7 Hebrew Slang Expressions Inspired by Food
Food is a big part of everyday life, and it has found its way into the Hebrew language in some unexpected ways.
From leaving a party to ignoring someone’s messages, Israelis use food-related expressions in all kinds of everyday situations.
Here are seven Hebrew slang expressions that will help you understand Israeli conversations a little better.
1. לחתוך (Lakh-toch)
Literally, לחתוך means “to cut.” In Israeli slang, it has two common uses.
A. To leave a place
טוב, אני חותך הביתה.
Tov, ani khotech habaita.
“Okay, I’m heading home.”
B. To end a relationship
נראה לי שאני חותכת את הקשר הזה.
Nir’e li she’ani khotekhet et hakésher haze.
“I think I’m going to end this relationship.”
2. למרוח (Lim-roakh)
Literally, למרוח means “to spread,” like spreading butter on bread. In slang, למרוח מישהו means to stall, make excuses, or string someone along instead of giving them a clear answer.
Example:
הוא כבר שבועיים מורח אותי.
Hu kvar shvu’ayim more’akh oti.
“He’s been stringing me along for two weeks.”
You can use this when someone keeps delaying something or avoids giving you a straight answer.
3. לטחון (Lit-khon)
Literally, לטחון means “to grind.” In everyday Hebrew, it appears in several expressions.
To talk someone’s ear off
לטחון למישהו את המוח means to talk too much, nag someone, or keep repeating the same thing until they get tired of listening.
די לטחון לי את המוח!
Dai lit-khon li et hamóakh!
“Stop driving me crazy!”
4. סחוט / סחוטה (Sakhut / Sakhuta)
סחוט literally means “squeezed out,” like a lemon after you’ve squeezed out all its juice. When you describe a person as סחוט or סחוטה, it means they’re completely exhausted.
Example:
אני סחוטה. אין לי כוח לצאת היום.
Ani sakhuta. Ein li ko’akh latset hayom.
“I’m exhausted. I don’t have the energy to go out today.”
You can use this after a long day at work, a busy week, or any exhausting experience.
5. לעשות סלט (La’asot salat)
Literally, לעשות סלט means “to make a salad.” In slang, it means to mix things up and make a mess of information or a situation.
Example:
עשית לי סלט מכל הסיפור.
Asita li salat mikol hasipur.
“You’ve made a complete mess of the whole story.”
Imagine someone explaining what happened but mixing up all the names, dates, and details. This is a perfect expression for that situation.
6. לסנן (Lesanen)
Literally, לסנן means “to filter” or “to strain,” like straining pasta. In Israeli slang, לסנן מישהו means to deliberately ignore their calls or messages.
Example:
למה את מסננת אותי?
Lama at mesanenet oti?
“Why are you ignoring my messages?”
If someone sees your messages but doesn’t reply, you might say they’re מסננים אותך.
7. לערבב (Le’arbev)
Literally, לערבב means “to mix.” In Israeli slang, לערבב מישהו can mean to confuse or mislead someone, often by giving them a complicated or misleading explanation.
Example:
אל תנסה לערבב אותי!
Al tenase le’arbev oti!
“Don’t try to fool me!”
You might use this when you suspect someone isn’t telling you the whole truth or is trying to manipulate you.
Now it’s your turn!
How many of these expressions did you already know?
Try using one of them in your next conversation with an Israeli friend. Learning slang is a great way to understand everyday Hebrew and feel more comfortable speaking it.
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