There are several Jewish and Hebrew greetings, farewells, and phrases that are used in Judaism, and in Jewish and Hebrew-speaking communities around the world. Even outside Israel, Hebrew is an important part of Jewish life. [1] Many Jews, even if they do not speak Hebrew fluently, will know several of these greetings (most are Hebrew, and among Ashkenazim, some are Yiddish). [1]
For the Sabbath, there are several ways to greet people in a variety of languages, including Hebrew, Yiddish, and Ladino.
Phrase | Hebrew script | Translation | Pronunciation | Language | Explanation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Shabbat shalom | שַׁבַּת שָׁלוֹם | Peaceful Sabbath | [ʃaˈbatʃaˈlom] | Hebrew | Used any time on Shabbat, especially at the end of a Shabbat service. Used also preceding Shabbat almost like "have a good weekend." [2] |
Gut Shabbes | גוּט שַׁבָּת | Good Sabbath | [ɡʊtˈʃabəs] | Yiddish | Used any time on Shabbat, especially in general conversation or when greeting people. [2] |
Shavua tov | שָׁבוּעַ טוֹב | Good week | [ʃaˈvu.atov] | Hebrew | Used on Saturday nights (after Havdalah) and even on Sundays "shavua tov" is used to wish someone a good coming week. [2] |
Gut Voch | גוט וואָך | Good week | Yiddish | Same as above, but Yiddish | |
Buen shabat | בוען שבת | Good sabbath | [buenʃabat] | Judaeo-Spanish | |
Sabado dulse i bueno | Sweet and good sabbath | Judaeo-Spanish | |||
Boas entradas de Saba | Good entry to the sabbath | Portuguese or Judeo-Portuguese | |||
For different chagim and Yom Tov there are different expressions used.
Phrase | Hebrew script | Translation | Pronunciation | Language | Explanation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chag sameach | חַג שָׂמֵחַ | Happy holiday | [χaɡsaˈme.aχ] | Hebrew | Used as a greeting for the holidays, can insert holiday name in the middle; e.g. "chag Chanukah sameach". [2] Also, for Passover, "chag kasher v'same'ach" (חַג כָּשֵׁר וְשָׂמֵחַ) meaning wishing a happy and kosher(-for-Passover) holiday. [2] |
Moed tov Moadim l'simcha | מועד טובֿ מועדים לשמחה | A good festival period A happy festival period | [ˈmo.edtov mo.aˈdimlesimˈχa] | Hebrew | Used as a greeting during the chol ha-moed (intermediate days) of the Passover and Sukkot holidays. |
Gut Yontiv | גוט יום־טובֿ | Good Yom Tov | [ɡʊtˈjɔntɪv] | Yiddish | Used as a greeting for the Yom Tov holidays. [2] Often spelled Gut Yontif or Gut Yontiff in English transliteration. |
Gut'n Mo'ed | גוטן מועד | Good chol ha-moed (intermediate days) | [ˈɡʊtn̩ˈmɔɪɛd] | Yiddish | As above (as a greeting during the chol ha-moed (intermediate days) of the Passover and Sukkot holidays), but Yiddish/English |
L'shanah tovah or Shana Tova | לְשָׁנָה טוֹבָה | [To a] good year | [leʃaˈnatoˈva] | Hebrew | Used as a greeting during Rosh Hashanah and the Days of Awe, Also used, simply "shanah tovah" (שָׁנָה טוֹבָה), meaning "a good year", or "shanah tovah u'metukah" (שָׁנָה טוֹבָה וּמְתוּקָה) meaning "a good and sweet year". [2] The phrase is short for "l'shanah tovah tikatevu ve techatemu" (לְשָׁנָה טוֹבָה תִכָּתֵבוּ וְתֵּחָתֵמוּ), meaning "may you be inscribed and sealed (in the Book of Life) for a good year". [3] A shorter version is often used: "ktiva ve chatima tova" (כְּתִיבָה וְחֲתִימָה טוֹבָה), meaning "(have a) good signature (in the Book of Life)" and literally "good inscribing and signing". [3] In Israel, also used during Passover due to the renewal of spring, the Exodus story and the new beginning of being freed from slavery, and because it says in the bible itself, as to the month of Nissan, the month of Passover, that "this month shall mark for you the beginning of the months; it shall be the first of the months of the year for you." (Sh'mot 12:1-3) Nissan is the Persian name which was used by Jews in Babylonian exile and replaced the Biblical first month called Aviv. For these reasons the greeting has wide usage in Israel near Passover. |
