Though Hebrew/Israeli slang is certainly unique, it is characterized by a huge number of foreign words.
Years ago, Israeli slang was enriched by Yiddish words like “klafte” and “nachs.” Later, Arabic words like “achla,” “sachbak” and “sababa” began to pepper the vernacular. Now, Israeli slang is heavily influenced by English words, such as “cool,” “loser” and others.
Another influence on slang is the military, which brings to popular vocabulary words like “pakal” and “totach.”
Following is some of the most popular Israeli slang.
1. Achi/achoti (brother/sister) — Warm expression to refer to a friend. Recently, the phrase has evolved into “ach sheli” or “ach shelo” (my brother or his brother).
2. Al hapanim (on the face) — Bad, very bad.
3. Chai b’seret (live in a movie) — Used as an adjective, the expression is similar to saying that someone “lives in la-la land.”
4. Chaval al hazman (waste of time) — Akin to the American expression “fuggedabadit,” this term connotes its opposite, meaning “It’s excellent.”
5. Chofer barosh (dig in the head) — Literally denoting “digging in the head,” the expression refers to the pain of listening to someone who irritates by talking incessantly.
6. Hakol dvash (everything is honey) — Everything is great, said in reply to the question, “How are you?”
7. Magniv — Cool, wonderful.
8. Sarut (scratched) — This adjective refers to someone who is a little crazy.
9. Sof haderech (end of the road) — Excellent, exceptional, the best. For example, “That meal was sof haderech.”
10. Yalla, bye (well, bye) — A combination of Arabic and English, this conversation ender is probably Israel’s most famous slang.
Rakefet Ginsberg is Israel emissary and director of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation’s Israel Center.
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