Hebrew for Travel: 100 Essential Words & Phrases

You will probably get by in Israel with English alone. Many people in the tourism industry speak it, and signs in major cities often appear in Hebrew, Arabic, and English. But a few words of Hebrew change the feel of a trip. Saying toda (“thank you”) to a café owner or asking kama ze ole? (“how much is it?”) at a market stall usually gets a warmer reaction than switching straight to English.

This guide collects 100 words and phrases for Hebrew travel situations, grouped by what you will actually be doing: arriving, getting around, checking in, eating, shopping, and handling problems. Every entry has the Hebrew script, a simple pronunciation, and a gender note where the form changes. You do not need to read Hebrew to use it.

About this article: Learnora Books creates practical language-learning resources for selfdirected learners. Transliteration is an approximation, and native speakers may pronounce some words a little differently.

How Hebrew Works for Travelers

A few basics make the lists below easier to use.

Reading and Pronunciation Basics

Hebrew is written from right to left, and everyday text usually leaves out the vowel marks. That is why the pronunciation column matters. If you want to learn to recognize letters, our Hebrew alphabet for beginners guide is a good place to start, and the Hebrew pronunciation guide covers the trickier sounds.

Some quick pronunciation notes, as beginner approximations: ch is a throat sound, a bit like the “ch” in Scottish loch. If you can’t make it, a soft “h” is a common stand-in.
a sounds like the “a” in father, e like the “e” in bed, i like the “ee” in see, and o like the “o” in more.
R is often pronounced further back in the throat than the English “r”.
Stress in Hebrew words varies. Many words stress the last syllable, but there are plenty of exceptions, so listen to how locals say a word when you can.

Masculine and Feminine Forms

Hebrew verbs, adjectives, and many phrases change depending on who is speaking or being addressed. Where it matters, the tables show (m.) for masculine and (f.) for feminine. Using the wrong form will rarely stop anyone from understanding you.

To keep things simple, this list avoids direct commands where a polite, gender-neutral alternative exists. For example, #31 uses efshar (“is it possible”) instead of a command form, so it works for whoever you are speaking to.

Transliteration systems for Hebrew vary. The Academy of the Hebrew Language publishes its own guidelines, and you will see different spellings of the same word on menus and signs (hummus, humus, chumus). That is normal.

Greetings and Polite Basics

These are the most useful Hebrew phrases for tourists, because you will use them in every interaction.

#	English	Hebrew	Pronunciation
1	Hello / Peace (also goodbye)	שלום	shalom
2	Hi (informal)	היי	hai
3	Good morning	בוקר טוב	boker tov
4	Good evening	ערב טוב	erev tov
5	Good night	לילה טוב	laila tov
6	Goodbye / See you	להתראות	lehitraot
7	Yes	כן	ken
8	No	לא	lo
9	Please / You’re welcome	בבקשה	bevakasha
10	Thank you	תודה	toda
11	Thank you very much	תודה רבה	toda raba
12	Excuse me / Sorry	סליחה	slicha
13	I don’t understand	אני לא מבין (m.) / מבינה (f.)	ani lo mevin / mevina
14	Do you speak English?	אתה מדבר אנגלית? (m.) / את מדברת אנגלית? (f.)	ata medaber anglit? / at medaberet anglit?
15	What’s up? / How are you?	מה נשמע?	ma nishma?

Slicha does double duty: use it to get someone’s attention, to squeeze past in a crowded place, or to apologize. Bevakasha means both “please” and “you’re welcome”, so it covers a lot of ground.

Getting Around: Transport and Directions

Much of your travel Hebrew vocabulary will come from this section: airports, trains, taxis, and asking the way. For a fuller set of building blocks, see our list of 100 common Hebrew words.

