In Israel, business is booming. It’s well-known that Israel is one of the most advanced and dynamic economies the world over. The country has, in fact, been dubbed the Startup Nation for the immense number of businesses launched in or from Israel. Having only sparse natural resources, Israel has, since its inception, wisely invested in its human resource through extensive research and development. In particular, Israel is a world leader in technology pertaining to communications, computers, aviation, the military, agriculture, and medicine, among many other sectors.

Amazingly, Israel has more companies listed on NASDAQ than any other country, except the U.S. and China! So, if you’re planning on doing business with Israelis or in Israel, it’s wise to prepare; Israeli businesspeople are no slouches when it comes to making a deal! With that in mind, there’s no better way to simultaneously make a good impression and position yourself for a favorable outcome than to arm yourself with a handy toolkit of Hebrew business words and phrases.

Like any language, Hebrew has its own lingo for conducting business. In today’s lesson, we’ll look at essential words and phrases for interviewing for a job, interacting with coworkers, impressing at business meetings, and fielding business-related phone calls and emails. So, get your pencils sharpened and your coffee ready to go, and let’s get to work!

Table of Contents

1. Nailing a Job Interview
2. Interacting with Coworkers
3. Sounding Smart in Meetings
4. Handling Business Phone Calls and Emails
5. Let HebrewPod101 Get You Ready for Business

1. Nailing a Job Interview

If you’re planning on working for Israelis, it’s essential that you’re able to get your foot in the door. The first step is, of course, the oft-dreaded job interview. To make matters more intense, the Israeli business world is extremely competitive, as Israel is a small country filled with highly qualified people. (In fact, Israel’s citizens are the third-most educated in the world, after those in Canada and Japan!)

To ensure you give yourself a competitive edge, you’ll need to impress your prospective employer with your command of business Hebrew phrases. In this section, we’ll talk about how to introduce yourself, elaborate on your professional background, and respond to any questions the employer may have for you. 

Let’s have a look at some of the key words and phrases for nailing a job interview in Hebrew.

1. Introducing Yourself

You obviously want to start with a greeting. Here are the two most common ways to say hello in Hebrew.

a. שלום
Shalom
“Hello”

שלום (shalom), which literally means “peace,” is the most classic greeting in Hebrew. It also has the advantages of being appropriate in any situation, whether formal or informal, and not requiring any verb conjugations or gender-specific words. This makes it an easy-to-use greeting that will definitely be appropriate for your job interview.

b. היי
Hay
“Hi”

You can also use this less-formal greeting in a pinch. Next, let’s look at how to provide your name.

2. Self-Introduction

If you’re meeting someone for the first time, it’s customary to offer your name, and to ask for the other person’s name. We covered this topic in depth in our article about introductions, but here are the basic elements:

c. אני
Ani
“I [am]”

d. שמי
Shmi
“My name [is]”

e. השם שלי הוא
Ha-shem sheli hu
“My name is”

f. קוראים לי
Kor’im li
“I am called/named”

For example:

• שלום, שמי דניאל.
  Shalom, shmi Dani’el.
  “Hello, my name is Daniel.”

• היי, קוראים לי מישל.
  Hay, kor’im li Mishel.
  “Hi, I am named Michelle.”

Remember, none of these require any conjugation, so just practice until you memorize them, and you’re good to go!

3. Talking About Professional Experience

There are some business terms in Hebrew that you should know to talk about your professional experience. These include key verbs and phrases to describe your studies, previous employment, and job duties. Let’s have a look.

a. למדתי
Lamadeti
“I studied/learned”

This is a very useful verb for describing things you’ve learned, whether at an institution of higher learning, on the job, or otherwise.

• למדתי הנדסה חמש שנים.
  Lamadeti handasah khamesh shanim.
  “I studied engineering for five years.”

• למדתי עבודה בצוות בעבודה הקודמת שלי.
  Lamadeti avodah be-tzevet ba-avodah ha-kodemet sheli.
  “I learned teamwork at my previous job.”

• למדתי לתואר שני במנהל עסקים באוניברסיטת שיקגו.
  Lamadeti le-to’ar sheni be-minhal asakim be-universitat Shikago.
  “I studied for my Masters degree in business management at the University of Chicago.”

b. יש לי
Yesh li
“I have”

You may have learned that Hebrew has no verb for “to have” and instead uses the form יש לי (yesh li), which is literally equivalent to, “There is/are to me.” We can use this phrase to describe experience, credentials, and more. Here are some examples:

• יש לי תואר בחשבונאות.
  Yesh li to’ar be-kheshbona’ut.
  “I have a degree in accounting.”

