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{{Short description|None}}File:Rosh Hashana Montevideo 1932.jpg|thumb|300px|Le'Shana Tova Tikatevu, greeting card from MontevideoMontevideoThere 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. 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).

Shabbat

For the Sabbath, there are several ways to greet people in a variety of languages, including Hebrew, Yiddish, and Ladino.{| class="wikitable sortable"! Phrase! Hebrew script! Translation! Pronunciation! Language! Explanation

Shalom#In expressions>Shabbat shalom	שַׁבַּת שָׁלוֹם}}	Shabbat>Sabbath	ʃaˈbat ʃaˈlom|}}| Hebrew		WORK=JUDAISM 101, 7 October 2018,

Shalom#In expressions>Gut Shabbes	גוּט שַׁבָּת}}| Good Sabbath	ɡʊt ˈʃabəs|}}| Yiddish| Used any time on Shabbat, especially in general conversation or when greeting people.

|Shavua tov

שָׁבוּעַ טוֹב}}| Good week	ʃaˈvu.a tov|}}| Hebrew| Used on Saturday nights (after Havdalah) and even on Sundays "shavua tov" is used to wish someone a good coming week.

|Gut Voch

גוט וואָך}}|Good week||Yiddish|Same as above, but Yiddish

| Buen shabat

בוען שבת}}| Good sabbath	buen ʃabat|}}| 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|

Holidays

For different chagim and Yom Tov there are different expressions used.{| class="wikitable"! Phrase! Hebrew script! Translation! Pronunciation! Language! Explanation| Chag sameach

חַג שָׂמֵחַ}}| Happy holiday	χaɡ saˈme.aχ|}}| Hebrew	Chanukah sameach". Also, for Passover, "chag kasher v'same'ach" ({{Script/Hebrew>חַג כָּשֵׁר וְשָׂמֵחַ}}) meaning wishing a happy and kosher(-for-Passover) holiday.

| Moed tovMoadim l'simcha

מועד טובֿ}}{{Script/Hebrew|מועדים לשמחה}}| A good festival periodA happy festival period	ˈmo.ed tovmo.aˈdim le simˈχa|}}| Hebrew| Used as a greeting during the chol ha-moed (intermediate days) of the Passover and Sukkot holidays.

| Gut Yontiv

גוט יום־טובֿ}}	Jewish holidays>Yom Tov	ɡʊt ˈjɔntɪv|}}| Yiddish	Jewish holidays>Yom Tov holidays. Often spelled Gut Yontif or Gut Yontiff in English transliteration.

| Gut'n Mo'ed

גוטן מועד}}| Good chol ha-moed (intermediate days)	ˈɡʊtn̩ ˈmɔɪɛd|}}| Yiddish| As above (as a greeting during the chol ha-moed (intermediate days) of the Passover and Sukkot holidays), but Yiddish/English

Rosh Hashanah#Greetings>L'shanah tovah or Shana Tova	לְשָׁנָה טוֹבָה}}| [To a] good year	leʃaˈna toˈva|}}| Hebrew	Rosh Hashanah and the Days of Awe, Also used, simply "shanah tovah" ({{Script/Hebrew>שָׁנָה טוֹבָה}}), meaning "a good year", or "shanah tovah u'metukah" ({{Script/Hebrew	l'shanah tovah tikatevu ve techatemu" ({{Script/Hebrew>לְשָׁנָה טוֹבָה תִכָּתֵבוּ וְתֵּחָתֵמוּ}}), meaning "may you be inscribed and sealed (in the Book of Life) for a good year". A shorter version is often used: "ktiva ve chatima tova" ({{Script/Hebrew		WORK=HEBREW: VIRTUAL ULPAN	ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20170505215148/HTTP://WWW.ULPAN.NET/ROSH-HA-SHANA	ACCESS-DATE=7 OCTOBER 2018, 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	tsom kal|}}| Hebrew	Yom Kippur fast. In some English-speaking communities today, the greeting "[have] an easy and meaningful fast" is used.MY JEWISH LEARNING	URL=HTTPS://WWW.MYJEWISHLEARNING.COM/ARTICLE/HOW-TO-GREET-SOMEONE-ON-YOM-KIPPUR/	PUBLISHER=70/FACES MEDIA, 14 August 2021,

| G'mar Chatima Tovah

גְּמַר חֲתִימָה טוֹבָה}}	Book of Life#In the Hebrew Bible>Book of Life]	gmaʁ χati.ma to.va}}| Hebrew	Yom Kippur. Tradition teaches that Jews' fate is written on Rosh Hashanah and is sealed on Yom Kippur.G'MAR CHATIMAH TOVAH FROM JSPACE	LAST=STAFF	WEBSITE=JSPACE	URL-STATUS=DEAD	ARCHIVEDATE= 6 OCTOBER 2014,

| Tizku Leshanim Rabot - Ne'imot veTovot

תזכו לשנים רבות - נעימות וטובות}}| May you merit many pleasant and good years	tizˈku leʃaˈnim raˈbot - ne.iˈmot vetoˈvot|}}| Hebrew| Used in Sephardic communities to wish someone well at the end of a holiday.

