What a Bummer: 23 Ways to Complain in Hebrew

2 min read
Picture of aviad
aviad

Having a moment? There’s no reason you shouldn’t be able to express it in Hebrew.

1. זֶה לֹא עוֹשֶׂה לִי טוֹב

Here’s a great excuse to get out of something.

Transliteration: zeh loh oh-seh lee tohv

Translation: This doesn’t do me well.

2. מָה אִכְפַּת לִי

When you just don’t care…

Transliteration: mah ech-paht lee

Translation: What do I care?

3. לֹא מְעַנְיֵן אוֹתִי

Don’t pretend it interests you.

Transliteration: loh meh-ahn-yen oh-tee

Translation: It doesn’t interest me.

4. לֹא הַטַּעַם שֶׁלִּי

Everyone has their own tastes.

Transliteration: loh hah-tah-ahm sheh-lee

Translation: not my cup of tea (literally: not my taste)

5. אֲנִי שׂוֹנֵא/ת

“Hate is a strong word.” — but when in doubt, pull it out.

Transliteration: ah-nee soh-neh (m), ah-nee soh-net (f)

Translation: I hate…

6. זֶה יוֹשֵׁב עָלַי

Gotta get away?

Transliteration: zeh yoh-shev ah-lie

Translation: It won’t let up. (Literally: It’s sitting on me.)

7. זֶה כָּבֵד

Some things are just a burden.

Transliteration: zeh kah-ved

Translation: It’s a downer. (Literally: It’s heavy.)

8. זֶה לֹא הַקֶּטַע שֶׁלִּי

To each their own.

Transliteration: zeh loh hah-keh-tah sheh-lee

Translation: It’s not my thing.

9. זֶה גָּדוֹל עָלַי

Sometimes it’s just too much.

Transliteration: zeh gah-dol ah-lie

Translation: It’s too much for me. (literally: It’s big on me.)

10. זֶה לֹא מְדַבֵּר אֵלַי

Speak the truth.

Transliteration: zeh loh meh-dah-ber eh-lie

Translation: It doesn’t speak to me.

11. לֹא מַתְאִים לִי

If it doesn’t fit, you must’a quit.

Transliteration: loh mah-teem lee

Translation: not for me (Literally: It doesn’t fit me.)

12. נוּ בֶּאֱמֶת

I got up for one second…

Transliteration: noo beh-eh-met

Translation: Come on, really?

13. לָמָּה כָּכָה

I just don’t understand you, what you’re saying, and why you’re telling me this.

Transliteration: lah-mah kah-chah

Translation: Why this way?

14. אוּף

We’re not sure if this is a sound or a word, but it’s definitely a legitimate form of expressing your frustration.

Transliteration: oof

Translation: ugh

15. אֵיזֶה בָּאסָה

There’s nothing worse than this.

Transliteration: ey-zeh bah-sah

Translation: what a bummer

16. דַּי כְּבָר

It’s my way or the highway.

Transliteration: die k’var

Translation: enough already

17. לֹא יְאוּמָן

I am shocked and appalled!

Transliteration: loh yeh-oo-mahn

Translation: unbelievable

18. לֹא רוֹצֶה / רוֹצָה

You stand NO chance.

Transliteration: loh roh-tze (m) / loh roh-tzah (f)

Translation: I don’t want to.

19. אוֹי וַאֲבוֹי

Is this really happening to me?

Transliteration: oy vah-voy

Translation: Oh no

20. אֵיזֶה מְעַצְבֵּן

See the door? See yourself out.

Transliteration: eyze meh-atz-ben

Translation: How annoying

21. זֶה מַגְעִיל אוֹתִי

Nope, not happening.

Transliteration: zeh mah-geel oh-tee

Translation: It’s disgusting

22. לֹא לַחֲפֹור

I’d rather be digging holes than be listening to you.

Transliteration: loh lahch-for

Translation: Don’t bore me (literally: don’t dig)

23. זֶה מְבָאֵס אוֹתִי

There’s nothing worse that what you’re doing right now.

Transliteration: zeh meh-vah-es oh-tee

Translation: This is killing my vibe.

 

Get a FREE practice and find your Hebrew level!
Want more Hebrew content?
Subscribe to our newsletter and stay in the loop!

You’ve got options

Learn Hebrew online from anywhere in the world with live classes taught by our local teachers!

Learn Hebrew Online

Join us IRL at our Tel Aviv campus with intimate class sizes and our amazing community of locals.

Learn Hebrew in Person
Skip to main content

Keep in touch!

Join our Newsletter and get your Hebrew going

Sign up to stay in the loop with tips, tricks, and more for learning Hebrew!

Hebrew Nugget:

What a Bummer: 23 Ways to Complain in Hebrew

The past year has been an emotional rollercoaster – moving from the shock, pain, and sadness of unimaginable events to the moments of hope we felt with each hostage coming home, each family reunited, and every soldier returning safely. Alongside this, we’ve found countless reasons to be grateful – for the incredible outpouring of support from civilians, and for the things we still hold dear, like our families, our partners, and our community. But these feelings are always mixed with the ache and despair that everyone in Israel still carries, even now.
I’d say the best way to describe how everyone around me is feeling is רגשות מעורבים (reh-gah-shoht meh-oh-rah-veem), which means “mixed emotions.” רגש (reh-gehsh) means “an emotion” in singular, but in plural, רגשות, it might sound feminine with the “OHT” ending. But here’s the catch: this doesn’t change the gender of the noun or the adjective that follows, which still matches the singular form. So, it’s מעורבים and not מעורבות. It’s just one of those quirks of Hebrew that’s tricky to explain.