#	English	Hebrew	Pronunciation
16	Where is...?	איפה...?	eifo...?
17	Where is the bathroom?	איפה השירותים?	eifo hasherutim?
18	Airport	נמל תעופה	namal te’ufa
19	Train	רכבת	rakevet
20	Train station	תחנת רכבת	tachanat rakevet
21	Bus	אוטובוס	autobus
22	Bus stop	תחנת אוטובוס	tachanat autobus
23	Taxi	מונית	monit
24	Ticket	כרטיס	kartis
25	Right	ימינה	yamina
26	Left	שמאלה	smola
27	Straight ahead	ישר	yashar
28	Near	קרוב	karov
29	Far	רחוק	rachok
30	How do I get to...?	איך מגיעים ל...?	eich magi’im le...?
31	Can we stop here, please?	אפשר לעצור פה, בבקשה?	efshar la’atzor po, bevakasha?
32	Passport	דרכון	darkon
33	Suitcase	מזוודה	mizvada
34	Map	מפה	mapa
35	Car rental	השכרת רכב	haskarat rechev

Efshar (“is it possible”) is a polite, gender-neutral way to ask for something, which makes #31 safe to use with any driver. The directions in #25–27 combine naturally with #30: ask eich magi’im le...?, then listen for yamina, smola, or yashar.

At the Hotel

Reception staff in tourist hotels commonly speak English, but these words help with smaller guesthouses and with reading booking confirmations.

#	English	Hebrew	Pronunciation
36	Hotel	מלון	malon
37	Reservation	הזמנה	hazmana
38	I have a reservation	יש לי הזמנה	yesh li hazmana
39	Room	חדר	cheder
40	Do you have a free room?	יש לכם חדר פנוי?	yesh lachem cheder panui?
41	Key	מפתח	mafte’ach
42	Breakfast	ארוחת בוקר	aruchat boker
43	How much is it per night?	כמה זה ללילה?	kama ze la-laila?
44	Air conditioning	מזגן	mazgan
45	Towel	מגבת	magevet

Eating Out: Restaurant and Food Vocabulary

Food is a highlight of most trips, and menus in Israel are often bilingual. Even so, these Hebrew words for travel come up constantly, whether you are ordering at a market stall or reading a label.

#	English	Hebrew	Pronunciation
46	Restaurant	מסעדה	misada
47	Menu	תפריט	tafrit
48	Water	מים	mayim
49	Coffee	קפה	kafe
50	Tea	תה	te
51	Bread	לחם	lechem
52	Pita	פיתה	pita
53	Hummus	חומוס	chumus
54	Falafel	פלאפל	falafel
55	Chicken	עוף	of
56	Meat	בשר	basar
57	Fish	דג	dag
58	Vegetables	ירקות	yerakot
59	Fruit	פירות	perot
60	Vegetarian (m.; f. is tzimchonit)	צמחוני	tzimchoni
61	The check, please	חשבון, בבקשה	cheshbon, bevakasha
62	Delicious!	טעים!	ta’im!
63	I’m allergic to...	יש לי אלרגיה ל...	yesh li alergia le...
64	Kosher	כשר	kasher

If you have a food allergy, say #63 and then name the ingredient. Showing a written note alongside is wise.

Kosher may also matter in practice. Many restaurants, hotels, and food products in Israel are kosher-certified, which can affect what is on the menu, such as whether meat and dairy are served together. If it matters to you, ask before ordering.

Shopping, Markets, and Money

A market (shuk) is one of the best places to practice, since the interactions are short and repetitive. Prices are in shekels, and our Hebrew numbers guide will help you understand them when spoken.

#	English	Hebrew	Pronunciation
65	How much does it cost?	כמה זה עולה?	kama ze ole?
66	Too expensive	יקר מדי	yakar midai
67	Money	כסף	kesef
68	Shekel	שקל	shekel
69	Credit card	כרטיס אשראי	kartis ashrai
70	Cash	מזומן	mezuman
71	Discount	הנחה	hanacha
72	Store / Shop	חנות	chanut
73	Market	שוק	shuk
74	ATM	כספומט	kaspomat
75	I’m just looking	אני רק מסתכל (m.) / מסתכלת (f.)	ani rak mistakel / mistakelet
76	Open	פתוח	patuach
77	Closed	סגור	sagur

Practical tip: #76 and #77 are worth recognizing on sight, because opening hours around Shabbat can differ from what you expect (more on that below).

Time, Days, and Shabbat

Knowing a few time words helps with schedules, tickets, and opening hours.

#	English	Hebrew	Pronunciation
78	Today	היום	hayom
79	Tomorrow	מחר	machar
80	Yesterday	אתמול	etmol
81	Now	עכשיו	achshav
82	What time is it?	מה השעה?	ma hasha’a?
83	Day	יום	yom
84	Week	שבוע	shavua
85	Shabbat (Sabbath)	שבת	shabbat
86	Sunday	יום ראשון	yom rishon

Why Shabbat Matters for Travelers

Shabbat runs from Friday evening to Saturday evening. In many Jewish areas of Israel, public transport reduces or stops and many shops and restaurants close during this time, though this varies a great deal by city and neighborhood. Check opening hours in advance, especially for Friday afternoon and Saturday plans. The official Israel Ministry of Tourism site is a good starting point for current visitor information.

