זֶבֶל
zévelmasculine
The English word 'garbage' can be translated into Hebrew as זֶבֶל (zével) or אַשְׁפָּה.
Meaning: waste material (noun)
Ways to say it
| Hebrew | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| זֶבֶל | zével | masculine |
| אַשְׁפָּה | ashpá | feminine |
These words are used to refer to waste material and refuse.
Which one should you use?
While both refer to waste, אַשְׁפָּה is used specifically to denote physical refuse or waste material, especially in contexts involving the collection of waste.
How does it change in a sentence?
זֶבֶל is a masculine noun, meaning any adjectives describing it must also be in the masculine form. אַשְׁפָּה is a feminine noun, so any adjectives describing it must also be in the feminine form.
How do you pronounce it?
zével
Did you know?
- While זֶבֶל means 'garbage' in a modern city, its original biblical meaning refers to manure used as fertilizer for crops.
- In Hebrew slang, the word זֶבֶל is often used to describe something or someone of very poor quality, similar to calling a person 'trash' in English.
- To describe 'junk mail' or 'spam', Hebrew uses the word סְפָאם but can also refer to it as דואר זבל meaning 'garbage mail'.
Examples in context
- נא לזרוק את הפסולת בסל האשפה.Please throw the garbage in the trash can.
- אתה צריך לזרוק את הזבל בסל האשפה.You need to throw the garbage in the trash can.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “garbage” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
