hébreu
/e.bʁø/masculine
Hebrew in French is hébreu.
The word hébreu refers to the Hebrew language. It can also function as an adjective pertaining to the language. When referring to a person of Hebrew descent, the capitalized noun Hébreu is used.
Meaning: language (name)
Which one should you use?
Use the lowercase hébreu when you are referring to the language or using it as an adjective. In contrast, use the capitalized Hébreu or the feminine form Hébreuse when you are referring to a person. While hébreu is the standard adjective for the language, the word hébraïque is a more formal adjective used to describe things related to Hebrew culture, tradition or linguistics, such as le monde hébraïque.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When referring to the language itself, the noun is masculine and is preceded by the definite article l’ (the) in most contexts. However, when you want to say 'in Hebrew', use the preposition en followed by the language name without an article, as in en hébreu.
How do you pronounce it?
/e.bʁø/
Did you know?
- While hébreu is the word for the language, French uses the word cabale (from the Hebrew Kabbalah) as a common noun to mean a secret plot or intrigue.
- The word hébreu belongs to a small group of language names in French that change capitalization based on whether they refer to a person or a concept.
- French distinguishes between hébreu and hébraïque so sharply that the latter is almost exclusively used for things that are not the language itself, such as la Bible hébraïque.
Examples in context
- Tu peux m'écrire en hébreu.You can write to me in Hebrew.This sentence shows how to use the preposition en with the form hébreu.Tatoeba #12667024 by Olcyx, translation #2635075 by Joseph
- J'ai envie d'apprendre l'hébreu.I want to learn Hebrew.This sentence demonstrates the use of the definite article with the form hébreu.Tatoeba #584763 by qdii, translation #502170 by CN
- Comment dit-on « un chat » en hébreu ?How do you say 'a cat' in Hebrew?This sentence shows how to ask how to say something in the form hébreu.Tatoeba #1537994 by Aiji, translation #572115 by gnomebubble
- Dans mon cours d'études bibliques, nous étudions l'hébreu et le grec ancien.In my biblical studies class, we are studying Hebrew and Ancient Greek.
- 52 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Chloé are discussing their university courses.
- LucasEst-ce que tu étudies l'hébreu cette année ?Are you studying Hebrew this year?
- ChloéOui, je trouve que l'hébreu est passionnant.Yes, I find Hebrew fascinating.
- LucasC'est super, Chloé ! C'est difficile ?That's great, Chloé! Is it difficult?
- ChloéUn peu, mais j'adore l'hébreu.A little, but I love Hebrew.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hebrew” translations and entries hébreu, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
