אוקיינוס \ אוֹקְיָנוֹס
oqyanósmasculine
The English word "ocean" can be translated into Hebrew as אוקיינוס \ אוֹקְיָנוֹס (oqyanós) or יָם.
Meaning: one of the large bodies of water (noun)
Ways to say it
| Hebrew | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| אוקיינוס \ אוֹקְיָנוֹס | oqyanós | masculine |
| יָם | yam | masculine |
The word אוקיינוס \ אוֹקְיָנוֹס is used to name one of the large bodies of water on Earth. However, the word יָם is also used to refer to the ocean or large bodies of water in a general sense.
Which one should you use?
While אוקיינוס \ אוֹקְיָנוֹס specifically refers to an ocean, the word יָם literally means "sea" but is the common way to refer to the ocean in everyday Hebrew.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of אוקיינוס \ אוֹקְיָנוֹס is אוקיינוסים. Both אוקיינוס \ אוֹקְיָנוֹס and יָם are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
oqyanós
Did you know?
- The word אוקיינוס is a loanword that entered Hebrew through Aramaic, which had borrowed it from the Greek name for the titan 'Oceanus'.
- In Hebrew poetry and the Bible, יָם is often used as a symbol of chaos or an untamable force of nature.
- The word יָם is used in the Hebrew Bible to refer not only to the ocean but also to large lakes and the 'sea' of reeds.
Example sentences for Hebrew are not verified yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ocean” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries אוקיינוס, CC BY-SA 4.0.
