שנה טובה
shaná továeveryday
Written in Hebrew letters, "happy new year" is שנה טובה (shaná tová), meaning "a good year". It is the standard greeting for the Jewish new year, Rosh Hashanah. It is also called שנה טובה ומתוקה (shaná tová umetuká) and שנה אזרחית טובה (shaná ezrakhít tová).
Meaning: New Year greeting (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Hebrew | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| שנה טובה | shaná tová | everyday |
| שנה טובה ומתוקה | shaná tová umetuká | Rosh Hashanah |
| שנה אזרחית טובה | shaná ezrakhít tová | January 1 |
שנה טובה ומתוקה (shaná tová umetuká) adds "and sweet", which fits the custom of eating apples with honey at Rosh Hashanah.
Which one should you use?
For January 1 Israelis say שנה אזרחית טובה (shaná ezrakhít tová), "a good civil year", because the Hebrew calendar new year falls in autumn.
How does it change in a sentence?
Hebrew reads right to left. The phrase has two words: שנה (shaná), "year", and טובה (tová), "good".
Did you know?
- Rosh Hashanah means "head of the year" in Hebrew.
Examples in context
- שנה טובה לכולם.Shaná tová lekhulám.Happy new year to everyone.
- שנה טובה ומתוקה, סבתא.Shaná tová umetuká, savta.Happy and sweet new year, grandma.
- שנה אזרחית טובה, חברים.Shaná ezrakhít tová, khaverím.Happy new year, friends.
Example conversation
Dana calls her grandmother Rivka before Rosh Hashanah.
- Danaשנה טובה, סבתא.Shaná tová, savta.Happy new year, grandma.
- Rivkaשנה טובה ומתוקה, דנה.Shaná tová umetuká, Dana.Happy and sweet new year, Dana.
- Danaתודה, נתראה בחג.Todá, nitra'é bekhág.Thank you, see you at the holiday.