• יש לי תעודה בתכנות JAVA.
  Yesh li te’udah be-tikhnut JAVA.
  “I have a certificate in Java programming.”

• יש לי הרבה ניסיון בשירות מול לקוחות.
  Yesh li harbeh nisayon be-sheyrut mul lekokhot.
  “I have a lot of experience in customer service.”

c. התמחיתי ב ___.
Hitmakheti be ___.
“I specialized in ___.”

• התמחיתי במיזוגים ורכישות בתפקיד הקודם שלי.
  Hitmakheyti be-mizugim ve-rekhishot ba-tafkid ha-kodem sheli.
  “I specialized in mergers and acquisitions in my previous job.”

• התמחיתי בפיתוח שווקים במסגרת התואר השני שלי.
  Hitmakheyti be-fitu’akh shvakim be-misgeret ha-to’ar ha-sheni sheli.
  “I specialized in market development during my Master’s studies.”

4. Asking the Interviewer to Repeat His/Her Question

During the course of an interview, you may find yourself unsure of what you’ve been asked, or needing clarity for some other reason. In such a case, there’s nothing wrong with politely asking the interviewer to repeat a question. Let’s see how to do so.

• האם תוכל/תוכלי לחזור על השאלה, בבקשה?
  Ha’im tukhal/tukhli lakhzor al ha-she’elah be-vakashah?
  “Could you repeat the question, please?”

5. Thanking the Interviewer for the Opportunity

At the conclusion of a job interview, it’s considered polite—and therefore, in your interest—to thank the interviewer for taking the time to interview you and for the opportunity to present your candidacy for the position. Let’s see how to do that in Hebrew.

• תודה על ההזדמנות.
  Todah al ha-hizdamnut.
  “Thank you for the opportunity.”

6. Closing the Interview

Lastly, it’s a good idea to express your enthusiasm for the job. Here are a couple of good ways to do so.

a. אשמח להיות בקשר.
Esmakh lihiot be-kesher.
“I look forward to being in touch.”

b. אני מְקַוֶּה/מְקַוָּה להיות בקשר.
Ani mekaveh/mekavah lehiyot be-kesher.
“I hope to be in touch.”

*Note the need to properly conjugate the last one, depending on your gender!

2. Interacting with Coworkers

Now, let’s assume you got the job you interviewed for, and are looking to build some rapport with your coworkers. In the following section, we’ll take a look at a number of important Hebrew business phrases for communicating with your colleagues.

1. Asking Someone’s Name

The easiest way to ask for the other person’s name, assuming they haven’t shared it with you on their own (though many Israelis will give their name without needing to be asked), is to use the verb לקרוא (likro). This is the same form we just looked at for stating your own name, but this time we’ll be using it in question form.

The good news is that we only need to conjugate one word; in this case, it’s the second person pronoun “you.” Specifically, if we’re talking to a male, we ask, איך קוראים לְךָ? (Eich korim lekha?), while if speaking to a female, we ask, איך קוראים לָךְ? (Eich kor’im lakh?).

• איך קוראים לְךָ/לָךְ?
  Eikh korim lekha/lakh?
  “What is your name?”

Here are some ways you could respond after getting their name.

a. נעים מאוד.
Naim me’od.
“Nice to meet you.”

b. נעים להכיר.
Na’im lehakir.
“Nice to meet you.”

2. Asking Others for Help

Especially if you’re new to a job, you may well find yourself in need of a bit of help, whether it’s to get the copier working or to find the nearest takeout joint for lunch. Here are the most common ways to ask for help. Pay attention to gender and how it changes the verb’s conjugation.

• סליחה, האם תוכל/תוכלי לעזור לי?
  Slikha, ha’im tukhal/tukhli la’azor li?
  “Excuse me, could you possibly help me?”

• סליחה, אפשר לבקש מִמְּךָ/מִמֵּךְ עזרה?
  Slikha, efshar levakesh mimkha/mimekh ezrah?
  “Excuse me, could I ask you for some help?”

• סליחה, אפשר לשאול אוֹתְךָ/אוֹתָךְ שאלה?
  Slikha, efshar lish’ol otkha/otakh she’elah?
  “Excuse me, could I ask you a question?”

