מזל טוב
mazal tov
To say mazel tov in Hebrew, write מזל טוב (mazal tov).
מזל טוב literally means good luck, but it is the standard way to say congratulations for happy life events like weddings, birthdays or births.
Meaning: (Hebrew/Yiddish) congratulations or good wishes, especially at weddings (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The first word, mazal, means luck and the second word, tov, means good.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Israel people often say Mazal tov v'hatzlacha!, which adds a wish for success.
How does it change in a sentence?
To aim the wish at one man, you can say Mazal tov alecha!, where alecha means upon you.
How do you pronounce it?
In Modern Hebrew it is pronounced mazal tov.
Did you know?
- In some Jewish traditions, saying mazel tov too early or too loudly before a ceremony is complete is seen as tempting fate or bringing 'the evil eye'.
- The word tov is a cognate of the Arabic word ṭayyib, meaning 'good' or 'kind'. Both languages descended from a common Proto-Semitic root.
- Because mazal relates to the concept of fate or destiny, saying mazel tov is more like wishing someone a 'good destiny' rather than just saying 'congratulations'.
Examples in context
- מזל טוב על הבית החדש!mazal tov al ha'bayit ha'chadash!Mazel tov on the new house!
Example conversation
Iti and Maya are celebrating a friend's engagement.
- איתי Itayשמעת שדנה ונועם התארסו?shama'ta she'Dana ve'Noam hit'ar'su?Did you hear that Dana and Noam got engaged?
- מאיה Mayaכן, איזה כיף! מזל טוב להם!ken, eize kef! mazal tov lahem!Yes, how exciting! Mazel tov to them!
- איתי Itayאנחנו צריכים לשלוח להם ברכה.anachnu tzrichim lishloach lahem brachah.We should send them a greeting.
- מאיה Mayaאני אשלח להם הודעה עכשיו.ani eshlach lahem hoda'ah achshav.I will send them a message now.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries טוב, מזל, מזל טוב, CC BY-SA 4.0.
