Hebrew Word Analyzer
Look up any Hebrew word and get a complete English explanation
About the Hebrew Word Analyzer for English Speakers
This tool helps English speakers understand Hebrew words in depth. Enter a Hebrew word (with or without nikud) or a romanized transliteration like "shalom" or "torah" and get a full breakdown in plain English.
Each analysis covers the part of speech, meaning, root letters, verb binyan (conjugation class), noun pattern (mishkal), etymology, and an example sentence with an English translation.
The analysis is AI-generated and reviewed for accuracy. Use it to deepen your understanding of Biblical Hebrew, Modern Hebrew, or Jewish vocabulary.
Results are estimates for informational purposes only. Not professional advice. We recommend verifying with a qualified expert.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Hebrew root?+
Most Hebrew words are built from a 3-letter root (shoresh). These three consonants carry the core meaning. For example, the root sh-l-m underlies shalom (peace), shalem (complete), and mashlim (completing).
What is a binyan?+
A binyan (plural: binyanim) is a verb conjugation pattern in Hebrew. There are 7 major binyanim, each expressing a different relationship to the action: active, passive, reflexive, and causative. For example, Paal is the basic active form, while Hifil is causative.
What is nikud?+
Nikud are the small vowel marks written below or above Hebrew letters. Modern everyday Hebrew is written without nikud. Biblical and poetry texts include it. This tool shows nikud in the wordWithNikud field so you can hear the correct pronunciation.
Can I enter transliterations like shalom or Torah?+
Yes. Type the word in English letters (e.g. shalom, tzaddik, chai, mazel tov) and the analyzer will resolve it to the Hebrew word and provide the full analysis.
What is the difference between this tool and the Hebrew Word Analyzer?+
The Hebrew Word Analyzer (under the Hebrew site) provides analysis in Hebrew for Hebrew speakers. This tool provides the same analysis entirely in English, for learners and English speakers who want to understand Hebrew vocabulary.
What is etymology?+
Etymology is the origin and history of a word. Hebrew has an unusually rich etymology: many words trace back to the Biblical period (1200 BCE or earlier), while others entered through Aramaic, Arabic, Greek, or Yiddish contact. This tool traces the journey.
Are the analyses accurate?+
Analyses are generated by a specialized AI model trained on Hebrew linguistic data. They are generally accurate for common words, especially Biblical vocabulary. For rare or slang terms, treat the output as a starting point and verify with a dictionary like Brown-Driver-Briggs or Even-Shoshan.
Can I look up multi-word phrases?+
You can enter compound nouns and fixed idiomatic phrases (e.g. mazel tov, tikkun olam). Open-ended free sentences are not supported.