Movement verbs are among the first you’ll need when speaking Hebrew. Whether you’re walking to work, coming home, or driving across the country, these everyday verbs describe how you move — physically and sometimes metaphorically.
In this post, we’ll focus on five essential transport and motion verbs in Hebrew: ללכת (to go), לבוא (to come), לחזור (to return), לנסוע (to travel), and לרוץ (to run).
Each section includes a table of present-tense forms by gender and number, followed by examples and usage notes.
1. To go in Hebrew- ללכת (To go)
The verb ללכת is extremely common and can mean either “to go” or “to walk,” depending on context.
| Tense | Person | Masculine | Feminine | Transliteration | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present | Singular | הולך | הולכת | holekh / holekhet | he/she goes |
| Plural | הולכים | הולכות | holkhim / holkhot | they go | |
| Past | 1st sg | הלכתי | הלכתי | halakhti | I went |
| 2nd sg | הלכתָ | הלכתְ | halakhta / halakht | you went | |
| 3rd sg | הלך | הלכה | halakh / halkha | he/she went | |
| 1st pl | הלכנו | הלכנו | halakhnu | we went | |
| 2nd pl | הלכתם | הלכתן | halakhtem / halakhten | you pl went | |
| 3rd pl | הלכו | הלכו | halkhu | they went | |
| Future | 1st sg | אלך | אלך | elekha | I will go |
| 2nd sg | תלך | תלכי | telekh / telkhi | you will go | |
| 3rd sg | ילך | תלך | yelekh / telekh | he/she will go | |
| 1st pl | נלך | נלך | nelekh | we will go | |
| 2nd pl | תלכו | תלכו | telkhu | you pl will go | |
| 3rd pl | ילכו | ילכו | yelkhu | they will go |
Example Sentences:
- אני הולך לעבודה. — I’m going to work.
- היא הולכת ברגל. — She’s walking (on foot).
- הם הולכים לסרט. — They’re going to the movie.
Usage Tip:
Use ללכת for general movement on foot. If you’re traveling by bus, car, or train, use לנסוע instead.
2. To come – לבוא
לבוא means “to come,” expressing movement toward the speaker or another reference point.
| Tense | Person | Masculine | Feminine | Transliteration | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present | Singular | בא | באה | ba / ba’ah | he/she comes |
| Plural | באים | באות | ba’im / ba’ot | they come | |
| Past | 1st sg | באתי | באתי | ba’ti | I came |
| 2nd sg | באתָ | באתְ | ba’ta / ba’t | you came | |
| 3rd sg | בא | באה | ba / ba’ah | he/she came | |
| 1st pl | באנו | באנו | ba’nu | we came | |
| 2nd pl | באתם | באתן | ba’tem / ba’ten | you pl came | |
| 3rd pl | באו | באו | ba’u | they came | |
| Future | 1st sg | אבוא | אבוא | avo | I will come |
| 2nd sg | תבוא | תבואי | tavo / tavi | you will come | |
| 3rd sg | יבוא | תבוא | yavo / tavo | he/she will come | |
| 1st pl | נבוא | נבוא | navo | we will come | |
| 2nd pl | תבואו | תבואו | tav’u | you pl will come | |
| 3rd pl | יבואו | יבואו | yav’u | they will come |
Example Sentences:
- מתי אתה בא? — Matay ata ba? — When are you coming?
- הילדים באים מבית הספר. — Ha-yeladim ba’im mi-bet ha-sefer. — The children are coming from school.
- היא באה מאילת. — Hi ba’ah me-Eilat. — She’s coming from Eilat.
3. To Come Back – לחזור
לחזור expresses the action of coming or going back — returning to a place or situation.
| Tense | Person | Masculine | Feminine | Transliteration | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present | Singular | חוזר | חוזרת | khozer / khozeret | he/she returns |
| Plural | חוזרים | חוזרות | khozrim / khozrot | they return | |
| Past | 1st sg | חזרתי | חזרתי | khozárti | I returned |
| 2nd sg | חזרתָ | חזרתְ | khozárta / khozárt | you returned | |
| 3rd sg | חזר | חזרה | khozer / khozerah | he/she returned | |
| 1st pl | חזרנו | חזרנו | khozárnu | we returned | |
| 2nd pl | חזרתם | חזרתן | khozártem / khozárten | you pl returned | |
| 3rd pl | חזרו | חזרו | khozrú | they returned | |
| Future | 1st sg | אחזור | אחזור | akhzór | I will return |
| 2nd sg | תחזור | תחזרי | takhzór / takhzrí | you will return | |
| 3rd sg | יחזור | תחזור | yakhzór / takhzór | he/she will return | |
| 1st pl | נחזור | נחזור | nakhzór | we will return | |
| 2nd pl | תחזרו | תחזרו | takhzrú | you pl will return | |
| 3rd pl | יחזרו | יחזרו | yakhzrú | they will return |
Example Sentences:
- אני חוזר הביתה בערב. — Ani khozer ha-baytah ba-‘erev. — I return home in the evening.
- מתי את חוזרת מהעבודה? — Matay at khozeret me-ha‘avodah? — When do you come back from work?
- הם חוזרים לישראל מחר. — Hem khozrim le-Yisra’el makhar. — They’re returning to Israel tomorrow.
