מדינה \ מְדִינָה
medináfeminine
The English word 'nation' can be translated into Hebrew as מדינה or אֻמָּה. If unsure, use מדינה \ מְדִינָה (mediná).
Meaning: sovereign state (noun)
Ways to say it
| Hebrew | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| מדינה \ מְדִינָה | mediná | feminine |
| אֻמָּה | ummá | feminine |
The translation depends on whether you are referring to a political entity or a group of people. Use מדינה when discussing a sovereign state or a country. Use אֻמָּה when referring to a nation in a cultural, ethnic or historical sense.
Which one should you use?
מדינה \ מְדִינָה is used for political or administrative contexts, meaning a state or country. In contrast, אֻמָּה is used for cultural or ethnic contexts, meaning a people or a nation.
How does it change in a sentence?
Both terms are feminine nouns. The plural form of מדינה is מדינות (medinót), and the plural form of אֻמָּה is אומות (umót).
How do you pronounce it?
mediná
Did you know?
- While מדינה means 'state' in Hebrew, its Arabic cognate madīna refers specifically to a 'city'. This linguistic shift shows how a word for a local administrative center evolved into a word for a sovereign nation.
- The word מדינה originally referred to a specific local site where legal judgments were handed down rather than a sovereign territory.
- The term אֻמָּה is frequently used in biblical and liturgical contexts to describe the collective destiny of a people, giving it a spiritual weight that the political term מדינה lacks.
Examples in context
- The United Nations recognizes Israel as a sovereign מְדִינָה.The United Nations recognizes Israel as a sovereign nation.
- The Israeli עַם is known for its resilience and cultural diversity.The Israeli people is known for its resilience and cultural diversity.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “nation” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries מדינה, CC BY-SA 4.0.
