrew and take the next step, feel free to browse through our collection of helpful articles on learning Hebrew here on Learning Languages From Home!

We have guides on the best online Hebrew courses, the best Hebrew apps to use for studying, as well as the best books and more! If you want to keep growing your collection of useful phrases and expressions, you might also like our articles on Hebrew terms of endearment and popular Hebrew idioms.

That’s all for today! See you next time! להתראות!