Learn Hebrew for beginners: how to start speaking, not just reading
Updated: 20.10.2026
Most beginners start Hebrew with the alphabet, a grammar book and long word lists. A few weeks later they can read a little, and still freeze the moment someone in Israel talks to them.
If your goal is to talk to people, start the other way around: with the spoken Hebrew Israelis use every day, short phrases you can say out loud, and a little practice every day. Here is how.
Spoken Israeli Hebrew is not textbook Hebrew
Modern Hebrew is the everyday language of Israel. It is fast, informal and full of short phrases, a bit of slang and words borrowed from Arabic and English, like yalla, sababa and achla.
Many courses teach a careful, formal Hebrew, or the Hebrew of old texts. Both are useful for reading. For conversation, you want the Hebrew you hear at work, on the bus and in a café.
You don't need the alphabet on day one
The Hebrew alphabet is worth learning, and it comes faster than you think. But you can start speaking before you read: with transliteration, every Hebrew word is also written in Latin letters, so you can say it right away.
Learn the sounds first, then attach them to the letters. Reading becomes much easier when you already know how the words sound.
Your first 20 Hebrew phrases
Say each one out loud three times. Where Hebrew changes for men and women, both forms are shown (m / f).
שלום · shalom · hello
מה נשמע? · ma nishma? · how's it going?
מה שלומך? · ma shlomcha? / ma shlomech? · how are you? (m / f)
תודה · toda · thank you
תודה רבה · toda raba · thank you very much
בבקשה · bevakasha · please, or you're welcome
סליחה · slicha · excuse me, sorry
כן · ken · yes
לא · lo · no
בסדר · beseder · OK, fine
אני לא מבין / אני לא מבינה · ani lo mevin / ani lo mevina · I don't understand (m / f)
אפשר לחזור על זה? · efshar lachzor al ze? · can you say that again?
לאט יותר, בבקשה · le'at yoter, bevakasha · slower, please
כמה זה עולה? · kama ze ole? · how much is it?
איפה השירותים? · eifo hasherutim? · where is the bathroom?
אני לומד עברית / אני לומדת עברית · ani lomed ivrit / ani lomedet ivrit · I'm learning Hebrew (m / f)
יאללה · yalla · let's go, come on
סבבה · sababa · cool, sounds good
אחלה · achla · great
להתראות · lehitra'ot · see you
A 7-day plan for beginners
Day 1: greetings. Shalom, ma nishma, toda, bevakasha.
Day 2: the lifesavers. Slicha, ani lo mevin, efshar lachzor al ze.
Day 3: introduce yourself in three sentences.
Day 4: numbers 1 to 10 and kama ze ole.
Day 5: asking the way with eifo.
Day 6: the café: order, ask, pay.
Day 7: repeat the phrases that were hardest, until they come out without thinking.
Speak out loud, a few minutes a day
Understanding and speaking are two different skills. You build speaking only by speaking: hearing a question, finding the answer and saying it out loud, again and again.
A few minutes every day beats two hours once a week. Tie it to something you already do: your morning coffee, the commute, a walk.
Practice with a teacher who talks back
Yalla is where you start speaking a new language, with teachers you see and hear. English speakers learn spoken Hebrew with explanations in English and transliteration on every word, in short conversations with a teacher who listens and corrects. Arabic, Spanish, French and Russian are in the app too. It is free to start.
The alphabet and the guttural sounds take some getting used to, but spoken Hebrew has short words, simple sentence patterns and many words English speakers already know. Starting with spoken phrases and transliteration makes the first weeks much easier.
Do I need to learn the Hebrew alphabet first?
No. You can start speaking with transliteration, Hebrew written in Latin letters, and learn the letters along the way. Reading is easier once you know how the words sound.
How long does it take to learn basic Hebrew?
It depends on your goal and how often you practice. With a few minutes of speaking practice every day, simple everyday conversations come within a few months.
What is the best way to learn spoken Hebrew?
Learn whole phrases, say them out loud every day, listen to real spoken Hebrew, and practice conversations with someone who answers and corrects you, a person or an app built around conversation.