בֵּיגֶּל
béigelmasculine
The English word "bagel" is translated into Hebrew as בֵּיגֶּל (béigel). Wiktionary also lists בֵּיגָּלֶה (béigale) and כַּעַךְ (ká'akh).
Meaning: toroidal bread roll that is boiled and then baked (noun)
Ways to say it
| Hebrew | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| בֵּיגֶּל | béigel | masculine |
| בֵּיגָּלֶה | béigale | masculine |
| כַּעַךְ | ká'akh | masculine |
The term refers to a toroidal bread roll that is boiled and then baked.
Which one should you use?
The loanword בֵּיגֶּל is the standard way to refer to a bagel in modern Hebrew. In contrast, כַּעַךְ refers to a traditional Middle Eastern sesame bread ring.
How does it change in a sentence?
All forms provided are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
béigel
Did you know?
- While בֵּיגֶּל describes the modern roll, the word כַּעַךְ is used in the Bible to describe a 'cake' or 'loaf' that is not necessarily ring-shaped.
- The word בֵּיגֶּל is a phonetic adaptation of the Yiddish word, which itself entered Hebrew as part of the modern influx of Ashkenazi culinary culture into Israel.
- The term כַּעַךְ is deeply rooted in Arabic-influenced Levantine cuisine, meaning that a single Hebrew sentence could involve two different cultural lineages just by naming the bread.
Examples in context
- אני רוצה בֵּיגֶּל עם גבינה.ani rotze beigel im gvina.I want a bagel with cheese.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bagel” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
