Hebrew Greetings
Hebrew Greetings: Shalom and Other Everyday Expressions
Greetings are the first thing every Hebrew learner picks up — and the words you'll use the most. Here's how to say hello, goodbye, thank you, and "how are you" in Hebrew, including the male and female forms and a few common mistakes to avoid.
Shalom: More Than "Hello"
שָׁלוֹם (shalom) is probably the most famous Hebrew word — it means "peace," and it's used for hello, goodbye, and general well-wishing all at once. Because it does triple duty, shalom is a safe choice in almost any greeting situation, whether you're arriving or leaving.
Goodbye: Lehitraot vs. Shalom
While shalom works for both hello and goodbye, לְהִתְרָאוֹת (lehitraot) — literally "to see each other [again]" — is the more specific way to say goodbye, closer to "see you later." It's the everyday choice among friends; save shalom for when you want something a little more universal or final-sounding.
Good Morning, Good Evening, and Good Night
Like English, Hebrew has different greetings depending on the time of day: בֹּקֶר טוֹב (boker tov) for good morning, and עֶרֶב טוֹב (erev tov) for good evening — both used as greetings when you arrive. לַיְלָה טוֹב (layla tov), "good night," is different: it's a farewell said when parting for the night or heading to bed, not a greeting you'd say on arrival.
Thank You and Please
תּוֹדָה (toda) is "thank you" — add רַבָּה (raba) for extra emphasis, "thank you very much." בְּבַקָּשָׁה (bevakasha) is worth knowing well because it does double duty: it means both "please" when asking for something and "you're welcome" when replying to thanks.
How Are You? Formal, Casual, and Gendered Forms
Hebrew greetings often change depending on whether you're speaking to a man or a woman. "How are you" is a good example: to a man you'd ask מָה שְׁלוֹמְךָ (ma shlomcha), and to a woman מָה שְׁלוֹמֵךְ (ma shlomech). Both are polite enough for most everyday situations. The more casual version, מָה נִשְׁמָע (ma nishma) — closer to "what's up" — is gender-neutral and common between friends. A typical reply is בְּסֵדֶר, תּוֹדָה (beseder, toda), "fine, thanks."
Common Israeli Expressions
A few casual words show up constantly in everyday Israeli conversation, even though they aren't traditional "greetings." Recognizing them will help real conversations make sense — see them used in common Hebrew phrases for more context.
יאללה (yalla)
"Let's go" or "come on" — used to hurry someone along, or casually when saying goodbye ("yalla, bye").
סבבה (sababa)
"Cool," "fine," or "no problem" — an easygoing way to agree to something or say things are good.
אחלה (achla)
"Great" or "awesome" — a casual way to praise something, from excellent food to good news.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Defaulting to the masculine form out of habit — remember ma shlomcha (to a man) changes to ma shlomech (to a woman).
- Using layla tov ("good night") as a greeting when you arrive somewhere in the evening — it's a farewell, not a hello. Use erev tov instead.
- Pronouncing the ח in slicha or toda raba like an English "h" — it's a guttural "kh" sound, closer to the ch in the name "Bach."
- Answering "how are you" with shalom — shalom is a greeting or farewell, not a reply. Answer with beseder or toda instead.
All Hebrew Greetings
Tap the speaker icon next to any word to hear it pronounced, and see it used in an example sentence.
- שָׁלוֹםshalomhelloשלום, מה שלומךHello, how are you
- תּוֹדָהtodathank youתודה רבהThank you very much
- כֵּןkenyesכן, אני מביןYes, I understand
- לֹאlonoלא, תודהNo, thank you
- בֹּקֶר טוֹבboker tovgood morningבוקר טוב לכולםGood morning, everyone
- לַיְלָה טוֹבlayla tovgood nightלילה טוב, נתראה מחרGood night, see you tomorrow
- לְהִתְרָאוֹתlehitra'otgoodbyeלהתראות, נתראה בקרובGoodbye, see you soon
- סְלִיחָהslichaexcuse meסליחה, איפה השירותיםExcuse me, where is the restroom
- בְּבַקָּשָׁהbevakashapleaseבבקשה, שב כאןPlease, sit here
- עֶרֶב טוֹבerev tovgood eveningערב טוב לכולםGood evening, everyone
- מַזָּל טוֹבmazal tovcongratulationsמזל טוב ליום ההולדתCongratulations on your birthday
- בָּרוּךְ הַבָּאbaruch habawelcomeברוך הבא לישראלWelcome to Israel
- נָעִים מְאוֹדna'im meodnice to meet youנעים מאוד להכיר אותךNice to meet you
- מָה נִשְׁמָעma nishmawhat's upהיי, מה נשמעHey, what's up
- מָה שְׁלוֹמְךָma shlomchahow are youשלום, מה שלומך היוםHello, how are you today
- בְּהַצְלָחָהbehatzlachagood luckבהצלחה במבחןGood luck on the exam