חבר \ חָבֵר
khavérmasculine
The Hebrew word for boyfriend is חבר \ חָבֵר (khavér).
The term חבר is the common way to refer to a boyfriend. Because the word is used for both a romantic partner and a platonic friend, you must rely on the context of the conversation to understand which one is being discussed.
Meaning: male partner in a romantic relationship (noun)
Which one should you use?
The word חבר is ambiguous because it can mean both 'friend' and 'boyfriend'.
How do you pronounce it?
khavér
Did you know?
- Because חבר means 'friend', the Hebrew word for 'membership' in a club or organization is חברות, derived from the same root as 'boyfriend'.
- While חבר means 'boyfriend', many Israelis use the term בן זוג (ben zug), which literally means 'partner of a pair', to avoid the ambiguity of 'friend'.
- In a religious or historical context, חבר refers to a member of a specific guild or a societal circle, reflecting the word's original meaning of 'companion' rather than 'lover'.
Examples in context
- זה הבן-זוג שלי, יוסיThis is my boyfriend, Yossi
- זה החבר שלי, מיכאלThis is my boyfriend, Michael
Sources
- Wiktionary, “boyfriend” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
