זָקֵן
zakén
The English word 'old' is translated into Hebrew as זָקֵן (zakén). Wiktionary also lists קָשִׁישׁ (kashísh).
Meaning: of a living being: having lived for relatively many years (adj)
Ways to say it
| Hebrew | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| זָקֵן | zakén | |
| קָשִׁישׁ | kashísh | masculine |
In Hebrew, this adjective is used to describe a living being that has lived for a relatively many years.
Which one should you use?
While זָקֵן is the common word for 'old', קָשִׁישׁ is a more respectful and polite way to refer to an elderly person.
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine form of זָקֵן is זְקֵנָה, and the masculine plural form is זְקֵנִים.
How do you pronounce it?
zakén
Did you know?
- The root of זָקֵן is related to the concept of a 'beard', as a beard was the primary visual marker of an 'old' man in ancient Middle Eastern cultures.
- When describing an 'old' object, like a chair or a book, one would typically not use זָקֵן, but rather a different word like יָשָׁן.
- The word קָשִׁישׁ shares a root with the Hebrew word for 'hard' or 'stiff', reflecting the physical rigidity that comes with age.
Examples in context
- וְהָדַרְתָּ פְּנֵי זָקֵן.Be kind to old people.The sentence is useful for showing how to express the sentiment of being kind to people described by the form זָקֵן.Tatoeba #1711505 by MrShoval, translation #64128 by CK
- אָדָם זָקֵןAn old man
- האישה רוצה לקנות בית ישן ולשקם אותו.The woman wants to buy an old house and renovate it.
- הוא איש זָקֵן וחכם.hu ish zaken ve'chacham.He is an old and wise man.
- סבא שלי הוא זָקֵן מאוד.Saba sheli hu zaken me'od.My grandfather is very old.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Noa and Ido are discussing a person in their neighborhood.
- נועה Noaהאם הוא השכן הַזָּקֵן?Ha'im hu ha'shaken ha'zaken?Is he the old neighbor?
- עידו Idoכן, הוא זָקֵן וטוב לב.Ken, hu zaken ve'tov lev.Yes, he is old and kind-hearted.
- נועה Noaהוא נראה נחמד מאוד.Hu nira nechmad me'od.He looks very nice.
- עידו Idoהוא באמת אדם מיוחד.Hu be'emet adam meyuchad.He really is a special person.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “old” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