3. Apologizing

Although obviously something you want to avoid, you may also find yourself in need of apologizing if, say, you jam up the printer or unwittingly take someone’s parking spot. Here are the most common phrases related to saying sorry in Israel, though keep in mind that Israelis aren’t typically very touchy about small stuff.

a. סליחה.
Slikha.
“Sorry.” / “Excuse me.”

b. אני מבקש/מבקשת סליחה.
Ani mevakesh/mevakeshet slikha.
“I have to apologize.”

c. עשיתי טעות.
Asiti ta’ut.
“I made a mistake.”

d. טעות שלי.
Ta’ut sheli.
“Mea culpa.“ / “My bad.”

4. Saying Thank You

This one is pretty straightforward. There are certainly many situations in which you may find yourself wanting to say thank you. Let’s look at a number of constructs using the word תודה (todah), or “thanks.”

a. תודה על + noun
Todah al + noun
“Thanks for” + noun

• תודה על העזרה.
  Todah al ha-ezrah.
  “Thanks for the help.”

• תודה על הטיפ.
  Todah al ha-tip.
  “Thanks for the tip.”

b. תודה ש… + verb
Todah she… + verb
“Thanks for” + verb

• תודה שעזרת לי.
  Todah she-azart li.
  “Thanks for helping me.”

• תודה שהראית לי איפה לחנות.
  Todah she-herayta li eyfoh likhnot.
  “Thanks for showing me where to park.”

*Note the need to conjugate the verb with the correct gender and count here.

You can also intensify your thanks. Here are a few common ways to do so:

c. תודה רבה.
Todah rabah.
“Thank you very much.”

d. המון תודה.
Hamon todah.
“Thanks a ton.”

5. Inviting Coworkers Out After Work

If you’re looking for ways to form positive relationships with your coworkers, you should consider inviting them to join you in after-work activities. In this section, we’ll look at a couple of ways you can do this.

a. בא לְךָ/לָךְ לצאת אחרי העבודה?
Ba lekha/lakh latzet akharey ha-avodah?
“Do you feel like going out after work?”

b. אפשר להזמין אוֹתְךָ/אוֹתָךְ לצאת אחרי העבודה?
Efshar lehazmin otkha/otakh latzet akharey ha-avodah?
“Can I invite you to go out after work?”

3. Sounding Smart in Meetings

Many workplaces have meetings, and you may well be asked to participate in them. Therefore, it’s a good idea to equip yourself with some basic Hebrew for business meetings so you’re prepared to not only speak, but to impress, in such situations. Let’s have a look at a few key phrases that can help you sound smart in meetings.

1. Giving Your Opinion

Let’s start with some phrases you can use to effectively express your opinions during a meeting.

a. אני חושב/חושבת ש ___.
Ani khoshev/khoshevet she ___.
“I think that ___.”

• אני חושב שהמספרים לא משקפים את המציאות.
  Ani khoshev she-ha-misparim lo meshakfim et ha-metzi’ut.
  “I think that the numbers do not reflect the reality.”

• אני חושבת שדני צודק.
  Ani khoshevet she-Dani tzodek.
  “I think that Danny is right.”

b. לדעתי ___.
Le-da’ati ___.
“In my opinion ___.”

• לדעתי, אנחנו צריכים להשקיע בציוד חדש.
  Le-da’ati, anakhnu tzrikhim lehashki’a be-tziyud khadsh.
  “In my opinion, we need to invest in new equipment.”

• זה לא יהיה מספיק, לדעתי.
  Zeh lo yihiyeh maspik, le-da’ati.
  “That won’t suffice, in my opinion.”

c. אני סבור/סבורה ש ___.
Ani savur/svurah she ___.
“I am of the opinion that ___.”

• אני סבורה שאנו מוכנים לפגישה עם הלקוח החדש.
  Ani svurah she-anu mukhanim la-pegishah im ha-lako’akh he-khadash.
  “I am of the opinion that we are ready for the meeting with the new client.”

• אני סבור שהדולר יתחזק.
  Ani savur she-ha-dolar yitkhazek.
  “I am of the opinion that the dollar is going to strengthen.”

