שנה חדשה
shana tova
The Hebrew phrase for "new year" is שנה חדשה (shana tova).
שנה חדשה refers to the year following the current year.
Meaning: year following the current year (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "year new", as the adjective follows the noun in Hebrew.
How does it change in a sentence?
Both the noun שנה (year) and the adjective חדשה (new) are in the feminine singular form.
How do you pronounce it?
shana tova
What mistakes should you avoid?
Because שנה is feminine, do not mistakenly use the masculine adjective חדש. Instead, use the feminine חדשה.
When do people say it?
While שנה חדשה refers to the concept of a new year, the standard greeting used during the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah) is שנה טובה (shana tova), which means "a good year".
Did you know?
- The word שנה is a homonym in Hebrew. Depending on the vowels used, the same consonants can mean 'year' or 'change'.
- When wishing someone a שנה טובה, it is common to respond with גמר חתימה טובה, which refers to being 'sealed' in the Book of Life.
- In the Jewish calendar, the 'new year' is not a single day but consists of two days of celebration called ראש השנה, which literally means 'the head of the year'.
Examples in context
- בקרוב תהיה שנה חדשה.It will soon be New Year.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use שנה חדשה in a simple statement.Tatoeba #1510159 by snds24, translation #31618 by Dejo
- שתהיה לך שנה חדשה טובה.she'tehiyeh lekha shana chadasha tovah.May you have a good new year.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
