Let’s learn Hebrew with the song MAALIYOT “מעליות” by Dudu Tasa This romantic song that many in Israel enjoy. This is a sensitive song that tells a story about the love between two people, You’ll learn a lot of love-related words here.
To get the most out of this lesson, first read the vocabulary list, then follow the translation section to see how the words are used in context. Finally, listen to the song while following along to reinforce your learning. Repeating this will help the words and expressions stick naturally!
What is the Song About?
This is a tender and emotional Hebrew love song about the intensity of being deeply connected to someone. It captures the beauty and fragility of love — the way it lifts you up, grounds you, and makes the world revolve around one person’s gaze. Through poetic imagery of nights, flowers, and elevators rising and falling, the song reflects the emotional highs and lows of a passionate relationship. Ultimately, it’s about finding light, comfort, and meaning in the presence of someone you can’t imagine life without.
Hebrew Song Vocabulary Breakdown
Here below you will find the full vocabulary of the song:
| Hebrew | Transliteration | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| אני | ani | I / me |
| אוהב | ohev | love (masculine form) |
| אוהבת | ohevet | love (feminine form) |
| את | et | (direct object marker, “the”) |
| הלילה | halayla | the night |
| איתך | itach / itcha | with you (itach = to a woman, itcha = to a man) |
| לא | lo | not / no |
| זוכר | zocher | remember (masculine form) |
| זוכרת | zocheret | remember (feminine form) |
| מה | ma | what |
| זה | ze | this / it |
| בלעדייך | bil’adayich | without you (to a woman) |
| בלעדיך | bil’adeycha | without you (to a man) |
| שומר | shomer | keep / guard (masculine form) |
| שומרת | shomeret | keep / guard (feminine form) |
| לך | lach / lecha | for you / to you (lach = to a woman, lecha = to a man) |
| את | et | (direct object marker) |
| הדברים | hadvarim | the things |
| טובים | tovim | good (plural) |
| גם | gam | also / even |
| אם | im | if |
| הם | hem | they (masculine) |
| מעט | me’at | a little / few |
| מספיקים | maspikim | enough / sufficient (plural) |
| רק | rak | only |
| לאחד | le’echad | for one |
| קוטף | koteif | pick / pluck (flowers) |
| כל | kol | all / every |
| הפרחים | haprachim | the flowers |
| וגינתי | v’ginati | and my garden |
| פורחת | porachat | blooming / blossoms |
| ללא | lelo | without |
| הרף | heref | pause / stop |
| הסודות | hasodot | the secrets |
| שתחזרי | she’tachzeri | that you will return (feminine) |
| אליי | elai | to me |
| בערב | ba’erev | in the evening |
| ערב | erev | evening |
| טוב | tov | good |
| מעליות | ma’aliyot | elevators |
| עולות | olot | go up / rise (feminine plural) |
| יורדות | yordot | go down / descend (feminine plural) |
| ומתרסקות | u’mitrasekot | and crash (feminine plural) |
| אבל | aval | but |
| אני | ani | I / me |
| גבוה | gavoha | tall / high (masculine) |
| גבוהה | gvoha | tall / high (feminine) |
| מכולם | mikulam | than everyone / from all |
| כלום | klum | nothing |
| לא | lo | not / no |
| נוגע | noge’a | touches (masculine) |
| נוגעת | noga’at | touches (feminine) |
| רק | rak | only |
| המבט | hamabat | the gaze / the look |
| שלך | shelcha / shelach | yours (shelcha = masculine, shelach = feminine) |
| מאירה | me’ira | illuminates / lights up (feminine) |
| את | et | (direct object marker) |
| הבוקר | haboker | the morning |
| פותחת | potachat | opens (feminine) |
| בליבך | belibech / belibcha | in your heart (belibech = feminine, belibcha = masculine) |
| עוד | od | more / still |
| איזו | eizo | some / which (feminine) |
| דלת | delet | door |
| אתה | ata | you (masculine) |
| יפה | yafe | beautiful / handsome |
| אלוהים | Elohim | God |
| יודע | yode’a | knows |
| כמה | kama | how much / how |
| מתבוננת | mitbonenet | gazes / looks (feminine) |
| לעת | le’et | toward / at the time of |
| ערב | erev | evening |
| חורזת | chorezet | string together / rhyme (feminine) |
| שרשרת | sharsheret | chain |
| מילים | milim | words |
| מפחדת | mefachedet | afraid (feminine) |
| לאבד | le’abed | to lose |
| אותה | otah | it / her |
| בדרך | baderech | on the way |
| אלך | elech | I will go |
| איתך | itcha / itach | with you |
| לאן | le’an | where to |
| שתרצה | she’tirtze | that you will want (masculine) |
| רק | rak | only |
| אל | al | don’t / not (in prohibitions) |
| תלך | telech | you will go (masculine) |
| רחוק | rachok | far |
| מדי | midai | too (too much) |
| משתי | mishtei | from my two |
| עיני | einai | eyes |
| בעיניים | be’einayim | with eyes / in the eyes |
| פקוחות | pkuhot | open (feminine plural) |
| ברגליים | beraglayim | with legs |
| פצועות | ptzu’ot | wounded / hurt (feminine plural) |
| הולך | holech | walk / go (masculine) |
| כלום | klum | nothing |
| לא | lo | not |
| נוגע | noge’a | touches |
| רק | rak | only |
| המבט | hamabat | the gaze |
| שלך | shelcha / shelach | your / yours |
| שומרת | shomeret | keeps (feminine) |
| הדברים | hadvarim | the things |
| הטובים | hatovim | the good ones |
Hebrew Lyrics Breakdown by Phrases
Verse 1
אני אוהב את הלילה איתך
Ani ohev et halayla itach
I love the night with you.
