יוונית
yevanítfeminine
The Hebrew word for the Greek language is יוונית (yevanít).
The word יוונית refers specifically to the Greek language. Related terms can be used to describe things related to Greece, such as Greek history or to describe people of Greek descent.
Meaning: language of the Greek people (name)
Which one should you use?
While יוונית is the name of the language, it is also the feminine form of the adjective. When using the adjective to describe a noun, you must match the gender: use יווני for masculine nouns and יוונית for feminine nouns. To refer to a Greek person, use יווני for a man and יוונית for a woman.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The name of the language, יוונית, is a feminine noun. When using the related adjectives, they change gender to match the noun they describe.
How do you pronounce it?
yevanít
Did you know?
- The Hebrew word יוון for 'Greece' is derived from the name 'Ionia', referring to the coastal region of Asia Minor where early Greek settlers lived.
- In modern Israel, a 'Greek' person is יווני, but in ancient texts, the word יווני was sometimes used interchangeably with terms for 'Gentiles' during the Hellenistic period.
- While יוונית refers to the language, Hebrew uses the word הלניזם for 'Hellenism' to describe the cultural and intellectual spread of Greek influence in antiquity.
Examples in context
- יוונית שפה לא קלה.Greek is not an easy language.This sentence demonstrates the use of יוונית to describe the difficulty of the language.Tatoeba #1930857 by fekundulo, translation #460334 by jeanne
- אני לומד יוונית עתיקה.I'm learning Ancient Greek.This sentence shows how to use יוונית when referring to Ancient Greek.Tatoeba #5797885 by fekundulo, translation #5780383 by mailohilohi
- אני דוברת יוונית קלסית.I speak Classical Greek.This sentence illustrates the use of יוונית when discussing Classical Greek.Tatoeba #5450424 by fekundulo, translation #2436044 by AlanF_US
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Maya and Ido are talking about their vacation plans.
- מאיה Mayaעידו, אתה יודע לדבר יוונית?Ido, ata yodea ledaber yevanit?Ido, do you know how to speak Greek?
- עידו Idoלא, אבל אני רוצה ללמוד יוונית.Lo, aval ani rotze lilmod yevanit.No, but I want to learn Greek.
- מאיה Mayaאני חושבת שיוונית היא שפה יפה.Ani choshevet she-yevanit hi safa yafa.I think Greek is a beautiful language.
- עידו Idoזה נכון, זה נשמע מאוד מעניין.Ze nachon, ze nishma meod meanyen.That's true, it sounds very interesting.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “greek” translations and entries יוונית, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
