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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| בֶּן כַּמָּה אַתָּה? | Ben kama ata? | How old are you? | To a man (m). Literal: "son of how many?" |
| בַּת כַּמָּה אַת? | Bat kama at? | How old are you? | To a woman (f). Literal: "daughter of how many?" |
| אֲנִי בֶּן... | Ani ben... | I am ... years old | Male speaker. e.g. אֲנִי בֶּן עֶשְׂרִים = I am 20 (m). |
| אֲנִי בַּת... | Ani bat... | I am ... years old | Female speaker. e.g. אֲנִי בַּת עֶשְׂרִים = I am 20 (f). |
| 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. אֲנִי בֶּן שְׁלֹשִׁים. אֲנִי לוֹמֵד עִבְרִית. נָעִים מְאֹד!
Shalom! Shmi David. Ani me'Anglia, ve'ani gar beTel Aviv. Ani ben shloshim. 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!