Did you know that only some reptiles and birds don’t parent their offspring? Except for crocodiles, all reptiles (and one family of bird species called megapodes) hatch from eggs and grow up alone, without any family.
The rest of us need family if we are to survive and thrive – humans and animals alike!
At HebrewPod101, we know how important family is. Therefore, we take care to teach you all the important vocabulary and phrases pertaining to family.
Table of Contents
- Why Is It Important to Know Hebrew Vocabulary about Family?
- Learn a New Culture? Learn its Family Vocab first
- How HebrewPod101 Can Help You Learn Hebrew Family Terms
1. Why Is It Important to Know Hebrew Vocabulary about Family?
Well, if you’re serious about studying any new language, then learning about the most important social unit in Israeli culture would be a crucial part of your education.
What is family, though? Strictly speaking, it’s a group of people who live together and are supposed to take care of one another. Some of them are genetically linked.
Family isn’t just about who we’re related to by blood, of course. It’s also one of the main influences in shaping every child’s life.
Family is Important for Children’s Healthy Development
Family is the single most important influence in a child’s life. Children depend on parents and family to protect them and provide for their needs from the day they were born.
Primary caregivers, which usually comprise parents and family, form a child’s first relationships. They are a child’s first teachers and are role models that show kids how to act and experience the world around them.
By nurturing and teaching children during their early years, families play an important role in making sure children are ready to learn when they enter school.
Families Can Take All Shapes and Sizes
However, the way families are put together is by no means standard.
Single-parent and same-gender households have become a new norm the past few decades, and there’s no shame in this. When there is love, connection and proper care, a child can thrive anywhere.
Everyone also knows that sometimes friends can become like family and remain with us for life, because it’s all about human connection.
After all, we share many commonalities simply because we’re human, and we are programmed to connect with one another and belong to a group. This is very important for our well-being and survival.
It’s All About Feeling Connected
As John Northman, a psychologist from Buffalo, NY, told WebMD – feeling connected to others contributes to mental as well as physical health.
He pointed out that when people feel connected, they feel better physically, and they’re also less likely to feel depressed.
Or, if they do feel depressed, they’d be in a better position to get out of it when they feel they are connecting with others. This is because they would be psychologically supported too, Northman said.
There has even been some links drawn between addiction and feeling disconnected from others. According to an article in Psychology Today, research indicates that addiction is not solely a substance disorder, but also affected by people feeling insecurely attached to others.
It showed that securely attached individuals tend to feel comfortable in and enjoy life, while insecurely attached people typically struggle to fit in and connect.
2. Learn a New Culture? Learn its Family Vocab first
So, it’s clear that for most of us, family is our entry point into connection and belonging. This is true of every culture, so in every country, family takes prominence.
For this reason, HebrewPod101 offers culturally-relevant lessons that will equip you well to understand families in Israel.
Here are some of the most important Hebrew vocabulary and quotes about family and parenting!
A) Hebrew Family Vocabulary
Let’s start with the basic vocabulary. Without this collection of words, you’ll have a hard time describing any member of your family at all.
| Family Terms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Family משפחה (mish’pakhah) |
Great grandfather סבא רבא (saba raba) |
|
| Mother אמא (ima) |
Grandmother סבתא (savta) |
|
| Father אב (av) |
Grandfather סבא (saba) |
|
| Wife אישה (isha) |
Grandchild נכד (nekhed) |
|
| Husband בעל (ba’al) |
Granddaughter נכדה (nekhdah) |
|
| Parent הורה (hore) |
Grandson נכד (nekhed) |
|
| Child ילד (yeled) |
Aunt דודה (doda) |
|
| Daughter בת (bat) |
Uncle דוד (dod) |
|
| Sister אחות (akhot) |
Niece אחיינית (akhyanit) |
|
| Brother אח (aħ) |
Nephew אחיין (aħyan) |
|
| Younger sister אחות צעירה (achot tze’ira) |
Younger brother אח צעיר (akh tza’ir) |
|
| Older brother אח גדול (aħ gadol) |
Great grandmother סבתא רבתא (savta rabta) |
|
| Cousin בן דוד (ben dod) |
Mother-in-law חמות (ħamot) |
|
| Father-in-law חם (ħam) |
Sister-in-law גיסה (gisa) |
|
| Brother-in-law גיס (gis) |
Partner בת זוג (bat-zug) |
B) Quotes About Family
One of the ways to improve your Hebrew language skills is by memorizing quotes from books, or poems.
Either source some from Hebrew literature, or make use of ours!
אתה לא בוחר את המשפחה שלך. הם מתנת האל לך, כמו שאתה להם.
ata lo bokher et ha`mishpakha shelkha. hem matnat ha`el lekha, kmo she`ata lahem.
“You don’t choose your family. They are God’s gift to you, as you are to them.” – Desmond Tutu
משפחה היא לא דבר חשוב. היא הכל.
mishpakha hi lo davar khashuv. hi hakol.
