Learning how to talk about professions in Hebrew is an important step for anyone studying Modern Hebrew. Whether you are introducing yourself, talking about your career, asking someone what they do for a living, or simply expanding your everyday vocabulary, knowing the names of common professions will help you communicate more naturally.
In Hebrew, professions are often different depending on whether you are talking about a man or a woman. Many professions have separate masculine and feminine forms, while some use the same word for both genders.
In this guide, you will learn common professions in Hebrew, including their Hebrew spelling, pronunciation, and masculine and feminine forms.
How to Say "Profession" in Hebrew
The Hebrew word for profession is:
| English | Hebrew | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| Profession | מִקְצוֹעַ | miktzoa |
| Profession / occupation | עִסּוּק | isuk |
| Job / work | עֲבוֹדָה | avoda |
The most common word for a profession or occupation is מִקְצוֹעַ (miktzoa).
For example:
מַה הַמִּקְצוֹעַ שֶׁלְּךָ?
Ma hamiktzoa shelkha?
What is your profession?
A more natural everyday question is:
בַּמֶּה אַתָּה עוֹבֵד?
Bame ata oved?
What do you do for work? — said to a man.
To a woman:
בַּמֶּה אַתְּ עוֹבֶדֶת?
Bame at ovedet?
Common Professions in Hebrew
Here are some of the most useful professions to learn when studying Hebrew.
| English | Masculine | Feminine | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doctor | רוֹפֵא | רוֹפְאָה | rofe / rofa |
| Teacher | מוֹרֶה | מוֹרָה | more / mora |
| Engineer | מַהְנְדֵּס | מַהְנְדֶּסֶת | mahndes / mahndeset |
| Lawyer | עוֹרֵךְ דִּין | עוֹרֶכֶת דִּין | orekh din / orekhet din |
| Nurse | אַח | אָחוֹת | akh / akhot |
| Police officer | שׁוֹטֵר | שׁוֹטֶרֶת | shoter / shoteret |
| Firefighter | כַּבַּאי | כַּבָּאִית | kabai / kabait |
| Chef | טַבָּח | טַבָּחִית | tabakh / tabakhit |
| Journalist | עִיתּוֹנַאי | עִיתּוֹנָאִית | itonai / itonait |
| Writer | סוֹפֵר | סוֹפֶרֶת | sofer / soferet |
| Artist | אָמָּן | אָמָּנִית | aman / amanit |
| Actor | שַׂחְקָן | שַׂחְקָנִית | sakhkan / sakhkanit |
| Singer | זַמָּר | זַמֶּרֶת | zamar / zameret |
| Musician | מוּזִיקַאי | מוּזִיקָאִית | muzikai / muzika'it |
| Photographer | צַלָּם | צַלֶּמֶת | tsalam / tsalemet |
| Designer | מְעַצֵּב | מְעַצֶּבֶת | me'atsev / me'atsevet |
| Programmer | מְתַכְנֵת | מְתַכְנֶת | metakhenet / metakhenet |
| Scientist | מַדְעָן | מַדְעָנִית | madan / madanit |
| Student | תַּלְמִיד | תַּלְמִידָה | talmid / talmida |
| Professor | פְּרוֹפֶסוֹר | פְּרוֹפֶסוֹר | professor |
| Accountant | רוֹאֵה חֶשְׁבּוֹן | רוֹאַת חֶשְׁבּוֹן | ro'eh kheshbon / ro'at kheshbon |
| Manager | מְנַהֵל | מְנַהֶלֶת | menahel / menahelet |
| Salesperson | מוֹכֵר | מוֹכֶרֶת | mokher / mokheret |
| Waiter | מֶלְצַר | מַלְצָרִית | meltsar / maltsarit |
| Driver | נַהָג | נַהֶגֶת | nahag / naheget |
| Pilot | טַיָּס | טַיֶּסֶת | tayas / tayeset |
| Farmer | חַקְלַאי | חַקְלָאִית | khaklai / khaklait |
| Architect | אַדְרִיכָל | אַדְרִיכָלִית | adrikhal / adrikhalit |
| Mechanic | מוֹכָנִיק | מוֹכָנִיקָה | mokhanik / mokhanika |
Professions in Hebrew: Masculine and Feminine Forms
One of the most important things to understand about Hebrew profession names is grammatical gender.
Many masculine profession names have a corresponding feminine form. For example:
- מוֹרֶה — more — male teacher
- מוֹרָה — mora — female teacher
Another example is:
- רוֹפֵא — rofe — male doctor
- רוֹפְאָה — rofa — female doctor
Some feminine forms are created by changing the ending of the masculine word.