4. To Drive – לנסוע
לנסוע covers traveling by any form of transport — car, bus, train, taxi, etc.
| Tense | Person | Masculine | Feminine | Transliteration | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present | Singular | נוסע | נוסעת | nosea‘ / nosa‘at | he/she travels / drives |
| Plural | נוסעים | נוסעות | nos‘im / nos‘ot | they travel | |
| Past | 1st sg | נסעתי | נסעתי | nasá‘ti | I traveled |
| 2nd sg | נסעתָ | נסעתְ | nasá‘ta / nasá‘t | you traveled | |
| 3rd sg | נסע | נסעה | nasá‘ / nasá‘ah | he/she traveled | |
| 1st pl | נסענו | נסענו | nasánu | we traveled | |
| 2nd pl | נסעתם | נסעתן | nasáttem / nasáttén | you pl traveled | |
| 3rd pl | נסעו | נסעו | nas’ú | they traveled | |
| Future | 1st sg | אסע | אסע | asá‘ | I will travel |
| 2nd sg | תיסע | תיסעי | tisá‘ / tisá‘i | you will travel | |
| 3rd sg | יסע | תיסע | yisá‘ / tisá‘ | he/she will travel | |
| 1st pl | ניסע | ניסע | nisá‘ | we will travel | |
| 2nd pl | תיסעו | תיסעו | tis’ú | you pl will travel | |
| 3rd pl | יסעו | יסעו | yis’ú | they will travel |
Example Sentences:
- אני נוסע לעבודה באוטובוס. — Ani nosea‘ la‘avodah ba-otobus. — I travel to work by bus.
- היא נוסעת ברכב שלה. — Hi nosea‘ be-rekhev shelah. — She drives her car.
- הם יסעו לצפון מחר. — Hem yis’ú la-tsafon makhar. — They will travel to the north tomorrow.
5. To Run – לרוץ
לרוץ describes running, whether for exercise or in a hurry.
| Tense | Person | Masculine | Feminine | Transliteration | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present | Singular | רץ | רצה | rats / ratsa | he/she runs |
| Plural | רצים | רצות | ratsim / ratsot | they run | |
| Past | 1st sg | רצתי | רצתי | ratsáti | I ran |
| 2nd sg | רצתָ | רצתְ | ratsáta / ratsát | you ran | |
| 3rd sg | רץ | רצה | rats / ratsa | he/she ran | |
| 1st pl | רצנו | רצנו | ratsánu | we ran | |
| 2nd pl | רצתם | רצתן | ratsétem / ratséten | you pl ran | |
| 3rd pl | רצו | רצו | ratsú | they ran | |
| Future | 1st sg | ארוץ | ארוץ | arutz | I will run |
| 2nd sg | תרוץ | תרוצי | tarutz / tarutsí | you will run | |
| 3rd sg | ירוץ | תרוץ | yarutz / tarutz | he/she will run | |
| 1st pl | נרוץ | נרוץ | narutz | we will run | |
| 2nd pl | תרוצו | תרוצו | tarutsú | you pl will run | |
| 3rd pl | ירוצו | ירוצו | yarutsú | they will run |
Example Sentences
- אני רץ כל בוקר. — Ani rats kol bóker. — I run every morning.
- היא רצה לאוטובוס. — Hi ratsa la-otobus. — She’s running for the bus.
- הילדים רצים בפארק. — Ha-yeladim ratsim ba-park. — The children are running in the park.
Usage Tip:
You’ll often see לרוץ used figuratively:
הזמן רץ! — Ha-zman rats! — “Time flies!”
Bringing It All Together
Here’s a quick comparison of the five key motion verbs:
| Tense | Person | Masculine | Feminine | Transliteration | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present | Singular | בא | באה | ba / ba’ah | he/she comes |
| Plural | באים | באות | ba’im / ba’ot | they come | |
| Past | 1st sg | באתי | באתי | ba’ti | I came |
| 2nd sg | באתָ | באתְ | ba’ta / ba’t | you came | |
| 3rd sg | בא | באה | ba / ba’ah | he/she came | |
| 1st pl | באנו | באנו | ba’nu | we came | |
| 2nd pl | באתם | באתן | ba’tem / ba’ten | you pl came | |
| 3rd pl | באו | באו | ba’u | they came | |
| Future | 1st sg | אבוא | אבוא | avo | I will come |
| 2nd sg | תבוא | תבואי | tavo / tavi | you will come | |
| 3rd sg | יבוא | תבוא | yavo / tavo | he/she will come | |
| 1st pl | נבוא | נבוא | navo | we will come | |
| 2nd pl | תבואו | תבואו | tav’u | you pl will come | |
| 3rd pl | יבואו | יבואו | yav’u | they will come |
Practice Tip:
Try combining these verbs in a short daily story:
בבוקר אני הולך לעבודה, נוסע באוטובוס, ובערב אני חוזר הביתה.
Ba-bóker ani holekh la‘avodah, noséa ba-otobus, u-va‘érev ani khozér ha-báytah.
“In the morning I go to work, travel by bus, and in the evening I return home.”
Once you master these five motion verbs, you’ll be ready to express nearly any kind of movement in Hebrew — from walking down the street to flying across the world.
לך על זה! — Go for it!
