The most useful Hebrew phrases to know first are שלום (shalom, “hello”), תודה (toda, “thank you”), בבקשה (bevakasha, “please / you’re welcome”), סליחה (slicha, “sorry / excuse me”), and בוקר טוב (boker tov, “good morning”). A few phrases change with gender in Hebrew, and a few do not, so this page groups them so you know which is which before you send one.
Most “Hebrew phrases” lists are a long dump of words with no sense of which you actually need, or when a word shifts depending on who is speaking and who is listening. This one is short on purpose. Each phrase below links to a full guide with pronunciation, gender forms, and how to reply. Start with the ones you would say this week.
This trips up almost everyone learning Hebrew, so it is worth saying plainly. Some phrases are fixed, and some move depending on who is speaking and who is being spoken to.
| Phrase | Changes with gender? |
|---|---|
| Thank you (toda) | No, same for everyone |
| Good morning / good night | No, same for everyone |
| Happy birthday / congratulations | No, same for everyone |
| I love you | Yes, verb (your gender) and ending (their gender) |
| How are you | Yes, ending changes with who you ask |
| You’re beautiful | Yes, yafeh vs yafa |
| Sorry (heartfelt) | Yes, mitzta’er vs mitzta’eret |
Knowing the phrase is one thing; typing it into WhatsApp is another. A Hebrew keyboard, right-to-left text, and getting the gender ending correct on every message is a lot to manage when you just want to reply. A translation keyboard like Bridgi lets you type in English and send the Hebrew straight inside the chat, so the whole conversation, not just the one phrase you looked up, stays in Hebrew and stays in one place.
Start with שלום (shalom, “hello”), תודה (toda, “thank you”), בבקשה (bevakasha, “please” or “you’re welcome”), סליחה (slicha, “sorry”), and בוקר טוב (boker tov, “good morning”). They cover greetings, thanks, and apologies: the phrases you use most in daily conversation.
Some do and some do not. Greetings like toda, boker tov, and mazal tov are the same for everyone. Phrases with a verb or a direct “you” (such as “I love you,” “how are you,” and “you’re beautiful”) change with the gender of the speaker, the listener, or both.
שלום (shalom) means both “hello” and “goodbye,” and it is the same whoever you are speaking to. For a more casual “hi,” Israelis also say היי (hei).
Yes. Hebrew reads and is written right to left, which is why typing it in a chat can feel awkward at first if your keyboard is set up for English.