הפך
héfekh/ˈhefeχ/
The English word 'became' is translated into Hebrew as הפך (héfekh).
הפך is used to mean 'became' in the sense of a transformation.
What does it mean word for word?
The root of the verb הפך literally means 'to turn' or 'to flip'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine singular form of 'became' is הפכה and the plural form is הפכו. The verb הפך is almost always followed by the preposition ל־ (to) when indicating the role or state one has entered.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is héfekh and the IPA is /ˈhefeχ/.
Did you know?
- The Hebrew word for 'revolution' מהפכה shares the same root as הפך. This means a political revolution is linguistically framed as a 'great flipping' of the social order.
- While הפך is used for transformation, Hebrew uses a different word נהיה for general becoming. Choosing הפך implies a far more dramatic or fundamental shift in a person's nature.
- In Israeli slang, the phrase הפוך על הפוך is used to describe something that is completely backwards or contradictory.
Examples in context
- הוא הפך למסוכן מאד.He became very dangerous.This sentence shows how to use הפך to describe a change in state.Tatoeba #2676828 by fekundulo, translation #2676826 by fekundulo
- תום הפך סוכן נדל"ן.Tom became a real estate agent.This sentence uses הפך to describe a change in profession.Tatoeba #5888702 by fekundulo, translation #2541723 by CK
- היא הפך לאיש עסקים.He became a businessman.This sentence uses הפך to describe a change in identity.Tatoeba #9393532 by Alkrasnov, translation #8373469 by Amastan
- הוא הפך למנהיג יוצא דופן בחברה.He became an exceptional leader in society.
- היא הפכה להיות אמנית מובילה בעולם האמנות.She became a leading artist in the art world.
- הוא הפך לרופא מפורסם בינלאומי.He became a renowned international doctor.
- היא הפכה להיות מורה משובחת במהירות.She quickly became an excellent teacher.
- הם הפכו לצמחוניים אחרי שנים של אכילת בשר.They became vegetarians after years of eating meat.
- 29 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Maya and Ido are discussing a former classmate's career change.
- מאיה Mayaהוא הפך למורה?Hu hafakh le'more?Did he become a teacher?
- עידו Idoכן, הוא הפך למורה מצוין.Ken, hu hafakh le'more metzuyan.Yes, he became an excellent teacher.
- מאיה Mayaזה שינוי גדול.Ze shinui gadol.That is a big change.
- עידו Idoבאמת, הוא הפך לאדם אחר.Be'emet, hu hafakh le'adam acher.Really, he became a different person.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry הפך, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