2. Making Suggestions

While making suggestions is a crucial part of business meeting engagement, in Israeli culture, it’s wise to make a polite suggestion rather than a blunt one; you don’t want to risk sounding too aggressive or condescending.

a. אני מציע/מציעה ש ___.
Ani metzi’a/metzi’ah she ___.
“I suggest that ___.”

• אני מציעה שננסה מחדש.
  Ani metzi’ah she-nenaseh mekhadash.
  “I suggest that we try again.”

• אני מציע שנחכה עד לרבעון הבא.
  Ani metzi’a she-nekhakeh ad la-riv’on haba.
  “I suggest that we wait until next quarter.”

b. הרעיון שלי הוא ___.
Ha-ra’ayon sheli hu ___.
“My idea is ___.”

• הרעיון שלי הוא למכור רק למדינות אסייתיות בינתיים.
  Ha-ra’ayon sheli hu limkor rak le-medinot Asiyatiot beynatayim.
  “My idea is to sell solely to Asian countries at the moment.”

3. Agreeing and Disagreeing

To successfully negotiate in a business meeting, you must know how to express that you agree or disagree with others. Note that in Hebrew, the structure for many opposing forms is the same, save for the absence or presence of the word לא (lo), meaning “no” / “not,” for negation. This is true for the first two phrases here.

a. אני (לא) מסכים/מסכימה.
Ani (lo) maskim/maskimah.
“I agree/disagree.”

• אני לא מסכים שאנו צריכים מחשבים חדשים.
  Ani lo maskim she-anu tzrikhim makhshevim khadashim.
  “I disagree that we need new computers.”

• אני מסכימה שהגיע הזמן להיות יותר פרואקטיביים.
  Ani maskimah she-higi’a ha-zman lihiyot yoter proaktiviyim.
  “I agree that the time has come to be more proactive.”

b. אני (לא) חושב/חושבת כמו ___.
Ani khoshev/khoshevet k’mo ___.
“I am of a like mind with ___.”

• אני חושב כמו בני.
  Ani khoshev k’mo Beni.
  “I am of a like mind with Benny.”

• אני חושבת כמו עמיתי לעבודה כאן.
  Ani khoshevet k’mo amiti la-avodah kan.
  “I am of a like mind with my coworker here.”

c. אני חולק/חולקת על דַּעְתְּךָ/דַּעְתֵּךְ.
Ani kholek/kholeket al da’etkha/da’etekh.
“I differ with you.”

*Note that the last form is a bit more formal and emphatic.

4. Responding to Others

To close this category, let’s look at some ways you can politely and professionally open a response to something another person said. These are a bit formal, especially in Israeli society where niceties are not terribly common. Nevertheless, when used correctly, they can effectively get people’s attention and lend an air of seriousness to your comments.

a. בנוגע למה ש ___ אמר/אמרה ___.
Be-noge’a le-mah she___ amar/amrah ___.
“Regarding what ___ said ___.”

• בנוגע למה ששרון אמרה, אני חושב שיש לחכות קצת לפני שנשיק מוצרים חדשים.
  Be-noge’a le-mah she-Sharon amrah, ani khoshev she-yesh lekhakot ktzat lifney she-nashik motzarim khadashim.
  “Regarding what Sharon said, I think we need to wait a bit before launching new products.”

• בנוגע למה ששמוליק אמר, זה נדמה לי קצת מרחיק לכת.
  Be-noge’a le-mah she-Shmulik amar, zeh nidmeh li ktzat markhik lekhet.
  “Regarding what Shmulik said, it strikes me as a bit far-fetched.”

b. הייתי רוֹצֶה/רוֹצָה להגיב למילים של ___.
Hayiti rotzeh/rotzah lehagiv la-d’varim shel ___.
“I would like to respond to ___’s comments.

• הייתי רוצה להגיב לדברים של רם. אני חושבת שהוא צודק אבל יש עוד כמה נושאים רלוונטיים כאן.
  Hayiti rotzah lehagiv la-d’varim shel Ram. Ani khoshevet she-hu tzodek aval yesh od kamah nos’im relevantiyim kan.
  “I would like to respond to Ram’s comments. I think he is right, but there are a few other relevant issues here.”

• כמנהל המחלקה, הייתי רוצה להגיב לדברים של תומר ומיכל.
  Ke-menahel ha-makhlakah, hayiti rotzeh lehagiv la-d’varim shel Tomer ve-Mikhal.
  “As department head, I would like to respond to Tomer’s and Michal’s comments.”

c. התרשמתי ממה ש ___ אמר/אמרה.
Hitrashamti mi-mah she-amar/amrah ___.
“I was impressed by what ___ said.”