Tzom kal | צוֹם קַל | Easy fast | [tsomkal] | Hebrew | Used to wish someone an easy Yom Kippur fast. In some English-speaking communities today, the greeting "[have] an easy and meaningful fast" is used. [4] |
G'mar Chatima Tovah | גְּמַר חֲתִימָה טוֹבָה | May you be sealed for good [in the Book of Life] | Hebrew pronunciation: [gmaʁχati.mato.va] | Hebrew | Used to wish someone well for and on Yom Kippur. Tradition teaches that Jews' fate is written on Rosh Hashanah and is sealed on Yom Kippur. [5] |
Tizku Leshanim Rabot - Ne'imot veTovot | תזכו לשנים רבות - נעימות וטובות | May you merit many pleasant and good years | [tizˈkuleʃaˈnimraˈbot-ne.iˈmotvetoˈvot] | Hebrew | Used in Sephardic communities to wish someone well at the end of a holiday. |
There are several greetings and good-byes used in Hebrew to say hello and farewell to someone.
Phrase | Hebrew script | Translation | Pronunciation | Language | Explanation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Shalom | שָׁלוֹם | Hello, goodbye, peace | [ʃaˈlom] | Hebrew | A Hebrew greeting, based on the root for "completeness". Literally meaning "peace", shalom is used for both hello and goodbye. [6] A cognate with the Arabic-language salaam. |
Shalom aleichem | שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם | Peace be upon you | [ʃaˈlomʔaleˈχem] | Hebrew | This form of greeting was traditional among the Ashkenazi Jewish communities of Eastern Europe. The appropriate response is "Aleichem Shalom" (עֲלֵיכֶם שָׁלוֹם) or "Upon you be peace." (cognate with the Arabic-language "assalamu alaikum" meaning "The peace [of ] be upon you.)" |
L'hitraot | לְהִתְרָאוֹת | Goodbye, lit. "to meet" | [lehitʁaˈʔot] | Hebrew | Perhaps the most common Hebrew farewell in Israel (English "bye" is also commonly used). Sometimes shortened to לְהִתְ ("l'heet"). |
These are Hebrew phrases used in Jewish communities both inside and outside of Israel. [1]
Phrase | Hebrew script | Translation | Pronunciation | Language | Explanation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mazal tov / Mazel tov | מַזָּל טוֹב | good luck/congratulations | [maˈzaltov] [ˈmazəltɔv] | Hebrew/Yiddish | Used to mean congratulations. Used in Hebrew (mazal tov) or Yiddish. Used on to indicate good luck has occurred, ex. birthday, bar mitzvah, a new job, or an engagement. [1] Also shouted out at Jewish weddings when the groom (or both fiances) stomps on a glass. It is also used when someone accidentally breaks a glass or a dish. [1] However, NOT normally used on news of a pregnancy, where it is replaced by "b'sha'ah tovah" ("may it happen at a good time/in the proper time"). [7] |
B'karov etzlech (f.) B'karov etzlecha (m.) | בְּקָרוֹב אֶצְלְךָ | Soon so shall it be by you | [bekaˈʁovʔetsˈleχ] [bekaˈʁovʔetsleˈχa] | Hebrew | Used in response to "mazal tov" [1] |
Im Yirtzeh HaShem | אִם יִרְצֶה הַשֵּׁם | God willing | [ɪmˈjɪʁtsə.aʃɛm] | Hebrew | Used by religious Jews when speaking of the future and wanting God's help. |
B'ezrat HaShem | בְּעֶזְרָת הַשֵּׁם | With God's help | [beʔezˈʁathaˈʃem] | Hebrew | Used by religious Jews when speaking of the future and wanting God's help (similar to "God willing"). [1] |