The Hebrew week also starts on Sunday, so yom rishon (“first day”) is Sunday and a normal working day. That is useful to know when reading schedules.

Emergencies and Health

You hope not to need these Israel travel phrases, but learn them before the trip, not during a problem.

#	English	Hebrew	Pronunciation
87	Help!	עזרה!	ezra!
88	Emergency	חירום	chirum
89	Police	משטרה	mishtara
90	Doctor	רופא (m.) / רופאה (f.)	rofe / rofa
91	Hospital	בית חולים	beit cholim
92	Pharmacy	בית מרקחת	beit merkachat
93	I need a doctor	אני צריך רופא (m.) / אני צריכה רופא (f.)	ani tzarich rofe / ani tzricha rofe
94	I’m sick	אני חולה	ani choleh (m.) / ani chola (f.)
95	It hurts here	זה כואב לי פה	ze ko’ev li po
96	I’m lost	אני אבוד (m.) / אבודה (f.)	ani avud / avuda
97	Ambulance	אמבולנס	ambulans
98	I lost my passport	איבדתי את הדרכון שלי	ibadeti et hadarkon sheli
99	Thief	גנב	ganav
100	Can you help me? (to a man / to a woman)	אתה יכול לעזור לי? (m.) / את יכולה לעזור לי? (f.)	ata yachol la’azor li? / at yechola la’azor li?

Israel’s main emergency numbers are 100 for police, 101 for ambulance (Magen David Adom), and 102 for fire and rescue. Confirm current numbers and services on the official Magen David Adom website before you travel. In a real emergency, call first and worry about Hebrew second: the operators handle many calls from visitors.

How to Practice Before Your Trip

Memorizing 100 entries at once is unrealistic. A more manageable approach:

Start with the first 15. Greetings and basic politeness give you the biggest payoff.
Add one situation at a time. Learn the transport block before a travel day, the food block before a restaurant, and so on.
Say phrases aloud. Tables teach recognition, but you need your mouth to produce them.
Save your top 10 on your phone. Write the ones you expect to use most (toda, slicha, eifo...?, kama ze ole?) where you can find them fast.
Expect people to answer in English. That is normal, and it doesn’t mean your Hebrew was wrong. Keep trying anyway.

For a wider set of conversational building blocks, our 50 basic Hebrew phrases guide is a natural next step.

Conclusion

Hebrew for travel is less about fluency and more about small, well-chosen words at the right moment. Greetings, polite basics, a few directions, and the ability to ask a price will carry you through most of a trip, and the emergency phrases are worth knowing even if you never need them. Start with the greetings, add a section at a time, and treat every conversation as practice.

FAQ

Do I need to learn Hebrew to travel in Israel?

No. English is widely used in tourism settings, though how much varies by place. Learning some Hebrew travel phrases is optional, but it makes everyday interactions smoother and is often appreciated.

What are the most useful Hebrew phrases for tourists?

Start with shalom (hello), toda (thank you), bevakasha (please / you’re welcome), slicha (excuse me / sorry), eifo...? (where is...?), and kama ze ole? (how much does it cost?).

Do I need to know the Hebrew alphabet?

Not for this guide, since every entry includes pronunciation. Recognizing a few letters can still help with signs and menus, and the alphabet is learnable in a few sessions.

Should I use the masculine or feminine form?

Use the form that matches the speaker for phrases about yourself (for example, ani mevin if you’re male, ani mevina if you’re female). For phrases directed at someone else, match the person you’re addressing. If you get it wrong, people will almost certainly still understand you.

Is the pronunciation in this guide exact?

It is a beginner-friendly approximation. Native speakers vary in pronunciation, so use these as a starting point and listen to real speech when you can.

Sources

Academy of the Hebrew Language — Hebrew transliteration guidelines and language reference.
Israel Ministry of Tourism — Official visitor information.
Magen David Adom — Israel’s national emergency medical service.

Hebrew for Travel: 100 Essential Words & Phrases