מקנא
m'kané
The Hebrew word for jealous is מקנא (m'kané).
מקנא is an adjective used to describe someone who is envious or feeling resentful of another person's perceived advantages, whether material or otherwise. When you want to say you are jealous of someone or something, you must use the preposition ב (be) after the adjective, forming the pattern מקנא ב…
Meaning: envious, feeling resentful of someone for a perceived advantage, material or otherwise (adj)
Which one should you use?
While מקנא is the adjective meaning 'jealous', the noun used to describe the concept of 'jealousy' is קנאה.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine plural form is מקנאים.
How do you pronounce it?
m'kané
Did you know?
- The word קנאה is often used in religious contexts to describe the 'zeal' or 'fervor' of a person for their faith, rather than just a negative emotion.
- The root of מקנא is shared with the 'Zealots', a political movement in ancient Judea who were known for their passionate and sometimes violent devotion to their laws.
- In Hebrew, the word קנאה (jealousy) can describe both 'envy' of what someone else has and 'possessiveness' over someone you love, whereas English often distinguishes these as 'envy' and 'jealousy'.
Examples in context
- למה אתה מקנא בי?Why are you jealous of me?This example shows how to use מקנא to ask why someone is jealous of you.Tatoeba #5893901 by fekundulo, translation #4317525 by CK
- הם רק מקנאים בנו.They are just jealous of us.This sentence demonstrates the use of the word in a plural context.Tatoeba #2078984 by fekundulo, translation #2079238 by MarlonX19
- היא חושבת שאני מקנא.She thinks I'm jealous.This shows how to describe oneself using מקנא.Tatoeba #1780044 by MrShoval, translation #1780017 by Spamster
- 28 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ido and Maya are talking about a friend's new car.
- עידו Idoראית את המכונית החדשה של דני?Ra'ita et hamkhonit hakhadasha shel Danny?Did you see Danny's new car?
- מאיה Mayaכן, אני קצת מקנא בו.Ken, ani ktsat mkana bo.Yes, I am a bit jealous of him.
- עידו Idoאל תהיה מקנא, זה לא בריא.Al tihye mkana, ze lo bari.Don't be jealous, it's not healthy.
- מאיה Mayaאת צודקת, מאיה.At tzodeket, Maya.You are right, Maya.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry מקנא, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
