עָנָן
'anánmasculine
The Hebrew word for cloud is עָנָן ('anán). Wiktionary also lists עָב ('av).
Meaning: visible mass of water droplets suspended in the air (noun)
Ways to say it
| Hebrew | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| עָנָן | 'anán | masculine |
| עָב | 'av | feminine, masculine |
The term refers to a visible mass of water droplets suspended in the air.
Which one should you use?
The default masculine form is עָנָן, while עָב is another form that can be either masculine or feminine.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine noun עָנָן becomes עֲנָנִים in its plural form. Note that when using an adjective, such as 'blue cloud', the adjective follows the noun, resulting in עָנָן כָּחֹל.
How do you pronounce it?
'anán
Did you know?
- In modern Hebrew, the word for 'cloud computing' uses the same word עָנָן as a meteorological cloud, creating a linguistic bridge between nature and technology.
- The root of עָנָן is shared with the verb 'to answer'. In biblical contexts, a cloud is sometimes seen as a divine response or a physical manifestation of God's presence answering humanity.
- In Jewish mysticism, a cloud is often described as a 'veil' that represents the boundary between human perception and divine reality.
Examples in context
- השמיים מלאים בענניםThe sky is full of clouds
Example conversation
Rotem and Noam are looking at the sky during a walk.
- רוטם Rotemנועם, תראה איזה עָנָן מוזר!Noam, tireh eize anan muzar!Noam, look at what a strange cloud!
- נועם Noamנכון, הוא נראה כמו לב.Nachon, hu nir'e kmo lev.True, it looks like a heart.
- רוטם Rotemאולי ירד גשם בקרוב?Ulai yered geshem bekarov?Maybe it will rain soon?
- נועם Noamלא, זה רק עָנָן אחד.Lo, ze rak anan echad.No, it is just one cloud.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cloud” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