“Family is not an important thing. It’s everything.” – Michael J. Fox
משפחה זה אומר שאף אחד לא נשאר מאחור או נשכח.
mishpakha ze omer she`af ekhad lo nish-ar meakhor o nishkakh.
“Family means no one gets left behind or forgotten.” – David Ogden Stiers
המשפחה שלי היא הכוח שלי והחולשה שלי.
ha`mishpakha sheli hi ha`koakh sheli veha`khulsha sheli.
“My family is my strength and my weakness.” – Aishwarya Rai
המשפחה היא אחת מיצירות המופת של הטבע.
ha`mishpakha hi akhat mi`yetsirot ha`mofet shel ha`teva.
“The family is one of nature’s masterpieces.” – George Santayana
כשצרות מגיעות, זו המשפחה שלך שתומכת בך.
kshe`tsarot megi-ot, zu ha`mishpakha shelkha she`tomekhet bekha.
“When trouble comes, it’s your family that supports you.” – Guy Lafleur
המשפחה היא התא החיוני הראשון של החברה האנושית.
ha`mishpakha hi hata ha`khiyuni ha`rishon shel ha`khevra ha`enoshit.
“The family is the first essential cell of human society.” – Pope John XXIII
אין דבר כזה כיף לכל המשפחה.
ein davar kaza kef le`kol ha`mishpakha.
“There is no such thing as fun for the whole family.” – Jerry Seinfeld
אתה צריך להגן על הכבוד שלך. ועל המשפחה שלך.
ata tsarikh lehagen al ha`kavod shelkha. ve`al ha`mishpakha shelkha.
“You have to defend your honor. And your family.” – Suzanne Vega
כל המשפחות המאושרות דומות, כל משפחה אומללה היא אומללה בדרכה שלה.
kol ha`mishpakhot ha`meusharot domot, kol mishpakha umlala hi umlala be`darka shela.
“All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” – Leo Tolstoy
C) Test Your Knowledge!
Do you feel you have learned a lot in this blog? Let’s quickly test that!
In the table below, match the Hebrew vocabulary on the left with the definition of the relative in the right column.
| MY RELATIVES | |
|---|---|
| Relative Name | Definition |
| 1. משפחה | a. My male child |
| 2. אמא | b. My older male sibling |
| 3. אב | c. My female sibling |
| 4. אישה | d. My child’s child |
| 5. בעל | e. My child’s female child |
| 6. הורה | f. My female parent |
| 7. ילד | g. My grandparent’s mother |
| 8. בת | h. Mother to one of my parents |
| 9. בן | i. Relatives |
| 10. אחות | j. My female child |
| 11. אח | k. My younger male sibling |
| 12. אחות צעירה | l. Male spouse |
| 13. אח צעיר | m. The father of one of my parents |
| 14. אח גדול | n. My child’s male child |
| 15. סבתא רבתא | o. My children’s father or mother |
| 16. סבא רבא | p. The sister of one of my parents |
| 17. סבתא | q. The brother of one of my parents |
| 18. סבא | r. My male parent |
| 19. נכד | s. My sibling’s female child |
| 20. נכדה | t. My sibling’s male child |
| 21. נכד | u. My male sibling |
| 22. דודה | v. My parents’ sibling’s child |
| 23. דוד | w. Female spouse |
| 24. אחיינית | x. The grandfather of one of my parents |
| 25. אחיין | y. The person I am a parent to |
| 26. בן דוד | z. My younger female sibling |
How did it go? Don’t worry if you had trouble with it – you’ll get there! With a bit of practice, and our help at HebrewPod101, you’ll soon have these family terms under the belt.
3. How HebrewPod101 Can Help You Learn Hebrew Family Terms
We hope that we helped you expand your family in Hebrew vocabulary!
HebrewPod101, with its innovative online learning system, stands out among online learning platforms to help you master Hebrew easily.
Our lessons are tailored not only to increase your language skills, but to also inform you of Israeli culture, including the Israeli family structure.
When you sign up, you will get instant access to tools like:
1 – An extensive vocabulary list, regularly updated
2 – A new Hebrew word to learn every day
3 – Quick access to the Hebrew Key Phrase List
4 – A free Hebrew online dictionary
5 – The excellent 100 Core Hebrew Word List
6 – An almost limitless Lesson Library for learners of all levels
Further speed up your learning with the help of a personal tutor, who will first assess your current Hebrew language abilities to personalize your training and tailor it to your needs.
Hard work always pays off, and to help you in this, HebrewPod101 will be there every step of the way toward your Hebrew mastery!
Answers: 1.i. 2.f. 3.r. 4.w. 5.l. 6.o. 7.y. 8.j. 9.a. 10.c. 11.u. 12.z. 13.k. 14.b. 15.g 16.x. 17.h. 18.m. 19.d. 20.e. 21.n. 22.p. 23.q. 24.s. 25.t. 26.v.
