נקי
nakí/naˈki/
The Hebrew word for clean is נקי (nakí).
Meaning: (transitive) to remove dirt from a place or object (verb)
Which one should you use?
While נקי describes the state of being clean, it is often confused with the verb לנקות, which means the action of cleaning.
How does it change in a sentence?
Use נקייה for a feminine singular noun, נקיים for a masculine plural noun and נקיות for a feminine plural noun. To express that something is very clean, place the word מאוד after the adjective.
How do you pronounce it?
nakí
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not confuse the adjective נקי with the verb לנקות (to clean).
Did you know?
- The word נקי is related to the Arabic word naqiyy, meaning 'pure' or 'clean'.
- If you are talking about a 'clean' person in a social or political sense, you might use נקי to imply they are free from corruption.
- The root of נקי is also used in the phrase נקי מצפון, which describes someone with a 'clean conscience'.
Examples in context
- ידו של יאן נקייה.John's hand is clean.This sentence shows the feminine form נקייה of נקי used with a hand.Tatoeba #1881693 by fekundulo, translation #1503431 by marcelostockle
- היפנים עם נקי מאד.The Japanese are a very clean people.This sentence shows the use of נקי to describe a people.Tatoeba #4796483 by fekundulo, translation #281762 by CM
- קח כוס נקיה מהארון.Take a clean glass from the cupboard.This sentence shows the feminine singular form נקיה of נקי used with a glass.Tatoeba #2253415 by MrShoval, translation #2253317 by _undertoad
- החדר שלי הוא נקי מאוד.My room is very clean.
- האורחים מבקשים חדר נקי. בבקשה.The guests request a clean room. Please.
- 57 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Rotem and Daniel are tidying up the kitchen.
- רוטם Rotemדניאל, השולחן לא נקי.Daniel, ha-shulchan lo naki.Daniel, the table is not clean.
- דניאל Danielאני אנקה אותו עכשיו.Ani anake oto achshav.I will clean it now.
- רוטם Rotemתודה, אני צריכה רק צלחת נקייה.Toda, ani tzricha rak tzalachat nakiya.Thanks, I just need a clean plate.
- דניאל Danielהנה, הכל נקי.Hine, hakol naki.Here, everything is clean.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry נקי, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries נקי, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
