יָצַר
yatsármasculine
The Hebrew verb 'to create' can be expressed as יָצַר (yatsár) or בָּרָא.
Meaning: to put into existence (verb)
Ways to say it
| Hebrew | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| יָצַר | yatsár | masculine |
| בָּרָא | bará | masculine |
The verb is used to describe the act of putting something into existence. For example, you can use the phrase ליצור דברים חדשים to mean 'to create new things' and the noun יצירתיות is used for 'creativity'.
Which one should you use?
The two forms have distinct meanings based on the nature of the creation. יָצַר is used for general or artistic creation, such as shaping something from existing matter like a potter working with clay. In contrast, בָּרָא is used for theological or absolute creation, specifically referring to a divine act like God creating the universe out of nothing.
How does it change in a sentence?
The first-person singular past tense of יָצַר is יָצַרְתִּי, meaning 'I created'.
How do you pronounce it?
yatsár
Did you know?
- In the Hebrew Bible, the verb בָּרָא is used exclusively with God as the subject. No human being is ever described as performing the action of בָּרָא.
- The root of יָצַר is also found in the word for 'potter', meaning that 'to create' in a general sense carries a permanent linguistic connection to the craft of ceramics.
- Because בָּרָא is so heavily associated with God, using it to describe a human achievement can sometimes sound unintentionally hyperbolic or even irreverent in a religious context.
Examples in context
- אני רוצה ללמוד איך ליצור אתר אינטרנט.I want to learn how to create a website.
- הוא יָצַר קשר חדש.hu yatzar kesher chadash.He created a new connection.
- הוא יָצַר בעיות מיותרות.hu yatzar be'ayot meyutarot.He created unnecessary problems.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “create” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
