חַיָּה
ḥayyáfeminine
In Hebrew, the word for beast can be expressed as חַיָּה (ḥayyá) or בְּהֵמָה.
Meaning: non-human animal (noun)
Ways to say it
| Hebrew | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| חַיָּה | ḥayyá | feminine |
| בְּהֵמָה | behemá | feminine |
The term is used to describe a non-human animal.
Which one should you use?
חַיָּה is the general term for any living creature or animal, often used in a biological or broad sense. In contrast, בְּהֵמָה specifically refers to a beast or a large animal, often implying livestock or a domesticated animal.
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine singular form חַיָּה has the plural form חַיּוֹת. The feminine singular form בְּהֵמָה has the plural form בְּהֵמוֹת.
How do you pronounce it?
ḥayyá
Did you know?
- In modern Hebrew, if you call a person a בְּהֵמָה, you are not just calling them an animal, but are specifically insulting their intelligence or lack of manners.
- The word חַיָּה is directly related to the Hebrew root for 'life', meaning that a 'beast' is literally a 'living thing'.
- In Hebrew, the word חַיָּה is a feminine noun, which means it follows feminine grammatical rules even when referring to a male animal.
Examples in context
- הַחַיָּה הַזּוֹ חַיָּה בַּטֶּבַע.ha-chaya ha-zo chaya ba-teva.This beast lives in nature.
Example conversation
Noam and Noa are looking at a nature documentary.
- נועם Noamהַחַיָּה הַזּוֹ נִראית גְּדוֹלָה מְאֹד.ha-chaya ha-zo neri'et gdola me'od.This beast looks very large.
- נועה Noaנָכון, הַחַיָּה הַזּוֹ מַפְחִידָה.nachon, ha-chaya ha-zo mafchida.True, this beast is scary.
- נועם Noamהִיא חַיָּה נֶהֱדֶרֶת.hi chaya nehederet.She is a wonderful beast.
- נועה Noaאֲנִי אוֹהֶבֶת אֶת הַחַיָּה הַזּוֹ.ani ohevet et ha-chaya ha-zo.I love this beast.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “beast” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
