גוי
goy/ɡoj/
The Hebrew word for "gentile" is גוי (goy).
גוי refers to a non-Jewish person. It can function as both a noun, meaning "a gentile," and as an adjective, meaning "gentile."
Meaning: non-Jewish person (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of גוי is גויים (gentiles).
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced as /ɡoj/ (goy).
Did you know?
- In the Hebrew Bible, the word גוי originally meant any 'nation' regardless of religion, including the Israelites themselves.
- The English word 'gentile' is likely derived from this Hebrew root through the Latin word gentilis, which means 'of the same clan'.
- In modern Hebrew slang, calling someone a גוי can occasionally be used to describe someone who is behaving in a way that is culturally 'foreign' or not following Jewish customs.
Examples in context
- תום הוא גוי.Tom is a gentile.This sentence is useful for identifying a person as a גוי.Tatoeba #13577778 by rul, translation #13571655 by rul
- הוא גוי.hu goy.He is a gentile.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a new neighbor.
- נועה Noaהשכן החדש הוא גוי?ha'shakhen ha'khadash hu goy?Is the new neighbor a gentile?
- איתי Itayכן, הוא גוי.ken, hu goy.Yes, he is a gentile.
- נועה Noaאוקיי, זה בסדר.okay, ze beseder.Okay, that's fine.
- איתי Itayהוא אדם נחמד מאוד.hu adam nekhmad me'od.He is a very nice person.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry גוי, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries גוי, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