• התרשמתי ממה שאמר דימה, ואני לגמרי בעד הרעיון שלו.
  Hitrashamti mi-mah she-amar Dimah, va-ani legamrey be’ad ha-ra’ayon shelo.
  “I was impressed by what Dimah said, and I am completely in favor of his idea.”

• למען האמת, די התרשמתי ממה שאסנת אמרה.
  Le-ma’an ha-emet, dey hitrashamti mi-mah she-Osnat amrah.
  “To be honest, I was pretty impressed by what Osnat said.”

4. Handling Business Phone Calls and Emails

Finally, we’re going to look at Hebrew business words and phrases for handling phone calls and emails, both of which are a part of many jobs. 

1. Business Phone Calls

a. Answering the phone

• שלום, מדבר/מדברת ___.
  Shalom, medaber/medaberet ___.
  “Hello, this is ___ speaking.”

• שלום, מדבר אלון רוט.
  Shalom, medaber Alon Rot.
  “Hello, this is Alon Roth speaking.”

• שלום, מדברת רוני אזולאי.
  Shalom, medaberet Roni Azulay.
  “Hello, this is Roni Azulai speaking.”

• הִגַּעְתָּ/הִגַּעְתְּ ל ___.
  Higata/Higa’t le/la ___.
  “You have reached ___.”

• הִגַּעְתָּ למשרד של איתי ריבלין.
  Higata la-misrad shel Itay Rivlin.
  “You have reached the office of Itai Rivlin.”

• הִגַּעְתְּ למעבדת מיקרו-מק.
  Higat le-Ma’abadat Mikro-Mak.
  “You have reached Micro Mac Laboratories.”

b. Offering to help

• במה אוכל לעזור לְךָ/לָךְ?
  Ba-meh ukhal la’azor lekha/lakh?
  “How can I help you?”

• לאן להעביר את שִׂיחָתְךָ/שִׂיחָתֵךְ?
  Le’an leha’avir et sikhatkha/sikhatekh?
  “How may I direct your call?”

c. Signing off

• שמחתי לעזור.
  Samakhti la’azor.
  “I was happy to help.”

• אנחנו נהיה בקשר.
  Anakhnu nihiyeh be-kesher.
  “We will be in touch.”

• אל תהסס/תהססי להתקשר.
  Al tehases/tehasesi lehitkasher.
  “Don’t hesitate to call.”

• אנחנו עומדים לְשֵׁרוּתְךָ/לְשֵׁרוּתֵךְ.
  Anakhnu omdim le-sherutkha/sherutekh.
  “We are at your service.”

2. Business Emails

The art of writing an effective business email, or any type of letter for that matter, is clearly a topic unto itself. It’s certainly a skillset worth developing, but a bit much to cover in today’s lesson. For today’s discussion, then, let’s limit ourselves to some key words and phrases you can use when drafting business emails.

a. לכל מאן דבעי
Le-khol man dab’i
“To Whom It May Concern”

b. אג”ן (אדון, גברת נכבדים)
AG”N (Adon, Geveret nekhbadim)
“Dear Mr./Mrs.”

c. בתגובה לְבַקָּשָׁתְךָ/לְבַקָּשָׁתֵךְ
Be-teguvah le-vakashatkha/le-vakashatekh
“In response to your request”

d. מצ”ב (מצורף בזה)
MTz”B (Metzoraf ba-zeh)
“Enclosed”

e. בברכה
Bi-vrakhah
“Sincerely”

f. נ”ב (נכתב בצד)
N”B (Nikhtav ba-tzad)
“P.S.”

5. Let HebrewPod101 Get You Ready for Business

We hope you enjoyed today’s lesson. It goes without saying that preparing yourself to do business and/or work in a foreign culture is a complex endeavor. However, with some essential vocabulary under your belt, you’ve already got the ball rolling. Practice these phrases, as well as any relevant grammatical or lexical points, and build the confidence you need to succeed working or doing business in Israel.

Is there a related topic we didn’t cover, or are you still unclear about something we did discuss? We at HebrewPod101 love hearing from you so that we can custom-tailor our lessons to your needs. Get in touch today, and let us know how we’re doing! In the meantime, Shalom!