Greetings and farewells

There are several greetings and good-byes used in Hebrew to say hello and farewell to someone.{| class="wikitable sortable"! Phrase! Hebrew script! Translation! Pronunciation! Language! Explanation| Shalom

שָׁלוֹם}}| Hello, goodbye, peace	ʃaˈlom|}}| Hebrew	shalom is used for both hello and goodbye.HEBREW FOR DUMMIES	WEBSITE=DUMMIES.COM	LAST=JACOBS	cognate with the Arabic-language S-L-M>salaam.

| Shalom aleichem

שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם}}| Peace be upon you	ʃaˈlom ʔaleˈχem|}}| Hebrew	Ashkenazi Jewish communities of Eastern Europe. The appropriate response is "Aleichem Shalom" (עֲלֵיכֶם שָׁלוֹם) or "Upon you be peace." (cognate with the Arabic-language "As-Salamu Alaykum>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").

Phrases

These are Hebrew phrases used in Jewish communities both inside and outside of Israel.{| class="wikitable"! Phrase! Hebrew script! Translation! Pronunciation! Language! Explanation| Mazal tov / Mazel tov

מַזָּל טוֹב}}| good luck/congratulations	maˈzal tov	ˈmazəl tɔv|}}| Hebrew/Yiddish	mazal tov) or Yiddish. Used on to indicate good luck has occurred, ex. birthday, bar mitzvah, a new job, or an engagement. 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.HTTPS://WWW.DUMMIES.COM/LANGUAGES/HEBREW/SPEAKING-OF-FAVORITE-HEBREW-EXPRESSIONS/	WEBSITE=DUMMIES.COM	LAST=JACOBS	"b'sha'ah tovah" ("may it happen at a good time/in the proper time").HTTP://WWW.JEWISHMAG.COM/68MAG/BSHAATOVA/BSHAATOVA.HTM	FIRST=SARIYA	WORK=THE JEWISH MAGAZINE, 7 October 2018,

| B'karov etzlech (f.)B'karov etzlecha (m.)

בְּקָרוֹב אֶצְלְךָ}}| Soon so shall it be by you	bekaˈʁov ʔetsˈleχ	bekaˈʁov ʔetsleˈχa|}}| Hebrew| Used in response to "mazal tov"

| 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	beʔezˈʁat haˈʃem|}}| Hebrew| Used by religious Jews when speaking of the future and wanting God's help (similar to "God willing").

| Yishar koach (or ShKoiAch)contraction of the two words

יְישַׁר כֹּחַ}}| You should have increased strength	jiˈʃaʁ ˈko.aχ|}}| Hebrew		URL-STATUS=DEAD	ARCHIVE-DATE=26 SEPTEMBER 2014	WEBSITE=PATHEOS.COM,

| Chazak u'varuch

חֵזָק וּבָרוךְ}}| Be strong and blessed	χaˈzak uvaˈʁuχ|}}| 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.

| Kol ha'ka'vod

כֹּל הַכָּבוֹד}}| All of the honour	kol hakaˈvod|}}| Hebrew| Used for a job well done.

| L'chaim

לְחַיִּים}}| To life	leχaˈjim	ləˈχajm|}}| Hebrew/Yiddish	Toast (honor)>toast

Responses to sneezing>Gesundheit	געזונטהייט}}| Health	ɡəˈzʊnthajt|}}| Yiddish	Judaism and sneezing>when someone sneezes. Also sometimes "tsu gezunt".

| Labriut (or Livriut)

לבריאות}}| To Health	livʁiˈʔut|}}| Hebrew| Hebrew equivalent of saying "bless you" when someone sneezes.

{{visible anchor>Refuah Shlemah}}	רְפוּאָה שְׁלֵמָה}}| Get well soon. Lit. full recovery | | Hebrew		ACCESS-DATE=26 MARCH 2019, Also see related daily prayer addition.

See also

• Honorifics in Judaism
• Honorifics for the dead in Judaism

References

{{reflist}}{{Hebrew language}}