בֹּקֶר טוֹב
bóker tov
The English phrase 'good morning' is translated into Hebrew as בֹּקֶר טוֹב (bóker tov). Wiktionary also lists בֹּקֶר אוֹר (bóqer or).
Meaning: when seeing someone for the first time in the morning (intj)
Ways to say it
| Hebrew | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| בֹּקֶר טוֹב | bóker tov |
| בֹּקֶר אוֹר | bóqer or |
Hebrew speakers use these phrases when seeing someone for the first time in the morning. The term בֹּקֶר means morning and טוֹב means good.
What does it mean word for word?
The standard phrase בֹּקֶר טוֹב is composed of the noun for 'morning' and the adjective for 'good', literally translating to 'morning good'.
Which one should you use?
בֹּקֶר טוֹב is the standard way to say 'good morning'. In contrast, בֹּקֶר אוֹר is a more poetic or stylized alternative that literally means 'morning light'.
How do you pronounce it?
bóker tov
When do people say it?
When someone greets you with בֹּקֶר טוֹב, a very common and natural response is to say בֹּקֶר אוֹר.
Did you know?
- The word בֹּקֶר is derived from a root meaning 'to split' or 'to pierce', as the morning represents the moment light breaks through the darkness of night.
- Although בֹּקֶר טוֹב means 'good morning', using it after noon is considered a humorous mistake or a sign that the speaker has just woken up.
- In traditional Jewish liturgy, the concept of בֹּקֶר is often tied to the 'morning sacrifice', creating a historical linguistic link between the start of the day and spiritual offerings.
Examples in context
- בֹּקֶר טוֹב, מה קורה?boker tov, ma kore?Good morning, what's happening?
- בֹּקֶר טוֹב לכולם.boker tov le'kulam.Good morning to everyone.
Example conversation
Two colleagues meeting in the office break room.
- עגור Adiבֹּקֶר טוֹב, עידו!Boker tov, Ido!Good morning, Ido!
- עידו Idoבֹּקֶר אוֹר, עגור. מה שלומך?Boker or, Agur. Ma shlomech?Good morning, Agur. How are you?
- עגור Adiשלומי טוב, תודה.Shlomi tov, toda.I am doing well, thank you.
- עידו Idoשמח לשמוע. בוא נתחיל לעבוד.Sameach lishmoa. Bo natchil laavod.Glad to hear. Let's start working.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good morning” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
