תשובה
t'shuvá/tʃuˈva/
The Hebrew word for 'answer' is תשובה (t'shuvá).
תשובה (t'shuvá) is the standard noun for 'answer' or 'response'. Depending on the religious or philosophical context, it can also mean 'repentance'.
Meaning: response (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The noun תשובה is etymologically related to the concept of 'returning' or 'repentance'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
תשובה is a feminine noun. The plural form for 'answers' is תשובות. If you wish to use the verb 'to answer', the infinitive is לענות.
How do you pronounce it?
/tʃuˈva/
Did you know?
- The word תשובה shares the same root as the word שוב 'return'. This reflects the ancient idea that an answer is not just a response, but a return of a conversation to the original speaker.
- If a Hebrew speaker says they are 'doing' תשובה, they are not answering a question, but are actively practicing repentance and atonement.
- The root of תשובה is found in various Semitic languages, where the idea of 'returning' and 'responding' are often entwined in the same word.
Examples in context
- יש רק תשובה אחת.There's only one answer.This sentence shows how to use תשובה to state that only one answer exists.Tatoeba #4669966 by fekundulo, translation #3735664 by CK
- האם זו תשובה נכונה?Is that answer right?This sentence uses תשובה to ask if an answer is correct.Tatoeba #1708994 by MrShoval, translation #421741 by blay_paul
- תן לי תשובה החלטית.Give me a definite answer.This sentence demonstrates using תשובה when requesting a definite answer.Tatoeba #1871132 by MrShoval, translation #35182 by CK
- בבקשה, האם אתה יכול לתת לי תשובה לשאלתי?Please, can you give me an answer to my question?
- יש לך תשובה לשאלה שלי?Do you have an answer to my question?
- הגיע לי מענה לשאלה שלי.I received an answer to my question.
- 59 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Itay and Noa are discussing a difficult question from a test.
- איתי Itayנועה, את יודעת מה התשובה?Noa, at yoda'at ma ha-tshuva?Noa, do you know what the answer is?
- נועה Noaלא, אני לא מוצאת תשובה נכונה.Lo, ani lo motset tshuva nikhona.No, I can't find a correct answer.
- איתי Itayאולי נשאל את המורה.Ulai nish'al et ha-more.Maybe we should ask the teacher.
- נועה Noaזה רעיון טוב, בוא נלך.Ze ra'ayon tov, bo nalech.That's a good idea, let's go.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry תשובה, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
