Learning a new language can be a rewarding yet challenging experience. Hebrew, with its unique script and historical significance, offers a rich linguistic journey. If you are at the A2 level, you have likely already covered the basics and are looking to build a more robust vocabulary. This article will introduce you to 50 essential words that are crucial for advancing your Hebrew skills. These words will help you navigate everyday conversations, enhance your understanding of Hebrew texts, and give you the confidence to engage more deeply with the language.
Basic Nouns
1. **בית** (bayit) – House
– Example: הבית שלי גדול. (Ha-bayit sheli gadol.) – My house is big.
2. **איש** (ish) – Man
– Example: האיש גבוה. (Ha-ish gavoah.) – The man is tall.
3. **אישה** (isha) – Woman
– Example: האישה יפה. (Ha-isha yafa.) – The woman is beautiful.
4. **ילד** (yeled) – Boy
– Example: הילד משחק. (Ha-yeled mesachek.) – The boy is playing.
5. **ילדה** (yalda) – Girl
– Example: הילדה קוראת ספר. (Ha-yalda koret sefer.) – The girl is reading a book.
6. **מורה** (moreh/morah) – Teacher (male/female)
– Example: המורה מלמד עברית. (Ha-moreh melamed Ivrit.) – The teacher teaches Hebrew.
7. **ספר** (sefer) – Book
– Example: הספר מעניין. (Ha-sefer me’anyen.) – The book is interesting.
8. **מים** (mayim) – Water
– Example: אני שותה מים. (Ani shoteh mayim.) – I am drinking water.
9. **כלב** (kelev) – Dog
– Example: הכלב שלי חמוד. (Ha-kelev sheli chamud.) – My dog is cute.
10. **חתול** (chatul) – Cat
– Example: החתול ישן. (Ha-chatul yashen.) – The cat is sleeping.
Common Verbs
11. **לאכול** (le’echol) – To eat
– Example: אני אוהב לאכול פיצה. (Ani ohev le’echol pizza.) – I love to eat pizza.
12. **לשתות** (lishtot) – To drink
– Example: היא שותה קפה. (Hi shota kafe.) – She is drinking coffee.
13. **ללכת** (lalekhet) – To go/To walk
– Example: אנחנו הולכים לפארק. (Anachnu holchim la-park.) – We are going to the park.
14. **לראות** (lir’ot) – To see
– Example: אני רואה סרט. (Ani ro’eh seret.) – I am watching a movie.
15. **לדבר** (ledaber) – To speak
– Example: הם מדברים עברית. (Hem medabrim Ivrit.) – They are speaking Hebrew.
16. **לעבוד** (la’avod) – To work
– Example: הוא עובד במשרד. (Hu oved ba-misrad.) – He works in an office.
17. **לישון** (lishon) – To sleep
– Example: אני הולך לישון מוקדם. (Ani holech lishon mukdam.) – I go to sleep early.
18. **לקרוא** (likro) – To read
– Example: היא קוראת עיתון. (Hi koret iton.) – She is reading a newspaper.
19. **לכתוב** (lichtov) – To write
– Example: אני כותב מכתב. (Ani kotev michtav.) – I am writing a letter.
20. **לאהוב** (le’ehov) – To love
– Example: אנחנו אוהבים לטייל. (Anachnu ohavim letayel.) – We love to travel.
Useful Adjectives
21. **גדול** (gadol) – Big
– Example: הכיסא גדול. (Ha-kise gadol.) – The chair is big.
22. **קטן** (katan) – Small
– Example: החדר קטן. (Ha-cheder katan.) – The room is small.
23. **חדש** (chadash) – New
– Example: הספר חדש. (Ha-sefer chadash.) – The book is new.
24. **ישן** (yashan) – Old
– Example: הבית ישן. (Ha-bayit yashan.) – The house is old.
25. **יפה** (yafe) – Beautiful
– Example: הפרח יפה. (Ha-perach yafe.) – The flower is beautiful.
26. **מהיר** (mahir) – Fast
– Example: המכונית מהירה. (Ha-mechonit mehira.) – The car is fast.
