How to Say "Period" in Hebrew

תקופה

tekufa

The English phrase 'period' can be translated into Hebrew as תקופה (tekufa).

תקופה is used to describe an interval of time. In Israel, it can refer to a broad period or a specific era.

Meaning: interval of time (noun)

Which one should you use?

While תקופה can mean a general 'period', it is also the standard word used for a historical 'era' or 'epoch'.

In Israel, תקופה is used to refer to a broad period or era.

תקופה is a feminine noun. The plural form is תקופות.

tekufa

Unlike English, where 'period' can be used as an interjection to end an argument, Hebrew speakers use the word נקודה ('dot') to achieve the same effect.
The root of תקופה is related to the concept of 'hitting' or 'striking' in some linguistic contexts, though it has evolved to mean a fixed span.
If you want to describe a 'period' of menstruation, you would not use תקופה, but rather the word מחזור, which is the same word used for a 'cycle'.

עשר שנים זו באמת תקופה ארוכה.
Ten years is a really long period of time.
This sentence uses תקופה to describe a long duration of time.
Tatoeba #1849703 by MrShoval, translation #1246269 by alec
איזו תקופה היסטורית אתה לומד?
Which period of history are you studying?
This sentence uses תקופה in the context of studying a historical era.
Tatoeba #1853155 by fekundulo, translation #68851 by sundown
באותה תקופה הלכתי לישון יותר מוקדם.
During that period, I would go to bed earlier.
This sentence uses תקופה to refer to a specific time in the past.
Tatoeba #3117934 by Ramiav, translation #3368443 by AlanF_US
2 more sentences on Tatoeba

Rotem and Noam are talking about their university years.

רוטם Rotem

זו הייתה תקופה מאוד מעניינת בחיי.
Zu hayta tkufa meod meanyenet bachayay.
That was a very interesting period in my life.
נועם Noam

אני מסכים, למדנו שם המון דברים.
Ani maskim, lamadnu sham hamon dvarim.
I agree, we learned a lot of things there.
רוטם Rotem

האם תרצה לחזור לאותה תקופה?
Ha'im tirtze lachzor le'ota tkufa?
Would you like to go back to that period?
נועם Noam

לא, אני מעדיף את החיים עכשיו.
Lo, ani ma'adif et hachayim achshav.
No, I prefer life now.

Sources

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