For example:
שׁוֹטֵר → שׁוֹטֶרֶת
shoter → shoteret
police officer
מְנַהֵל → מְנַהֶלֶת
menahel → menahelet
manager
מַדְעָן → מַדְעָנִית
madan → madanit
scientist
However, Hebrew profession names do not always follow one single pattern, so it is useful to learn the masculine and feminine forms together.
How to Say "I Am a…" in Hebrew
When talking about your profession in Hebrew, you can use the pattern:
אֲנִי + profession
Ani = "I am". Add the profession after it, and the noun agrees with your gender.
For example, a man can say:
אֲנִי רוֹפֵא.
Ani rofe.
I am a doctor.
A woman can say:
אֲנִי רוֹפְאָה.
Ani rofa.
I am a doctor.
You can use the same structure with many professions:
אֲנִי מוֹרֶה.
Ani more.
I am a teacher.
אֲנִי מוֹרָה.
Ani mora.
I am a teacher.
אֲנִי מַהְנְדֵּס.
Ani mahndes.
I am an engineer.
אֲנִי מַהְנְדֶּסֶת.
Ani mahndeset.
I am an engineer.
How to Ask Someone What Their Profession Is
There are several ways to ask someone about their profession in Hebrew.
What do you do?
To a man:
מָה אַתָּה עוֹשֶׂה?
Ma ata ose?
What do you do?
To a woman:
מָה אַתְּ עוֹשָׂה?
Ma at osa?
What do you do?
This is a very common general question.
What do you do for work?
To a man:
בַּמֶּה אַתָּה עוֹבֵד?
Bame ata oved?
To a woman:
בַּמֶּה אַתְּ עוֹבֶדֶת?
Bame at ovedet?
This literally asks what someone works in or what they do for work.
What is your profession?
To a man:
מַה הַמִּקְצוֹעַ שֶׁלְּךָ?
Ma hamiktzoa shelkha?
To a woman:
מַה הַמִּקְצוֹעַ שֶׁלָּךְ?
Ma hamiktzoa shelakh?
Jobs and Work-Related Vocabulary in Hebrew
Knowing profession names is useful, but a few additional words will make it much easier to talk about work in Hebrew.
| English | Hebrew | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| Work | עֲבוֹדָה | avoda |
| Job | עֲבוֹדָה | avoda |
| Profession | מִקְצוֹעַ | miktzoa |
| Office | מִשְׂרָד | misrad |
| Company | חֶבְרָה | khevra |
| Employee | עוֹבֵד / עוֹבֶדֶת | oved / ovedet |
| Employer | מַעֲסִיק | ma'asik |
| Manager | מְנַהֵל / מְנַהֶלֶת | menahel / menahelet |
| Boss | מְנַהֵל / מְנַהֶלֶת | menahel / menahelet |
| Workplace | מָקוֹם עֲבוֹדָה | makom avoda |
| Career | קַרְיֵרָה | karyera |
| Salary | מַשְׂכֹּרֶת | maskoret |
| Interview | רֵאָיוֹן | re'ayon |
| Resume / CV | קוֹרוֹת חַיִּים | korot khayim |
Example Sentences About Professions
Here are some simple Hebrew sentences you can use to practice talking about jobs and professions.
אֲנִי מוֹרֶה בְּבֵית סֵפֶר.
Ani more beveit sefer.
I am a teacher at a school.
הִיא רוֹפְאָה בְּבֵית חוֹלִים.
Hi rofa beveit kholim.
She is a doctor at a hospital.
הוּא מַהְנְדֵּס.
Hu mahndes.
He is an engineer.
אָחִי מְתַכְנֵת.
Akhi metakhenet.
My brother is a programmer.
אֲחוֹתִי עוֹרֶכֶת דִּין.
Akhti orekhet din.
My sister is a lawyer.
אָבִי נַהָג.
Avi nahag.
My father is a driver.
אִמָּא שֶׁלִּי מוֹרָה.
Ima sheli mora.
My mother is a teacher.
הוּא עוֹבֵד בְּחֶבְרַת הַי-טֶק.
Hu oved bekhevrat ha-ya-tek.
He works at a high-tech company.
Professions in Israeli High-Tech
If you are learning Modern Hebrew, you will encounter many profession names related to Israel's technology industry.