27. **איטי** (iti) – Slow
– Example: הצב איטי. (Ha-tzav iti.) – The turtle is slow.
28. **טוב** (tov) – Good
– Example: הסרט טוב. (Ha-seret tov.) – The movie is good.
29. **רע** (ra) – Bad
– Example: האוכל רע. (Ha-ochel ra.) – The food is bad.
30. **חם** (cham) – Hot
– Example: הקפה חם. (Ha-kafe cham.) – The coffee is hot.
Essential Prepositions
31. **על** (al) – On
– Example: הספר על השולחן. (Ha-sefer al ha-shulchan.) – The book is on the table.
32. **מתחת** (mitachat) – Under
– Example: הכדור מתחת למיטה. (Ha-kadur mitachat la-mita.) – The ball is under the bed.
33. **בין** (bein) – Between
– Example: הכלב בין הכיסאות. (Ha-kelev bein ha-kisaot.) – The dog is between the chairs.
34. **לפני** (lifnei) – Before/In front of
– Example: אני מגיע לפני הזמן. (Ani magia lifnei ha-zman.) – I arrive before the time.
35. **אחרי** (acharei) – After/Behind
– Example: אנחנו נפגשים אחרי העבודה. (Anachnu nifgashim acharei ha-avoda.) – We meet after work.
36. **עם** (im) – With
– Example: אני מדבר עם חבר שלי. (Ani medaber im chaver sheli.) – I am talking with my friend.
37. **בלי** (bli) – Without
– Example: אני לא יכול לחיות בלי מוזיקה. (Ani lo yachol lichyot bli muzika.) – I can’t live without music.
38. **ליד** (leyad) – Next to
– Example: הכיסא ליד השולחן. (Ha-kise leyad ha-shulchan.) – The chair is next to the table.
39. **מעל** (me’al) – Above
– Example: המטוס מעל העננים. (Ha-matos me’al ha-ananim.) – The plane is above the clouds.
40. **בתוך** (betoch) – Inside
– Example: הספר בתוך התיק. (Ha-sefer betoch ha-tik.) – The book is inside the bag.
Time-Related Words
41. **היום** (ha-yom) – Today
– Example: היום יום יפה. (Ha-yom yom yafe.) – Today is a beautiful day.
42. **מחר** (machar) – Tomorrow
– Example: מחר יש לי מבחן. (Machar yesh li mivchan.) – I have a test tomorrow.
43. **אתמול** (etmol) – Yesterday
– Example: אתמול הייתי בבית. (Etmol hayiti ba-bayit.) – Yesterday, I was at home.
44. **בוקר** (boker) – Morning
– Example: אני מתעורר בבוקר. (Ani mit’orer ba-boker.) – I wake up in the morning.
45. **צהריים** (tzohorayim) – Afternoon
– Example: אנחנו אוכלים בצהריים. (Anachnu ochlim ba-tzohorayim.) – We eat in the afternoon.
46. **ערב** (erev) – Evening
– Example: אני הולך לקולנוע בערב. (Ani holech la-kolnoa ba-erev.) – I go to the cinema in the evening.
47. **שבוע** (shavua) – Week
– Example: יש לי חופש בשבוע הבא. (Yesh li chofesh ba-shavua ha-ba.) – I have a holiday next week.
48. **חודש** (chodesh) – Month
– Example: החודש הוא ינואר. (Ha-chodesh hu January.) – The month is January.
49. **שנה** (shana) – Year
– Example: השנה היא 2023. (Ha-shana hi 2023.) – The year is 2023.
50. **עכשיו** (achshav) – Now
– Example: אני לומד עברית עכשיו. (Ani lomed Ivrit achshav.) – I am studying Hebrew now.
Learning these 50 essential words will significantly boost your confidence and proficiency in Hebrew. They will serve as a foundation for understanding more complex sentences and engaging in everyday conversations. Remember, language learning is a gradual process, and consistent practice is key. Try incorporating these words into your daily conversations, writing exercises, and reading practices to solidify your understanding and usage. Happy learning!