Yishar koach (or ShKoiAch) [8] | יְישַׁר כֹּחַ | You should have increased strength | [jiˈʃaʁˈko.aχ] | Hebrew | Meaning "good for you", "way to go", or "more power to you". Often used in synagogue after someone has received an honour. The proper response is "baruch tiheyeh" (m)/brucha teeheyi (f) meaning "you shall be blessed." [1] [9] |
Chazak u'varuch | חֵזָק וּבָרוךְ | Be strong and blessed | [χaˈzakuvaˈʁuχ] | Hebrew | Used in Sephardi synagogues after an honour. The response is "chazak ve'ematz" ("be strong and have courage"). It is the Sephardi counterpart pair to the Ashkenaz ShKoiAch and Boruch TihYeh. |
Nu? | ?נו | So? | [nu] | Yiddish | A Yiddish interjection used to inquire about how everything went. [1] |
Kol ha'ka'vod | כֹּל הַכָּבוֹד | All of the honour | [kolhakaˈvod] | Hebrew | Used for a job well done. [1] |
L'chaim | לְחַיִּים | To life | [leχaˈjim] [ləˈχajm] | Hebrew/Yiddish | Hebrew and Yiddish equivalent of saying "cheers" when doing a toast [1] |
Gesundheit | געזונטהייט | Health | [ɡəˈzʊnthajt] | Yiddish | Yiddish (and German) equivalent of saying "bless you" when someone sneezes. Also sometimes "tsu gezunt". [2] |
Labriut (or Livriut) | לבריאות | To Health | [livʁiˈʔut] | Hebrew | Hebrew equivalent of saying "bless you" when someone sneezes. [9] |
Refuah Shlemah | רְפוּאָה שְׁלֵמָה | Get well soon. Lit. full recovery | Hebrew | Used when someone is sick or injured. [10] Also see related daily prayer addition. |
Yiddish is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originates from the 9th century Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a vernacular based on High German fused with many elements taken from Hebrew and to some extent Aramaic. Most varieties of Yiddish include elements of Slavic languages and the vocabulary contains traces of Romance languages. Yiddish has traditionally been written using the Hebrew alphabet; however, there are variations, including the standardized YIVO orthography that employs the Latin alphabet.
Messianic Judaism is a syncretic Abrahamic new religious movement that combines various Jewish traditions with belief in Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah. It is widely considered to be a sect of Evangelical Christianity but considers itself Jewish, but this is rejected by all major groups within mainstream Judaism. Belief in Jesus as a messianic figure and as divine is considered by Jews to be one of the most defining distinctions between Judaism and Christianity.
Yeshivish, also known as Yeshiva English, Yeshivisheh Shprach, or Yeshivisheh Reid, is a sociolect of English spoken by Yeshiva students and other Jews with a strong connection to the Orthodox Yeshiva world.
In modern Hebrew and Yiddish, goy is a term for a gentile, a non-Jew. Through Yiddish, the word has been adopted into English also to mean "gentile", sometimes in a pejorative sense. As a word principally used by Jews to describe non-Jews, it is a term for the ethnic out-group.
As-salamu alaykum, also written salamun alaykum and typically rendered in English as salam alaykum, is a greeting in Arabic that means 'Peace be upon you'. The salām has become a religious salutation for Muslims worldwide when greeting each other, though its use as a greeting predates Islam, and is also common among Arabic speakers of other religions.
Shalom is a Hebrew word meaning peace and can be used idiomatically to mean hello.
