Hebrew learning
Hebrew Days, Months, and Calendar Terms
Calendar language helps you understand appointments, school messages, Shabbat hours, holidays, and government-office opening times. Israel uses both secular and Jewish calendars, often in the same week.
Listen and repeat
Tap a word to hear browser speech synthesis in Hebrew. IsraYeah! gives the richer app experience, but the website should still help you practise.
The Hebrew week starts Sunday
In Israel, Sunday is a normal work and school day. Friday is often a shorter day, and Saturday is Shabbat. The week rhythm affects buses, shops, appointments, and social plans.
The Hebrew names for weekdays are built from numbers: first day, second day, and so on, with Shabbat as the named seventh day.
Days of the week
Start by learning the day names as chunks with יום. Then practise dropping יום when locals do.
| English | Hebrew | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday | יום ראשון | yom rishon |
| Monday | יום שני | yom sheni |
| Tuesday | יום שלישי | yom shlishi |
| Wednesday | יום רביעי | yom revii |
| Thursday | יום חמישי | yom chamishi |
| Friday | יום שישי | yom shishi |
| Saturday | שבת | shabbat |
Hebrew calendar months
The Hebrew months include Tishrei, Cheshvan, Kislev, Tevet, Shevat, Adar, Nisan, Iyar, Sivan, Tammuz, Av, and Elul. Leap years add a second Adar. Holidays follow these months rather than the Gregorian calendar.
Holiday dates move against the Gregorian calendar each year, so pages should be updated seasonally.
Gregorian months in Hebrew
Israel also uses the Gregorian calendar for contracts, flights, schools, tech, banking, and government appointments. Month names are usually borrowed forms such as ינואר, פברואר, and מרץ.
Learners should recognise both systems, but they do not need to master calendar conversion on day one.
Common time expressions
These time words unlock real conversation quickly because they appear in almost every plan.
- today: היום
- tomorrow: מחר
- yesterday: אתמול
- next week: שבוע הבא
- after Shabbat: אחרי שבת
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