ערב טוב
erev tov/ˈeʁev tˤoːb/word by word
ערב טוב (erev tov) is the Hebrew phrase for "good evening".
The phrase ערב טוב is used both as a greeting when arriving and as a way to say goodbye in the evening.
Meaning: greeting said in the evening (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the noun ערב (evening) and the adjective טוב (good).
How does it change in a sentence?
In Hebrew, the adjective טוב follows the noun ערב it modifies.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is erev tov. The IPA is /ˈeʁev tˤoːb/.
When do people say it?
When someone says ערב טוב to you, it is common to respond with the same phrase ערב טוב.
Did you know?
- In Hebrew, the concept of 'evening' is so central that the creation story in Genesis describes the first day as beginning with the phrase ויהי ערב ויהי בוקר, meaning 'and there was evening and there was morning'.
- The word ערב (evening) shares the same root as the word for 'west' in Arabic, reflecting the idea that the evening is when the sun moves toward the western horizon.
- Because the Jewish calendar date changes at sunset, saying ערב טוב on a Friday evening is not just a greeting, but an entry into the Sabbath.
Examples in context
- ערב טוב, מה שלומך?Good evening, how are you?This sentence shows how to use ערב טוב when asking how someone is.Tatoeba #572194 by Eldad, translation #413820 by Dorenda
- ערב טוב.Good evening.This sentence demonstrates a simple use of ערב טוב.Tatoeba #702802 by Eldad, translation #333156 by Aurix
- ערב טוב, כולם.Good evening, everyone.This sentence shows how to use ערב טוב when addressing a group.Tatoeba #5423143 by fekundulo, translation #2094776 by CK
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Rotem and Itay meet at a restaurant in the evening.
- רוטם Rotemערב טוב, איתי!Erev tov, Itay!Good evening, Itay!
- איתי Itayערב טוב, רוטם. נעים לראות אותך.Erev tov, Rotem. Naim lir'ot otach.Good evening, Rotem. Nice to see you.
- רוטם Rotemגם אני. כבר הזמנת מקום?Gam ani. Kvar hizmant makom?Me too. Did you already book a place?
- איתי Itayכן, השולחן כבר מחכה לנו.Ken, ha-shulchan kvar mechake lanu.Yes, the table is already waiting for us.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (ערב, טוב) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries טוב, ערב, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