Some useful vocabulary includes:
| English | Hebrew | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| Programmer | מְתַכְנֵת | metakhenet |
| Software developer | מַפְתֵּחַ תּוֹכְנָה | mafte'akh tokhna |
| Data scientist | מַדְעַן נְתוּנִים | madan netunim |
| Engineer | מַהְנְדֵּס | mahndes |
| Product manager | מְנַהֵל מוּצָר | menahel mutzar |
| Designer | מְעַצֵּב | me'atsev |
| Developer | מַפְתֵּחַ | mafte'akh |
| Entrepreneur | יָזָם | yazam |
| Analyst | אָנָלִיסְט | analyst |
| Researcher | חוֹקֵר | khoker |
You may also hear the English terms themselves used frequently in Israeli workplaces, particularly in the high-tech industry.
Professions and Hebrew Grammar
Profession names are also useful for practicing Hebrew grammar because they provide an easy way to work with masculine and feminine forms.
Compare:
הוּא מוֹרֶה.
Hu more.
He is a teacher.
הִיא מוֹרָה.
Hi mora.
She is a teacher.
And:
הוּא מְנַהֵל.
Hu menahel.
He is a manager.
הִיא מְנַהֶלֶת.
Hi menahelet.
She is a manager.
Learning profession vocabulary together with its masculine and feminine forms will help you recognize these grammatical patterns when reading and listening to Hebrew.
A Quick List of Professions in Hebrew
For easy reference, here are some of the most important profession words to memorize:
| English | Hebrew |
|---|---|
| Doctor | רוֹפֵא / רוֹפְאָה |
| Teacher | מוֹרֶה / מוֹרָה |
| Engineer | מַהְנְדֵּס / מַהְנְדֶּסֶת |
| Lawyer | עוֹרֵךְ דִּין / עוֹרֶכֶת דִּין |
| Nurse | אַח / אָחוֹת |
| Police officer | שׁוֹטֵר / שׁוֹטֶרֶת |
| Firefighter | כַּבַּאי / כַּבָּאִית |
| Chef | טַבָּח / טַבָּחִית |
| Journalist | עִיתּוֹנַאי / עִיתּוֹנָאִית |
| Writer | סוֹפֵר / סוֹפֶרֶת |
| Actor | שַׂחְקָן / שַׂחְקָנִית |
| Singer | זַמָּר / זַמֶּרֶת |
| Photographer | צַלָּם / צַלֶּמֶת |
| Designer | מְעַצֵּב / מְעַצֶּבֶת |
| Programmer | מְתַכְנֵת / מְתַכְנֶת |
| Scientist | מַדְעָן / מַדְעָנִית |
| Manager | מְנַהֵל / מְנַהֶלֶת |
| Driver | נַהָג / נַהֶגֶת |
| Pilot | טַיָּס / טַיֶּסֶת |
| Farmer | חַקְלַאי / חַקְלָאִית |
| Architect | אַדְרִיכָל / אַדְרִיכָלִית |
Practice Your Hebrew Profession Vocabulary
The best way to remember new Hebrew vocabulary is to use the words in complete sentences. Start by saying your own profession in Hebrew, then practice asking friends or language partners what they do for work.
For example:
אֲנִי מוֹרֶה. מָה אַתָּה עוֹשֶׂה?
Ani more. Ma ata ose?
I am a teacher. What do you do?
You can then replace מוֹרֶה with any profession you are learning.
Learning the names of professions in Hebrew will give you useful vocabulary for conversations about work, careers, education, family, and everyday life. Once you know the basic masculine and feminine forms, you can also begin recognizing common Hebrew grammatical patterns and build more natural sentences.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say "profession" in Hebrew?
The Hebrew word for profession is מִקְצוֹעַ (miktzoa). It can refer to a profession, occupation, or field of work.
How do you say "job" in Hebrew?
The most common word for a job or work is עֲבוֹדָה (avoda).
How do you say "What do you do for a living?" in Hebrew?
A common way to ask this is בַּמֶּה אַתָּה עוֹבֵד? (Bame ata oved?) when speaking to a man, or בַּמֶּה אַתְּ עוֹבֶדֶת? (Bame at ovedet?) when speaking to a woman.
Do Hebrew professions have masculine and feminine forms?
Many Hebrew profession names have separate masculine and feminine forms. For example, רוֹפֵא (rofe) means male doctor, while רוֹפְאָה (rofa) means female doctor.
What is the Hebrew word for "teacher"?
מוֹרֶה (more) means a male teacher, while מוֹרָה (mora) means a female teacher.