Hebrew, like any living language, is rich with colorful slang that adds flavor to everyday conversations. As a Hebrew learner, mastering these expressions will help you sound more natural and connect better with native speakers. In this post, we’ll explore ten popular Hebrew slang expressions that you absolutely should know.
1. “יאללה” (Yalla)
Pronunciation: yah-lah
Meaning: Let’s go! / Come on! / Hurry up!
Originally from Arabic, “Yalla” has become one of the most common slang words in Hebrew. It’s used to encourage someone to do something or to express impatience.
Example:
- יאללה, בוא נלך לים (Yalla, bo nelech la-yam) “Come on, let’s go to the beach!”
2. “סבבה” (Sababa) and “אחלה” (Achla)
Pronunciation: sa-ba-ba, akh-la
Meaning: Cool / Awesome / Great
These two words are often used interchangeably. “Sababa” is used to express agreement, satisfaction, or that everything is okay. “Achla” is used to say something is really good or great.
Examples:
- אתה רוצה ללכת לסרט מחר? – סבבה! (Ata rotze lalechet le-seret machar? – Sababa!) “Do you want to go to a movie tomorrow? – Cool!”
- איך היה הטיול? – אחלה! (Eich haya ha-tiyul? – Achla!) “How was the trip? – Great!”
3. “בלאגן” (Balagan
Pronunciation: ba-la-gan
Meaning: Mess / Chaos
This word is used to describe a chaotic situation or a big mess, either literally or figuratively.
Example:
- איזה בלאגן יש פה, צריך לסדר את החדר (Eize balagan yesh po, tzarich lesader et ha-cheder) “What a mess we have here, we need to tidy up the room”
4. “על הפנים” (Al ha-panim)
Pronunciation: al ha-pa-nim
Meaning: Terrible / Awful (literally: “On the face”)
This expression is used to describe something extremely negative or disappointing.
Example:
- איך היתה הבחינה? – על הפנים (Eich hayta ha-bchina? – Al ha-panim) “How was the exam? – Terrible”
5. “חבל על הזמן” (Chaval al ha-zman)
Pronunciation: kha-val al ha-zman
Meaning: Awesome / Amazing (literally: “A waste of time”)
Despite its literal meaning, this expression is used to describe something extremely positive. It’s like saying something is “so good, it’s a waste of time to even talk about how good it is.”
Example:
- ראית את הסרט החדש? – כן, חבל על הזמן! (Ra’ita et ha-seret he-chadash? – Ken, chaval al ha-zman!) “Did you see the new movie? – Yes, it was amazing!”
6. “דווקא” (Davka)
Pronunciation: dav-ka
Meaning: Specifically / On purpose / In spite
This versatile word can be used to emphasize a point, express defiance, or indicate that something happened contrary to expectations.
Example:
- – דווקא היום הוא החליט לא להגיע (Davka hayom hu hechleet lo lehagi’a) “Of all days, he decided not to come today”
– בא לך פיצה? – לא, אני דווקא רוצה המבורגר (Ba lecha pizza? – Lo, ani davka rotze hamburger) “Do you want pizza? – No, I actually want a hamburger”
7. “מה הקטע?” (Ma haketa)
Pronunciation: ma ha-ke-ta
Meaning: What’s the deal? / What’s going on?
This phrase is used to ask about someone’s behavior or a situation, often with a tone of confusion or surprise.
Example:
- מה הקטע שלא ענית לטלפון כל היום? (Ma haketa she’lo anita la-telefon kol hayom?) “What’s the deal with not answering the phone all day?”
8. “חופר / חופרת” (Chofer / Choferet)
Pronunciation: kho-fer / kho-fe-ret
Meaning: To dig / Someone who talks too much or goes into too much detail
While literally meaning “to dig,” this slang term is used to describe someone who talks excessively about a topic or goes into unnecessary detail.
Example:
- די, אתה חופר. בוא נדבר על משהו אחר (Dai, ata chofer. Bo nedaber al mashehu acher) “Enough, you’re going on and on. Let’s talk about something else”
9. “נשבר לי” (Nishbar li)
Pronunciation: nish-bar li
Meaning: I’m fed up / I’ve had enough (literally: “It’s broken for me”)
This expression is used when someone is extremely frustrated or tired of a situation.
Example:
- נשבר לי מהפקקים בכביש הזה כל בוקר (Nishbar li mehapkakim bakvish haze kol boker) “I’m fed up with the traffic jams on this road every morning”
10. “לזרום” (Lizrom)
Pronunciation: liz-rom
Meaning: To go with the flow
This verb is used to describe the act of being flexible, adaptable, or easy-going in various situations.
Example:
- – אין לי תוכניות מיוחדות להיום, אני פשוט אזרום (Ein li tochniyot meyuchadot le-hayom, ani pashut ezrom) “I don’t have any special plans for today, I’ll just go with the flow”
– החברים שלי אוהבים לתכנן כל דבר, אבל אני מעדיף לזרום - (Ha-chaverim sheli ohavim letachnen kol davar, aval ani ma’adif lizrom)
- “My friends like to plan everything, but I prefer to go with the flow”
Learning these slang expressions will help you understand casual conversations better and express yourself more naturally in Hebrew. Remember, context is key when using slang, so pay attention to how native speakers use these phrases in different situations.
Do you have any favorite Hebrew slang expressions? Share them in the comments below!
