Ways to say it
| Hebrew | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| נהדר | nehedɑr |
| נפלא | niflɑ |
The primary way to say "great" as an adjective meaning "very good" is through the forms נהדר and נפלא. If you wish to express "great!" as an interjection, you can use מעולה, טוב מאוד or נהדר. Additionally, the common word מעולה serves as a frequent alternative to express that something is excellent or great.
Which one should you use?
While both נהדר and נפלא mean "great", נהדר is typically used for things that are wonderful or excellent, whereas נפלא can carry a slightly more formal connotation of being "marvelous".
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective נהדר is masculine. When describing a feminine noun, it must change to the feminine form נהדרת. Similarly, the masculine adjective נפלא changes to the feminine form נפלאה when describing a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
nehedɑr
Did you know?
- In modern Israeli slang, instead of these formal adjectives, people often use the word אחלה (achla) to say 'great' or 'cool' in casual conversation.
- While נפלא is used for 'great' or 'marvelous', it is also the standard word used in the Bible to describe 'wonders' and supernatural miracles.
- The word נהדר (nehedɑr) is etymologically linked to the concept of 'glory' or 'splendor', originating from a root meaning 'to adorn' or 'to honor'.
Examples in context
- הו, הרי זה נהדר.Oh, but this is great.This sentence is useful for expressing that something is great using נהדר.Tatoeba #1480168 by MrShoval, translation #39292 by orcrist
- גם לזה טעם נהדר.It tastes great, too.This sentence is useful for describing a great taste using נהדר.Tatoeba #6134414 by fekundulo, translation #1470020 by CK
- יש לך מתנה נפלאה.You have a great gift.This sentence is useful for describing a great gift using נפלא.Tatoeba #4660012 by fekundulo, translation #3347140 by CK
- 110 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ido tells Maya about his new job.
- עידו Idoקיבלתי עבודה חדשה בשבוע שעבר.Kibalti avoda chadasha bashavua she-avar.I got a new job last week.
- מאיה Mayaזה נהדר, עידו! אני שמחה בשבילך.Ze neheder, Ido! Ani smacha bishvilcha.That is great, Ido! I am happy for you.
- עידו Idoתודה, מאיה. השכר ממש טוב.Toda, Maya. Haschar mamash tov.Thanks, Maya. The salary is really good.
- מאיה Mayaזה באמת נשמע נהדר.Ze be-emet nishma neheder.That really sounds great.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “great” translations and entries נהדר, נפלא, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries נהדר, נפלא, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
