Ways to say it
| Hebrew |
|---|
| שׁוּם דָּבָר |
| כְּלוּם |
שׁוּם דָּבָר means not any thing. It is the standard way to say nothing in a sentence.
What does it mean word for word?
שׁוּם דָּבָר literally means no thing.
Which one should you use?
שׁוּם דָּבָר is more formal and standard. כְּלוּם is more colloquial and very common in spoken Hebrew. The phrase אֶין כְּלוּם means there is nothing.
How does it change in a sentence?
In a sentence, שׁוּם דָּבָר usually goes with a negative verb. Hebrew uses a double negative here, where English would say not anything.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not leave out the negative word with the verb. Hebrew says the equivalent of I do not want nothing, as in אֲנִי לֹא רוֹצֶה כְּלוּם.
When do people say it?
When someone asks what you want, אֲנִי לֹא רוֹצֶה כְּלוּם is a natural answer meaning I want nothing.
Did you know?
- In some religious Jewish traditions, the word אָיִן is used to describe a state of 'nothingness' that is actually a divine fullness, rather than a literal void.
- While שׁוּם דָּבָר is the standard phrase for 'nothing', the word דָּבָר on its own can mean 'a thing', 'a matter' or 'a word'.
- In Hebrew, the phrase שׁוּם דָּבָר can be used as a way to say 'it is nothing' or 'don't mention it' when responding to a thank you.
Example sentences for Hebrew are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Rotem and Daniel are talking about a mysterious package.
- רוטם Rotemדניאל, מה יש בתוך הקופסה?Daniel, ma yesh betokh ha-kufsa?Daniel, what is inside the box?
- דניאל Danielאין שם שׁוּם דָּבָר, היא ריקה.Ein sham shum davar, hi reika.There is nothing there, it is empty.
- רוטם Rotemאתה בטוח שאין שם שום דבר?Atah betu'ach she-ein sham shum davar?Are you sure there is nothing there?
- דניאל Danielכן, אני בטוח.Ken, ani betu'ach.Yes, I am sure.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “nothing” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
