שפנפן
shfanfan/ʃfanˈfan/masculine
The Hebrew word for "bunny" is שפנפן (shfanfan). Wiktionary also lists שפנפנה (shfanfana).
Meaning: young rabbit (noun)
Ways to say it
| Hebrew | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| שפנפן | shfanfan | /ʃfanˈfan/ (Modern Israeli, colloquial) /ʃfanˈpan/ (Modern Israeli, rare, standard) |
masculine |
| שפנפנה | shfanfana | feminine |
The word refers to a young rabbit.
Which one should you use?
שפנפן is the masculine form, while שפנפנה is the feminine form.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
שפנפן is a colloquial and somewhat dated term compared to more standard Hebrew words for a rabbit.
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine form of the word is שפנפנה.
How do you pronounce it?
shfanfan (/ʃfanˈfan/)
Did you know?
- The hyrax, the animal that gave שפנפן its root, is more closely related to elephants than to rabbits, despite the Hebrew name.
- Ancient Hebrew speakers used שפן for the hyrax because the animals look similar, leading to a long-standing linguistic overlap between rabbits and hyraxes in the region.
- Because שפנפן is considered dated, using it today often evokes a sense of nostalgia or children's stories from mid-century Israel.
Examples in context
- השפן חביב על ילדים.Bunnies are beloved by children.
- אני רואה את השפן קופץ בחצר.I see the bunny hopping in the yard.
Example conversation
Noam and Rotem are looking at a pet store window.
- נועם Noamתראי את השפנפן הזה!Tirai et ha-shifanfan haze!Look at this bunny!
- רוטם Rotemהוא באמת נראה מתוק.Hu bamet nir'a matok.He really looks sweet.
- נועם Noamבואי נקנה שפנפן לבית.Bo'i nikne shifanfan la-bayit.Let's buy a bunny for the house.
- רוטם Rotemבטח, זה יהיה נהדר.Betach, ze yihye neheder.Sure, that would be great.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bunny” translations and entries שפנפן, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
