אסיר תודה
asír todámasculine
The English word grateful is expressed in Hebrew as אסיר תודה (asír todá).
The phrase אסיר תודה is used to describe a person or their actions expressing gratitude or appreciation. When you want to specify what you are grateful for, follow the phrase with the preposition על (al).
Meaning: of a person or their actions, feelings, etc.: expressing gratitude or appreciation (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, אסיר תודה translates to 'prisoner of thanks'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine singular form is אסיר תודה.
How do you pronounce it?
asír todá
Did you know?
- The root of תודה (y-d-), which means to acknowledge or thank, is also found in the word 'confess' (לְהוֹדֶה), showing that giving thanks and admitting truth are linguistically tied.
- Because the phrase אסיר תודה uses the word for 'prisoner', it carries a weight of permanence that 'grateful' lacks in English. In Hebrew, you are not just feeling thankful, you are essentially a captive to that feeling.
- While אסיר תודה is the precise translation for 'grateful', speakers often avoid this heavy imagery in casual conversation by using תודה רבה, which simply means 'big thanks'.
Examples in context
- תום היה אסיר תודה.Tom was grateful.This sentence uses אסיר תודה to describe a subject in the past tense.Tatoeba #5446046 by fekundulo, translation #3724726 by CM
- אני אסיר תודה מאד.I'm extremely grateful.This sentence uses אסיר תודה to express a high degree of gratitude.Tatoeba #5637994 by fekundulo, translation #5186977 by CK
- הוא היה אסיר תודה על עזרתך.He was grateful for your help.This sentence uses אסיר תודה to specify the reason for the gratitude.Tatoeba #616018 by Eldad, translation #288752 by CK
- 22 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel thanks Rotem for helping him with a project.
- דניאל Danielאני אסיר תודה על העזרה שלך, רוטם.Ani asir toda al ha'ezra shelakh, Rotem.I am grateful for your help, Rotem.
- רוטם Rotemזה ממש לאNothing, שמחתי לעזור.Ze mamash lo davar, samachti la'azor.It's really nothing, I was happy to help.
- דניאל Danielבאמת, אני אסיר תודה שסייעת לי.Be'emet, ani asir toda she'siyata li.Really, I am grateful that you assisted me.
- רוטם Rotemאל תדאג, דניאל, זה היה בשמחה.Al tid'ag, Daniel, ze haya be'simcha.Don't worry, Daniel, it was a pleasure.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “grateful” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries אסיר, תודה, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
