אֵיך
ekh
The English word "how" can be translated into Hebrew as אֵיך (ekh) or כֵּיצַד.
Meaning: in what manner (adv)
Ways to say it
| Hebrew | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| אֵיך | ekh |
| כֵּיצַד | keytsád |
Which one should you use?
אֵיך is the common way to express "how," whereas כֵּיצַד is a more formal and literary alternative.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
אֵיך is the standard, everyday way to say "how" in spoken Hebrew. In contrast, כֵּיצַד is used in more formal or literary contexts.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Israeli Hebrew, the informal phrase Ma kore itach? is used specifically to mean "how are you?"
How do you pronounce it?
אֵיך is pronounced ekh.
When do people say it?
When asking "how are you?" in an informal setting, you can use Ma nishma or the Israeli Hebrew specific phrase Ma kore itach?
Did you know?
- The formal term כֵּיצַד is structurally related to the word כֵּן (yes), sharing a root that implies a way or a manner of being.
- If you want to say 'how' in the sense of 'how much' (for price), you use כַּמָּה instead of אֵיךְ, as אֵיךְ only refers to the method of an action.
- While אֵיך is the standard way to ask 'how', you can also use the word מֶה (what) in specific slang contexts to ask 'how' something is going, though it changes the sentence structure entirely.
Examples in context
- אֵיךְ עוֹשִׂים אֶת זֶה?eich osim et ze?How do you do this?
- אֵיךְ הִגַּעְתָּ לְכָאן?eich higa'ta le'kan?How did you get here?
Example conversation
Maya and Itay are discussing a new recipe.
- מאיה Mayaאיתי, אֵיך מכינים את העוגה הזאת?Itay, eikh mekhinim et ha-uga hazot?Itay, how do you make this cake?
- איתי Itayזה פשוט מאוד, אני אסביר לך.ze pashut meod, ani asbir lakh.It is very simple, I will explain to you.
- מאיה Mayaאבל אֵיך יודעים שהיא מוכנה?aval eikh yod'im she-hi mukhana?But how do you know it's ready?
- איתי Itayכשצבע העוגה הופך לחום.keshe-tzeva ha-uga hofek le-khum.When the cake color turns brown.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “how” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