Greeting is an act of communication in which human beings intentionally make their presence known to each other, to show attention to, and to suggest a type of relationship or social status between individuals or groups of people coming in contact with each other. Greetings are sometimes used just prior to a conversation or to greet in passing, such as on a sidewalk or trail. While greeting customs are highly culture- and situation-specific and may change within a culture depending on social status and relationship, they exist in all known human cultures. Greetings can be expressed both audibly and physically, and often involve a combination of the two. This topic excludes military and ceremonial salutes but includes rituals other than gestures. A greeting, or salutation, can also be expressed in written communications, such as letters and emails.
Havdalah is a Jewish religious ceremony that marks the symbolic end of Shabbat and ushers in the new week. The ritual involves lighting a special candle with several wicks, blessing a cup of wine, and smelling sweet spices. Shabbat ends on Saturday night after the appearance of three stars in the sky. Havdalah may be performed as late as sunset of the Tuesday following Shabbat.
A Hebrew name is a name of Hebrew origin. In a more narrow meaning, it is a name used by Jews only in a religious context and different from an individual's secular name for everyday use.
Among the honorifics in Judaism, there are several traditional honorifics for the dead which are used when naming and speaking of the deceased. Different honorifics might be applied depending on the particular status of the deceased. These honorifics are frequently found on gravestones, on memorial walls inside the sanctuary of synagogues, in speeches, and in writing such as in obituaries.
"Mazel tov" or "mazal tov" is a Jewish phrase used to express congratulations for a happy and significant occasion or event.
Bereavement in Judaism is a combination of minhag (traditions) and mitzvah (commandments) derived from the Torah and Judaism's classical rabbinic literature. The details of observance and practice vary according to each Jewish community.
There are a number of honorifics in Judaism that vary depending on the status of, and the relationship to, the person to whom one is referring.
Reb is a Yiddish or Hebrew honorific traditionally used for Orthodox Jewish men. It is not a rabbinic title. In writing it is abbreviated as ר׳. On a gravestone, ב'ר is an abbreviation for ben/bat reb meaning "son/daughter of the worthy..." Reb may also be a short form of Rebbe. It is generally only used for married men, sometimes an equivalent of "Mr."
Rosh HaShanah is the New Year in Judaism. The biblical name for this holiday is Yom Teruah. It is the first of the High Holy Days, as specified by Leviticus 23:23–25, that occur in the late summer/early autumn of the Northern Hemisphere. Rosh Hashanah begins ten days of penitence culminating in Yom Kippur, as well as beginning the cycle of autumnal religious festivals running through Sukkot which end on Shemini Atzeret in Israel and Simchat Torah everywhere else.
A yahrzeit candle, also spelled yahrtzeit candle or called a memorial candle, is a type of candle that is lit in memory of the dead in Judaism.
Yiddish words used in the English language include both words that have been assimilated into English – used by both Yiddish and English speakers – and many that have not. An English sentence that uses either may be described by some as Yinglish, though a secondary sense of the term describes the distinctive way certain Jews in English-speaking countries add many Yiddish words into their conversation, beyond general Yiddish words and phrases used by English speakers.
Rest in peace (R.I.P.), a phrase from the Latin requiescat in pace, is sometimes used in traditional Christian services and prayers, such as in the Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican, and Methodist denominations, to wish the soul of a decedent eternal rest and peace.
Yom tov sheni shel galuyot, also called in short yom tov sheni, means "the second festival day in the Diaspora". This is a principle in halakha that mandates the observance of an additional day for Jewish holidays outside the Land of Israel.
L'Shana Haba'ah B'Yerushalayim, lit. "to a year to come in Jerusalem" but most often rendered "Next year in Jerusalem", is a phrase that is often sung at the end of the Passover Seder and at the end of the Ne'ila service on Yom Kippur. Its use during Passover was first recorded by Isaac Tyrnau in his 15th century CE book cataloging the accepted tradition (minhaggim) of various Ashkenazi communities.