גִ׳ירָף
ĝīrāp̆masculine
The Hebrew word for giraffe is גִ׳ירָף (ĝīrāp̆) or זֶמֶר.
Meaning: mammal (noun)
Ways to say it
| Hebrew | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| גִ׳ירָף | ĝīrāp̆ | masculine |
| זֶמֶר | zemer | masculine |
How does it change in a sentence?
Both forms are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
ĝīrāp̆
Did you know?
- Because זֶמֶר is also the word for 'song' or 'melody' when pronounced differently, a speaker must rely on context or vowels to distinguish a giraffe from a tune.
- The use of גִ׳ירָף is so common that it is actually more frequent in everyday spoken Hebrew than the 'official' Hebrew word זֶמֶר.
- In Hebrew, the 'j' sound in גִ׳ירָף is not a native letter but is represented by a 'gimel' with a special mark called a 'gershayim' to indicate it is a foreign sound.
Examples in context
- הַגִ׳ירָף אוֹכֵל עָלִים.ha-giraf ochel alim.The giraffe eats leaves.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “giraffe” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
