טבע
téva/ˈteva/
The English word nature is translated into Hebrew as טבע (téva).
The word טבע is polysemous, meaning it can refer to both the natural world (the environment) and a person's inherent character or disposition.
Meaning: the natural world and its order (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
To describe something as being natural, you use the adjective form טבעי (tév'i).
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is téva.
Did you know?
- The use of טבע to mean 'nature' was not an ancient biblical term, but was coined by the translator Samuel ibn Tibbon in the 12th or 13th century.
- In modern Hebrew, the word טבעי is frequently used as an exclamation meaning 'of course' or 'obviously'.
- While טבע refers to the natural world, the word for 'nature' in the sense of 'the environment' is often used interchangeably with סביבה, meaning 'surroundings'.
Examples in context
- יש לו טבע נוח.He has a generous nature.This sentence shows how to describe a person's generous nature using טבע.Tatoeba #1910858 by fekundulo, translation #295111 by CM
- יש לי טבע חשדן.I have a suspicious nature.This sentence illustrates describing a suspicious nature using טבע.Tatoeba #1910682 by fekundulo, translation #256817 by CM
- הרגל הוא טבע שני.Habit is second nature.This sentence demonstrates the concept of second nature using טבע.Tatoeba #1404186 by MrShoval, translation #266397 by Adelpa
- 25 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry טבע, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries טבע, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
