Hebrew Words You Need for Daily Life in Jerusalem

You can live in Jerusalem in English. Plenty of people do. But the forms are in Hebrew, the clerk's first question is in Hebrew, and the sign on the door that says the office is closed on Sunday afternoons is in Hebrew. This list is not a language course; it is the vocabulary you will actually meet in your first year, grouped by the situation you meet it in.

Each entry gives the Hebrew, a plain transliteration and the meaning. Stress in Hebrew usually falls on the last syllable. Where a word has a common shortened or slang form, we give that instead of the dictionary form, because that is what you will hear.

Renting and the apartment

• דירה — dira — apartment
• שכירות — schirut — rent, renting
• חוזה — choze — contract
• שוכר / משכיר — socher / maskir — tenant / landlord
• פיקדון — pikadon — deposit
• ערבות — arvut — guarantee (often a signed guarantor or a bank guarantee)
• מתווך — metavech — real-estate agent; דמי תיווך — dmei tivuch — the agent's fee
• ארנונה — arnona — municipal property tax, usually paid by the tenant
• ועד בית — va'ad bayit — building committee, and the monthly fee it collects
• ממ"ד — mamad — the reinforced safe room in newer apartments
• מרפסת — mirpeset — balcony; מחסן — machsan — storage room
• חשבון חשמל / מים / גז — cheshbon chashmal / mayim / gaz — electricity / water / gas bill

All of these appear in the renting guide, which also explains what a typical Israeli lease asks for.

Bureaucracy

• תעודת זהות — teudat zehut — identity card; ספח — sefach — the paper appendix listing address and children
• תעודת עולה — teudat oleh — immigrant certificate
• משרד הפנים — misrad hapnim — Ministry of the Interior
• ביטוח לאומי — bituach leumi — the National Insurance Institute
• קופת חולים — kupat cholim — health fund
• טופס — tofes — form; אישור — ishur — approval, confirmation letter
• תור — tor — appointment, and also your turn in a queue
• הפניה — hafnaya — referral
• חתימה — chatima — signature
• פקיד / פקידה — pakid / pkida — clerk
• מספר — mispar — number; you will be asked for mispar zehut, your ID number, everywhere

Banking and money

• חשבון בנק — cheshbon bank — bank account; סניף — snif — branch
• כרטיס אשראי — kartis ashrai — credit card
• תשלומים — tashlumim — instalments; shops will ask how many you want
• מזומן — mezuman — cash
• קבלה — kabala — receipt; חשבונית — cheshbonit — invoice
• הוראת קבע — hora'at keva — standing order / direct debit
• העברה בנקאית — ha'avara bankait — bank transfer
• מע"מ — ma'am — VAT
• משכורת — maskoret — salary; תלוש — tlush — payslip

Shopping and food

• סופר — super — supermarket; מכולת — makolet — corner shop
• שוק — shuk — market; in Jerusalem, usually Mahane Yehuda
• מבצע — mivtza — sale, special offer
• קופה — kupa — checkout; שקית — sakit — bag
• משלוח — mishloach — delivery
• כשר — kasher — kosher; מהדרין — mehadrin and בד"ץ — badatz — stricter kosher certifications you will see on labels and shopfronts
• חלבי / בשרי / פרווה — chalavi / basari / parve — dairy / meat / neither

For where to shop and what is worth buying where, see the grocery guide.

Getting around

• רב-קו — rav-kav — the transit smartcard
• רכבת קלה — rakevet kala — light rail
• אוטובוס — otobus — bus; תחנה — tachana — stop, station
• מונית — monit — taxi; מונה — mone — the meter ("tadlik et hamone" — turn on the meter)
• חניה — chanaya — parking; דו"ח — doch — a ticket / fine
• רישיון נהיגה — rishyon nehiga — driving licence

The transit card, the light rail and Shabbat timing are explained in getting around Jerusalem.

Children and school

• גן — gan — preschool / kindergarten; גננת — ganenet — the gan teacher
• מעון — ma'on — daycare for the youngest children
• צהרון — tzaharon — afternoon programme after gan or school
• חוג — chug — after-school activity or class
• בית ספר — beit sefer — school; כיתה — kita — class / grade
• הורים — horim — parents; every gan has a horim WhatsApp group
• מסיבה — mesiba — party; יום הולדת — yom huledet — birthday

Registration windows and what to ask on a visit are in the gan guide.

Health

• רופא / רופאה — rofe / rofa — doctor; רופא משפחה — rofe mishpacha — family doctor
• מרפאה — mirpa'a — clinic
• בית מרקחת — beit mirkachat — pharmacy; מרשם — mirsham — prescription
• חדר מיון — cheder miyun — emergency room
• ביטוח משלים — bituach mashlim — supplementary health insurance
• בדיקת דם — bdikat dam — blood test

How the health funds work, and how to choose one, is in the kupat cholim guide.

Ten phrases that do real work

• אפשר באנגלית? — efshar be'anglit? — Can we do this in English? (Ask early; the answer is often yes.)
• יש תור? — yesh tor? — Is there a queue / do I need an appointment?
• כמה זה עולה? — kama ze ole? — How much does it cost?
• איפה ה...? — eifo ha...? — Where is the...?
• סליחה — slicha — Excuse me / sorry. Also how you get a clerk's attention.
• תודה רבה — toda raba — Thank you very much
• בסדר — beseder — OK, fine, all good
• יאללה — yalla — Let's go / come on
• שבת שלום — shabbat shalom — said from Friday morning; שבוע טוב — shavua tov — from Saturday night
• חג שמח — chag sameach — happy holiday, for every festival

If you are new here, the first-month checklist walks through the offices where you will hear most of these.