חן
chén
The Hebrew word for grace is חן (chén).
The noun חן is used to describe elegance, charm or poise. It can refer to physical elegance, such as a person's movement and balance or to a person's general charm and attractiveness.
Meaning: elegant movement, poise or balance (noun)
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
chén
Did you know?
- If you are looking for the word 'grace' in the context of a Christian prayer or a religious ritual, Hebrew speakers might use the word חסד (chesed) instead.
- The Hebrew alphabet's letter ח (Chet), which begins the word חן, was historically associated with the concept of a 'fence' or 'boundary' in ancient pictographic scripts.
- In modern Israeli slang, saying someone has חן can imply they are a 'charmer' who can get out of trouble easily, regardless of their actual etiquette.
Examples in context
- בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, הַמּוֹצִיא לֶֽחֶם מִן הָאָֽרֶץ.Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.
- היא רוקדת עם חן רב.Hi rokedet im chen rav.She dances with great grace.
- התנועות שלה מלאות חן.Hatnu'ot shela mel'ot chen.Her movements are full of grace.
Example conversation
Itay and Rotem are watching a dance performance.
- איתי Itayתראי איך היא נעה, יש לה חן.Tiri eich hi na, yesh la chen.Look at how she moves, she has grace.
- רוטם Rotemאתה צודק, היא נראית כל כך קלילה.Ata tzodek, hi nir'et kol kach kalila.You are right, she looks so effortless.
- איתי Itayזה דורש שנים של אימון.Ze doresh shanim shel imun.It takes years of training.
- רוטם Rotemזה באמת נראה מדהים.Ze be'emet nir'a madhim.It really looks amazing.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry חן, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