לא זוכר מה זה בלעדייך
Lo zocher ma ze bil’adayich
I don’t remember what it’s like without you.
אני שומר לך את הדברים הטובים
Ani shomer lach et hadvarim hatovim
I keep the good things for you.
גם אם הם מעט
Gam im hem me’at
Even if they are few.
מספיקים רק לאחד
Maspikim rak le’echad
They’re enough for just one.
Verse 2
אני קוטף לך את כל הפרחים
Ani koteif lach et kol haprachim
I pick all the flowers for you.
וגינתי פורחת ללא הרף
V’ginati porachat lelo heref
And my garden blooms endlessly.
אני שומר לך את כל הסודות
Ani shomer lach et kol hasodot
I keep all the secrets for you.
שתחזרי אליי בערב
She’tachzeri elai ba’erev
→ So that you’ll come back to me in the evening.
ערב טוב
Erev tov
Good evening.
Chorus
מעליות, מעליות עולות יורדות ומתרסקות
Ma’aliyot, ma’aliyot olot yordot u’mitrasekot
Elevators, elevators go up, down, and crash.
A metaphor for the emotional ups and downs of life and love — instability and chaos.
אבל אני גבוה מכולם
Avel ani gavoha mikulam
But I am higher than them all.
כלום לא נוגע, כלום לא נוגע, רק המבט שלך
Klum lo noge’a, klum lo noge’a, rak hamabat shelach
→ Nothing touches me, nothing touches me — only your gaze.
Her eyes are the only thing that truly affects him — a symbol of deep emotional power.
Verse 3
מאירה את הבוקר איתך
Me’ira et haboker itcha
→ You light up the morning with you.
The partner brings brightness and warmth — her presence illuminates life.
פותחת בליבך עוד איזו דלת
Potachat belibcha od eizo delet
→ Opens another door in your heart.
Love as emotional opening — discovering new feelings and depth.
אתה יפה, אלוהים יודע כמה
Ata yafe, Elohim yode’a kama
→ You’re beautiful — God knows how much.
Admiration, awe — she marvels at her partner’s beauty.
מתבוננת לעת ערב, ערב טוב
Mitbonenet le’et erev, erev tov
I gaze toward the evening — good evening.
Verse 4
אני חורזת שרשרת מילים
Ani chorezet sharsheret milim
I string together a chain of words.
מפחדת לאבד אותה בדרך
Mefachedet le’abed otah baderech
Afraid to lose it along the way.
אני אלך איתך לאן שתרצה
Ani elech itcha le’an shetirtze
I’ll go with you wherever you want.
רק אל תלך רחוק מדי, רחוק מדי משתי עיני
Rak al telech rachok midai, rachok midai mishtei einai
Just don’t go too far, too far from my eyes.
Chorus (repeated)
מעליות עולות יורדות ומתרסקות
→ Elevators go up, down, and crash — again, emotional highs and lows.
אבל אני גבוהה מכולם, כלום לא נוגע, רק המבט שלך
→ But I’m higher than them all, nothing touches me — only your gaze.
Confidence, serenity, and vulnerability all at once.
Final Verse
בעיניים פקוחות, ברגליים פצועות, אני הולך איתך
Be’einayim pkuhot, beraglayim ptzu’ot, ani holech itcha
→ With open eyes and wounded feet, I walk with you.
כלום לא נוגע, רק המבט שלך
Klum lo noge’a, rak hamabat shelach
→ Nothing touches me, only your gaze.
