אַף פַּעַם
af pá'am
The English word 'never' can be expressed in Hebrew as אַף פַּעַם (af pá'am) or לעולם לא.
Meaning: at no time (adv)
Ways to say it
| Hebrew | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| אַף פַּעַם | af pá'am |
| לעולם לא | l'olám lo |
Both Hebrew phrases mean 'at no time'.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase לעולם לא is composed of לעולם, meaning 'for eternity' or 'forever' and לא, meaning 'not'.
Which one should you use?
While both mean 'never', אַף פַּעַם is often used to emphasize that something has not happened even a single time in the past, whereas לעולם לא is a more general adverb for 'never' across all time.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using אַף פַּעַם in a standard negative sentence, it is often paired with the negative particle לֹא (lo) to complete the negation.
How do you pronounce it?
af pá'am
Did you know?
- The word לא is a cognate with the Arabic word لا, meaning both languages share an ancient Proto-Semitic root for the word 'no'.
- The word עוֹלָם inside לעולם לא can mean 'world' or 'eternity' depending on the context. In the phrase for 'never', it refers to a span of time rather than a physical place.
- Because אַף פַּעַם literally refers to 'even one time', it is often used in Hebrew to express indignation or shock that something has not happened yet.
Examples in context
- לעולם לא אפגע בך.I will never hurt you.This sentence uses לעולם לא.Tatoeba #2077461 by MrShoval, translation #2077400 by dryhay
- לעולם לא אשקר לה.I would never lie to her.Tatoeba #5615322 by fekundulo, translation #3907185 by CH
- לעולם לא תהיה לבד.You'll never be alone.Tatoeba #1537339 by MrShoval, translation #16314 by CK
- הגעת אי פעם לאיטליה? / אף פעם לא, אבל תמיד רציתי לבקר שם.Have you ever been to Italy? / Never, but I have always wanted to visit there.
- 222 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “never” translations and entries לעולם לא, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries לא, לעולם, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
