hebreo
/eˈbɾeo/
hebreo is the Spanish word for hebrew language.
hebreo refers to the official language of Israel and the ancient language of the Hebrew people.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you are referring to the language itself as a noun, it is common to use the definite article el, as in el hebreo. The feminine form hebrea is used when you are modifying a feminine noun, such as in the phrase la cultura hebrea (Hebrew culture).
How do you pronounce it?
/eˈbɾeo/
Did you know?
- In Spanish, names of languages like hebreo are not capitalized unless they start a sentence, unlike in English where 'Hebrew' is always capitalized.
- The Spanish word hebreo is a direct descendant of the Latin 'hebraeus', which was borrowed from Ancient Greek and originally from Aramaic.
- While hebreo is the standard term, Spanish speakers often use the phrase lengua hebrea in academic or formal contexts to emphasize the linguistic system over the identity.
Examples in context
- En la universidad, estoy estudiando la lengua hebrea para comprender mejor la cultura israelí.In the university, I am studying the Hebrew language to better understand Israeli culture.
- La comunidad judía conserva el idioma hebreo como parte de su identidad cultural.The Jewish community preserves the Hebrew language as part of its cultural identity.
- Ayer compré un libro de frases en hebreo para comenzar a aprenderlo por mi cuenta.Yesterday I bought a book of phrases in Hebrew to start learning it on my own.
- Estudio hebreo.I study Hebrew.
- El idioma hebreo es muy antiguo.The Hebrew language is very ancient.
- Él está estudiando hebreo en la universidad.He is studying Hebrew at the university.
- El hebreo es un idioma muy antiguo.Hebrew is a very ancient language.
- ¿Sabes leer textos en hebreo?Do you know how to read texts in Hebrew?
Example conversation
Alejandro and Elena are talking about their language classes.
- AlejandroElena, ¿tomas clases de hebreo este semestre?Elena, are you taking Hebrew classes this semester?
- ElenaSí, Alejandro, me encanta la historia del hebreo.Yes, Alejandro, I love the history of Hebrew.
- AlejandroEs un idioma muy difícil de aprender.It is a very difficult language to learn.
- ElenaEs cierto, pero es fascinante.That's true, but it is fascinating.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry hebreo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hebreo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
