תקווה
tikvá
The English word 'hope' is translated into Hebrew as תקווה (tikvá).
The term תקווה is the general Hebrew word for 'hope'. It can be used to refer to the feeling of wanting something to happen with the expectation that it might, or it can refer to a person or thing that serves as a source of hope. While תקווה is the noun, the verb 'to hope' is expressed by the word לְקַוּוֹת.
Meaning: to want something to happen, with expectation that it might (verb)
Which one should you use?
When you want to express the concept of 'hope' as a noun, use תקווה. If you wish to use the action of hoping as a verb, use לְקַוּוֹת. For the specific belief that a wish can be fulfilled, Hebrew also uses the word תִּקְוָה or יְהָב.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Sabra Hebrew (Israel), תקווה is the widely used term for 'hope'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of the noun תקווה is תקוות.
How do you pronounce it?
tikvá
Did you know?
- The word תקווה shares its root with the word for 'rope' or 'cord' in many Semitic languages, suggesting that hope is something one clings to.
- The Hebrew word for 'hope' is also found in the name of the national anthem, 'Hatikvah', which literally translates to 'The Hope'.
- In ancient Hebrew, the verb לְקַוּוֹת often implied a sense of 'waiting' or 'expecting' rather than just a vague wish.
Examples in context
- יש שמץ של תקווה.There is little hope.This sentence shows how to use תקווה to describe a small amount of hope.Tatoeba #1654392 by MrShoval, translation #1654356 by Spamster
- אל לך לאבד תקווה.You must not give up hope.This sentence demonstrates the phrase 'to give up hope' using תקווה.Tatoeba #1903067 by fekundulo, translation #20604 by CK
- יש תקווה לכל אחד.There's hope for everybody.This sentence shows how to express that hope exists for everyone using תקווה.Tatoeba #4672966 by fekundulo, translation #1653529 by CM
- 76 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Noa and Ido are talking about a difficult exam.
- נועה Noaאתה חושב שנעבור את המבחן?ata choshev she-na'avor et ha-mivchan?Do you think we will pass the test?
- עידו Idoאני מקווה שכן, אבל זה היה קשה.ani mekave she-ken, aval ze haya kashe.I hope so, but it was hard.
- נועה Noaאני שומרת על תקווה שיהיה ציון טוב.ani shomeret al tikva she-yihiye tziyon tov.I am keeping hope that there will be a good grade.
- עידו Idoגם אני, בואי נחכה לתוצאות.gam ani, bo-i nechak-ke la-totsa'ot.Me too, let's wait for the results.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry תקווה, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
