לילה
layla
The Hebrew word for "night" is לילה (layla).
לילה refers to the period between sunset and sunrise. You may also encounter the idiom לילה לבן, which literally translates to "white night" but is used to describe a sleepless night or staying awake all night. Additionally, the phrase לילה טוב is used to say "good night" when you are going to bed or bidding someone farewell in the evening.
Meaning: period between sunset and sunrise (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of לילה is לילות.
How do you pronounce it?
layla
When do people say it?
When you want to wish someone a good night or say goodbye in the evening, it is common to use the phrase לילה טוב.
Did you know?
- The Hebrew word לילה is a linguistic cousin to the Arabic word layl, showing how these sister languages preserved the same ancient root for 'night' over thousands of years.
- Hebrew uses לילה לבן to mean a sleepless night, but in many Northern European cultures, a 'white night' refers to the natural phenomenon where the sun never fully sets.
- While לילה טוב is the standard way to say 'good night', Hebrew uses the same root in many titles and names, such as 'Layla', which is a common feminine name across several Middle Eastern cultures.
Examples in context
- היה לי לילה לבן.I stayed up all night.This sentence uses לילה to describe a sleepless night.Tatoeba #649752 by Eldad, translation #259590 by CK
- זה קרה לילה אחד.It happened one night.This sentence uses לילה to refer to a single night.Tatoeba #1338481 by Eldad, translation #42793 by orcrist
- זה היה לילה ארוך.It's been a long night.This sentence uses לילה to describe a night with a long duration.Tatoeba #554060 by Eldad, translation #480367 by adjusting
- 91 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Maya and Noam are talking about their sleep schedules.
- מאיה Mayaמה עשית אתמול בלילה?ma asita etmol balayla?What did you do last night?
- נועם Noamקראתי ספר כל הלילה.karati sefer kol halayla.I read a book all night.
- מאיה Mayaזה נשמע כמו לילה נעים.ze nishma kmo layla na'im.That sounds like a pleasant night.
- נועם Noamכן, זה היה לילה שקט.ken, ze haya layla sheket.Yes, it was a quiet night.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries לילה, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
