Hebrew Slang: 20 Words Your Textbook Won't Teach You

Textbook Hebrew will teach you shalom and toda. Real Israelis, though, mostly speak in slang. If you want to understand what's actually being said around you in Tel Aviv, you need words your textbook never mentioned. Here are 20 Hebrew slang words that'll make you sound way more local.

1. Sababa (סַבָּבָּה)

Cool, no problem, awesome. Used everywhere, all day long. From Arabic.

2. Yalla (יַלְלָה)

Let's go, come on, alright. Also Arabic. Used as a call to action or a conversation closer.

3. Ayzeh kef (אֵיזֶה כֵּיף)

"What fun!" Used when something is genuinely enjoyable. Kef (fun) is an Arabic loan word that's fully part of Hebrew now.

4. Balagan (בָּלָגָן)

Chaos, a mess. Originally from Russian. Used for both literal mess ("my desk is a balagan") and figurative chaos ("the whole situation was a balagan").

5. Achla (אַחְלָה)

Great, awesome. From Arabic. Often used to approve something: "Achla pizza!"

6. Chaval al ha-zman (חֲבָל עַל הַזְּמַן)

Literally "a waste of time", but means "amazing beyond words". Paradoxical, very Israeli. Often shortened to just chavlaz.

7. Stam (סְתָם)

Just because, no reason, just kidding. Used constantly. "Why are you smiling?" "Stam." "I didn't do anything." "Stam kidding."

8. Pitzutz (פִּצּוּץ)

An explosion, but as slang it means "awesome" or "a blast". "The party was a pitzutz." Explosive, in the good way.

9. Neshama (נְשָׁמָה)

Literally "soul". Used as a term of endearment, like "dear" or "sweetheart". Can be used between friends, not just romantic partners.

10. Bro (ברו)

Yes, the English word, fully adopted into Hebrew. Used between male friends. "Bro, ma nishma?"

11. Dai (דַּי)

Enough, stop it. Said when someone is teasing or being annoying. Loud "Dai!" with a laugh means "cut it out".

12. Fadicha (פַדִיחָה)

Embarrassment, a public goof. From Arabic. "He tripped in front of his crush, what a fadicha."

13. Walla (וַלְלָה)

An expression of surprise or mild agreement. "Walla?!" = "Really?!" Also a way to say "seriously".

14. Tachles (תַכְלֶ׳ס)

"The bottom line", "actually", "for real". Used to cut through small talk and get to the point. Yiddish origin.

15. Ma pit'om (מָה פִּתְאֹם)

Literally "what suddenly?" Means "of course not" or "no way". Used as playful disagreement.

16. Stigma (סְטִיגְמָה)

Same as the English word, used in conversation to mean "judgement". "Don't make it a stigma."

17. Lo nora (לֹא נוֹרָא)

"Not terrible" = "it's okay, don't worry about it". Used to reassure someone who's apologizing.

18. Chaim sheli (חַיִּים שֶׁלִּי)

"My life". Term of endearment between romantic partners or very close family.

19. Pinati (פִּנָּתִי)

Literally "my corner". Modern slang for "my favorite local hangout". "Let's go to pinati" = "let's go to our usual spot".

20. Magniv (מַגְנִיב)

Cool, awesome. A bit more casual and modern than achla. Young Israelis use this one a lot.

How to actually use them

Don't pepper every sentence with five slang words. It'll sound weird. Pick one or two that feel natural to you and work them in gradually. Sababa is the safest starting point because it works almost anywhere.

Also, slang is informal. Don't say "walla!" to your professor or use "fadicha" in a job interview. Match the register to the situation.

The fastest way to absorb slang

Listen to Israeli podcasts, watch Israeli TV shows (Fauda, Shtisel, In Treatment), and pay attention to the words the characters use casually. Most of the slang above will show up in real conversations within the first 20 minutes.

For audio of common Hebrew phrases and conversational speech, our phrases section has native pronunciation examples. And our blog has more posts on everyday Israeli Hebrew.

20 words, one afternoon, a huge jump in your street Hebrew. Sababa?