After greetings, the next thing you'll do in any new conversation is introduce yourself. This lesson gives you everything you need for a short self-introduction — name, origin, age, occupation.
Key grammar point: Hebrew distinguishes between masculine (m) and feminine (f) speakers. The verb ending changes. In this lesson you'll see pairs like גָּר / גָּרָה (lives — m/f). Always learn both forms.
Your Name
| Hebrew | Transliteration | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| שְׁמִי... | Shmi... | My name is... | Most natural way to say your name. Literally "my name". |
| אֲנִי... | Ani... | I am... (+ your name) | Also acceptable, like saying "I'm John". |
| מַה שִּׁמְךָ? | Ma shimcha? | What is your name? | To a man (m) |
| מַה שְׁמֵךְ? | Ma shmech? | What is your name? | To a woman (f) |
| נָעִים מְאֹד | Na'im me'od | Nice to meet you | Literal: "very pleasant". Standard polite reply. |
| נָעִים גַּם לִי | Na'im gam li | Nice to meet you too | Literal: "pleasant also to me". |
Where You're From
| Hebrew | Transliteration | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| אֲנִי מִ... | Ani mi... | I am from... | e.g. אֲנִי מֵאַמֶרִיקָה (Ani me'Amerika) — I am from America |
| מֵאֵיפֹה אַתָּה? | Me'eifo ata? | Where are you from? | To a man (m) |
| מֵאֵיפֹה אַת? | Me'eifo at? | Where are you from? | To a woman (f) — note אַת vs אַתָּה |
| אֲנִי גָּר בְּ... | Ani gar be... | I live in... | Speaker is male (m) |
| אֲנִי גָּרָה בְּ... | Ani gara be... | I live in... | Speaker is female (f) |
Age & Occupation
| Hebrew | Transliteration | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| כַּמָּה שָׁנִים יֵשׁ לְךָ? | Kama shanim yesh lecha? | How old are you? | To a man (m). Literal: "how many years do you have?" |
| כַּמָּה שָׁנִים יֵשׁ לָךְ? | Kama shanim yesh lach? | How old are you? | To a woman (f) |
| יֵשׁ לִי... שָׁנִים | Yesh li... shanim | I am ... years old | Fill in your age number. e.g. יֵשׁ לִי עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנִים = I am 20. |
| אֲנִי עוֹבֵד | Ani oved | I work | Male speaker (m) |
| אֲנִי עוֹבֶדֶת | Ani ovedet | I work | Female speaker (f) |
| אֲנִי לוֹמֵד עִבְרִית | Ani lomed Ivrit | I study Hebrew | Male speaker (m) |
| אֲנִי לוֹמֶדֶת עִבְרִית | Ani lomedet Ivrit | I study Hebrew | Female speaker (f) |
Full Introduction Example
שָׁלוֹם! שְׁמִי דָּוִיד. אֲנִי מֵאַנְגְלִיָּה, וְאֲנִי גָּר בְּתֵל אָבִיב. יֵשׁ לִי שְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה. אֲנִי לוֹמֵד עִבְרִית. נָעִים מְאֹד!
Shalom! Shmi David. Ani me'Anglia, ve'ani gar beTel Aviv. Yesh li shloshim shana. Ani lomed Ivrit. Na'im me'od!
Hello! My name is David. I'm from England and I live in Tel Aviv. I am 30 years old. I'm learning Hebrew. Nice to meet you!