נעים להכיר
na'im lehakir
נעים להכיר (na'im lehakir) is the Hebrew way to say 'nice to meet you'.
This phrase is a polite expression used when meeting someone for the first time. In many social situations, Israelis often shorten the phrase to just נעים מאוד when shaking hands.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to 'pleasant to know' or 'pleasant to get to know'.
How does it change in a sentence?
When adding a direct object to make it 'nice to meet you', use אותך (ot'kha) if speaking to a male.
How do you pronounce it?
na'im lehakir
When do people say it?
A common response to נעים להכיר is גם נעים להכיר, meaning 'nice to meet you too'.
Did you know?
- The root of נעים can be found in Eblaite as na-im, an ancient language spoken in Syria over 4000 years ago.
- The verb in להכיר is the same verb used for 'to recognize', implying that the act of meeting someone is the act of making them recognized by you.
- While נעים להכיר is polite, Israelis often skip formal introductions entirely in casual settings, moving straight to first names and an informal שלום.
Examples in context
- היה נעים להכיר אותך.It was nice to meet you.This sentence shows how to use נעים להכיר in the past tense.Tatoeba #9710013 by NizzanCohen, translation #1119432 by daywo
- נעים להכיר אותך.It's so nice to meet you.This sentence shows how to use נעים להכיר to express much pleasure in meeting someone.Tatoeba #1152064 by Eldad, translation #5679614 by Hybrid
- נעים להכיר, קן.Nice to meet you, Ken.This sentence shows how to use נעים להכיר when addressing someone by name.Tatoeba #1290308 by spitting_alpaca, translation #267038 by CP
- נעים מאוד! איך קוראים לך?Nice to meet you! What's your name?
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Maya and Daniel are introduced at a mutual friend's party.
- מאיה Mayaשלום, אני מאיה. נעים להכיר!Shalom, ani Maya. Ne'im lehakir!Hi, I'm Maya. Nice to meet you!
- דניאל Danielשלום מאיה, אני דניאל. נעים להכיר.Shalom Maya, ani Daniel. Ne'im lehakir.Hi Maya, I'm Daniel. Nice to meet you.
- מאיה Mayaאיך אתה מכיר את המארח?Eikh ata makir et hama'areakh?How do you know the host?
- דניאל Danielלמדנו ביחד באוניברסיטה.Lamadnu beyakhad ba'universita.We studied together at university.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries נעים, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
