Learn Hebrew
Hebrew is a holy language, since the most sacred texts (the Bible) were written in it. This language is ancient, as its roots go back to the 3rd century BC. It was widely used until the fall of Jerusalem, then the centuries of oblivion, and the period of popularity growth (19th and 20th centuries). It has revived. Now, Hebrew is the official language of Israel, the leader on the world stage and the country with the rapidly developing high-tech economy.
Hebrew is a Northwest Semitic language that belongs to the Afro-Asiatic language family. It’s one of the three Canaanite languages that have survived and now is spoken by 9 million people as the native language. Besides Israel, it is also spoken in such countries as the USA, Canada, the UK, Germany, Australia, Palestinian West Bank, and Gaza.
Peculiar Features
The Hebrew alphabet is known as Abjad and includes 22 characters. Being a Semitic language, its alphabet doesn’t contain vowels. Since they are not marked, it’s important to know how each word sounds. One of the peculiar features of this language is that the words are written from right to left, while the numbers are written vice versa, from left to right. To calm you down, Arabic numerals are used there.
The grammar is not difficult and is based on the usage of those words that contain three roots, sometimes four. Such words are original Hebrew ones. Although over the last 100 years, some words were borrowed from other languages. Thus, most people use “auto” for a car, instead of saying “mechonit”. As in English, the Hebrew sentence is built in accordance with the Subject-Verb-Object structure.
Learn Hebrew Online
So, if you are planning to work in the Middle East, or your sphere of interest lies in archaeology, or you are going to read the Bible in the original language, Hebrew is the language in which you need to be proficient. The Hebrew language and the Jewish culture are among the most unique on our planet. Learning Hebrew opens the doors to understanding one of the oldest cultures in the world. With Hebrew speakers found all over the globe, you won't have much trouble finding native speakers to practice your language skills. This website is your ultimate destination for most used Hebrew phrases and Hebrew words every beginner needs to know. Learn Hebrew greetings and common expressions, and make your first steps in learning this unique language. All learning options are free!