With all the delicious food in Israel, it’s important to exercise if you want to stay fit! Here are some useful Hebrew words that will come in handy in Tel Aviv.
1. Fitness
Hebrew translation: כּוֹשֶׁר
Transliteration: koh-sher
You might hear Israelis say: אֲנִי הוֹלֵךְ לַעֲשׂוֹת כּוֹשֶׁר — literally meaning, “I’m going to do fitness.” It means the same thing as “I’m going to work out” in English.
2. A Workout
Hebrew translation: אִמּוּן
Transliteration: ee-moon
The word אִמּוּן usually refers to a workout that you attend with a trainer – whether it’s in the gym, at the park, or at the beach.
3. Gym
Hebrew translation: חֲדַר כּוֹשֶׁר
Transliteration: chah-dar koh-sher (but most Israelis pronounce it cheh-der koh-sher)
In Hebrew, the word for gym literally means “fitness room.”
4. Muscles
Hebrew translation: שְׁרִירִים
Transliteration: shreer-eem
You’ll probably hear fitness instructors using this word a lot. Hopefully, you’ll hear Israelis tell you, “וואוו אֵיזֶה שְׁרִירִים” which means something like: “Wow, look at those muscles!”
5. To stretch
Hebrew translation: לַעֲשׂוֹת מְתִיחוּת
Transliteration: lah-ah-sote meh-tee-chote
It’s always important to stretch before a good workout. In Hebrew, to say “I’m stretching,” you would literally say “I’m doing stretches.” אֲנִי עוֹשֶׂה מְתִיחוּת
6. To run
Hebrew translation: לָרוּץ
Transliteration: lah-rootz
In the present tense, you would say רָץ (male) or רָצָה (female) — rahtz / rahtzah. As in: הוּא רָץ מַהֵר — meaning “He runs fast.” Perhaps the most useful phrase, however, is: אֲנִי שׂוֹנֵא לָרוּץ— “I hate running.”
7. Yoga mat
Hebrew translation: מִזְרָן יוֹגַה
Transliteration: meez-rahn yoga (most Israelis pronounce it meez-rone)
In Hebrew, the word for mat is the same word used for mattress! ????
8. To breathe
Hebrew translation: לִנְשֹׁם
Transliteration: Leen-shohm
Don’t forget to breathe when you’re working out! You may hear instructors say: לִנְשֹׁם דֶּרֶךְ הָאַף— “Breathe through the nose.”
9. Inhalation
Hebrew translation: שֵאִיפָה
Transliteration: sheh-ee-fah
Instead of saying “inhale”, in Hebrew, a yoga teacher will simply say “inhalation.”
10. Exhalation
Hebrew Translation: נֵשִיפָה
Transliteration: Neh-shi-fah
It’s annoying, but inhale and exhale sound very similar in Hebrew. Listen carefully to know which one your instructor is telling you to do!
11. I’m sore!
Hebrew translation: כּוֹאֲבִים לִי הַשְּׁרִירִים
Transliteration: koh-ah-veem lee ha-shreer-eem
If you have a hard workout and want to say you’re sore, you literally say: “My muscles hurt.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Zoë Biehl is a full-time freelance writer and editor with an insatiable passion for travel. Originally from New York, she now happily calls Tel Aviv home.
