בור
bormasculine
The Hebrew word for pit is בור (bor).
The word בור refers to a physical hole in the ground, but it is also used metaphorically to describe a trap or a state of misfortune.
Meaning: hole in the ground (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The standard form בור is a masculine noun. Its plural form is בורים. While it is standardly treated as masculine, the word can occasionally appear in feminine forms, such as בורה, in specific poetic or archaic contexts.
How do you pronounce it?
bor
Did you know?
- While בור refers to a hole in the earth, the Hebrew word for a pit in an animal's stomach, like a peach pit, is completely different, usually using גרעין.
- The word בור is derived from the German word 'Bor'.
- In some biblical contexts, the word בור can refer to a cistern or a water reservoir carved into rock, rather than just a simple hole.
Examples in context
- מי שחופר בור לאחרים – ייפול בו.Those who dig a pit for others will be caught in it themselves.This sentence shows the metaphorical use of בור regarding a trap or misfortune.Tatoeba #2142443 by Eldad, translation #4990335 by AlanF_US
- אני ממלא את הבור בחומרים מיוחדים.I am filling the pit with special materials.
- יש בור עמוק בגינה.yesh bor amok ba-gina.There is a deep pit in the garden.
- הכלב קפץ לתוך בור.ha-kelev kafatz le-tokh bor.The dog jumped into a pit.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Noam and Maya are walking in a park.
- נועם Noamמאיה, תראי איזה בור עמוק!Maya, tiri eyze bor amok!Maya, look what a deep pit!
- מאיה Mayaאני רואה, זה נראה מסוכן.Ani ro'a, ze nir'a masukan.I see, it looks dangerous.
- נועם Noamצריך לשים שם סימון.Tsarikh lashim sham simun.We need to put a marker there.
- מאיה Mayaאתה צודק, נועם, בוא נחפש חבל.Ata tsodek, Noam, bo nakhapes khevel.You are right, Noam, let's look for a rope.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pit” translations and entries בור, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries בור, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
