לא אשם
lo ashém/lo aˈʃem/word by wordmasculine
The Hebrew phrase for innocent is לא אשם (lo ashém) or חף מפשע.
Meaning: not legally responsible for a wrongful act (adj)
Ways to say it
| Hebrew | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| לא אשם | lo ashém | /lo aˈʃem/ (Modern Israeli, word by word) | masculine |
| חף מפשע | khaf mipésha | /ˌχaf miˈpeʃa(ʕ)/ (Modern Israeli) | masculine |
Both terms are used to describe someone who is not legally responsible for a wrongful act.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase לא אשם is a direct way of saying 'not guilty', combining לא (not) and אשם (guilty). The phrase חף מפשע literally means 'free of sin/crime', composed of חף (free/exempt) and מפשע (from crime/sin).
Which one should you use?
לא אשם is a more direct, legalistic way to say 'not guilty'. In contrast, חף מפשע is a more descriptive way to express that someone is 'innocent'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase חף מפשע changes based on gender and number: the feminine singular is חפה מפשע, the masculine plural is חפים מפשעים and the feminine plural is חפות מפשע.
How do you pronounce it?
lo ashém (/lo aˈʃem/)
Did you know?
- The word אשם (guilty) shares a root with the word for 'ash', but in a legal sense, it originally referred to a specific type of sacrificial offering used to make atonement for a sin.
- In modern Hebrew, if you want to describe a child's innocence or 'naivety', you would not use חף מפשע, but would instead use the word תמים.
- The root of פשע is related to the concept of 'breaking away', which is why the phrase חף מפשע describes someone who has not 'broken' the law.
Examples in context
- תום היה חף מפשע.Tom was innocent.This sentence shows how to use חף מפשע to state that someone was innocent.Tatoeba #6071953 by fekundulo, translation #2239810 by CK
- החשוד היה חף מפשע.The suspect was innocent of the crime.This sentence uses חף מפשע to describe a suspect who was innocent of a crime.Tatoeba #5793594 by fekundulo, translation #324814 by CK
- אני חושב שהוא חף מפשע.I think he's innocent.This sentence demonstrates using חף מפשע to express a belief in someone's innocence.Tatoeba #596106 by Eldad, translation #2079336 by _undertoad
- אין לו כל ספק שהוא נְקִי.There is no doubt he is innocent.
- הוא באמת זַךְ וחף מכל רע.He is truly innocent and free from all evil.
- 39 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two people are discussing a court case on the news.
- עידו Idoאת חושבת שהאיש הזה לא אשם?At khoshevet she-ha-ish ha-ze lo asham?Do you think this man is innocent?
- עגור Adiאני בטוחה שהוא לא אשם.Ani btukha she-hu lo asham.I am sure he is innocent.
- עידו Idoאבל היו נגדו הרבה ראיות.Aval hayu negdo harbe raiyot.But there was a lot of evidence against him.
- עגור Adiהראיות לא מוכיחות שהוא אשם.Ha-rayot lo mokhiyot she-hu asham.The evidence does not prove that he is guilty.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “innocent” translations and entries חף מפשע, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (לא, אשם) and can differ in connected speech.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
