דֹּב
dovmasculine
The Hebrew word for the large mammal 'bear' is דֹּב (dov). Wiktionary also lists דּוֹב (dov).
Meaning: large mammal of family Ursidae (noun)
Ways to say it
| Hebrew | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| דֹּב | dov | masculine |
| דּוֹב | dov | masculine |
דֹּב refers to the large mammal of the family Ursidae. If you want to specify a black bear, you use the term דוב שחור.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine singular noun דֹּב becomes the plural form דּוֹבִים to mean 'bears'.
How do you pronounce it?
dov
Did you know?
- If you encounter the name 'Dov' in Israel, it is a common Hebrew name meaning 'bear', used to convey strength.
- Unlike English, where 'bear' can be both a noun and a verb (to carry), the Hebrew word דֹּב functions strictly as a noun and does not carry the verb 'to bear' meanings.
- In the Bible, the דוב is famously associated with a story where a bear mauls forty-two youths after a prophet's curse.
Examples in context
- הדוב החום הוא אחד מבעלי החיים המרשימים ביותר.The brown bear is one of the most impressive animals.
- ראיתי דֹּב בטבע.ra'iti dov ba'teva.I saw a bear in the wild.
- האם יש דֹּב בגן החיות?ha'im yesh dov ba'gan ha'hayot?Is there a bear in the zoo?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bear” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
