לא טוב
lo tov/lo tˤoːb/word by word
The English phrase "not good" is translated into Hebrew as לא טוב (lo tov).
לא טוב is used to describe something that is of poor quality or an unsatisfactory situation.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the negation לא (lo – not) and the adjective טוב (tov – good).
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase must agree in gender and number with the subject it describes. Use לא טובה for feminine subjects, לא טובים for masculine plural subjects and לא טובות for feminine plural subjects.
How do you pronounce it?
lo tov
Did you know?
- In Hebrew, the word טוב does not just mean 'good' but can also refer to a 'favor' or 'good deed'. Asking someone for a טובה is the standard way to ask for a favor.
- The word לא is a direct cognate of the Arabic word لا, meaning 'no' or 'not'.
- When describing a 'not good' smell, a Hebrew speaker would typically use ריח רע rather than ריח לא טוב.
Examples in context
- אני לא טוב בזה.I'm not good at this.This sentence shows how to use לא טוב when describing a personal skill.Tatoeba #1857152 by MrShoval, translation #1855212 by Spamster
- את לא טובה בזה.You're not good at this.This sentence demonstrates the use of the phrase when addressing a female subject.Tatoeba #4676107 by fekundulo, translation #2545653 by CK
- יום שני לא טוב.Monday's not good.This sentence illustrates how to use the phrase to describe a day or a specific time.Tatoeba #6127576 by fekundulo, translation #238872 by CK
- 25 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Iti and Rotem are discussing the quality of a meal at a restaurant.
- איתי Itayהאוכל הזה לא טוב.Ha'okhel haze lo tov.This food is not good.
- רוטם Rotemזה נכון, זה ממש לא טוב.Ze nachon, ze mamash lo tov.That's true, it's really not good.
- איתי Itayאני לא מרוצה מהשירות.Ani lo mertsah me'hasherut.I am not satisfied with the service.
- רוטם Rotemאנחנו צריכים להזמין משהו אחר.Anachnu tzrichim lehazmin mashehu acher.We need to order something else.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (לא, טוב) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries טוב, לא, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
