בְּבַקָּשָׁה
b'vakashá
The Hebrew word for please is בְּבַקָּשָׁה (b'vakashá). Wiktionary also lists נָא (na) and אָנָּא (ána).
Meaning: interjection to make a polite request (intj)
Ways to say it
| Hebrew | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| בְּבַקָּשָׁה | b'vakashá | |
| נָא | na | |
| אָנָּא | ána | literary |
The primary way to express please is through the interjection בְּבַקָּשָׁה. It is used to make polite requests and is also the standard response when someone says "thank you."
What does it mean word for word?
The form בְּבַקָּשָׁה is a prepositional phrase that literally means "with a request."
Which one should you use?
בְּבַקָּשָׁה is the standard, everyday way to say please. In contrast, נָא is a particle used to soften a command or request in formal or poetic contexts and אָנָּא is a highly literary and archaic form similar to "I pray thee" in English.
How do you pronounce it?
b'vakashá
When do people say it?
When someone says "thank you" (תּוֹדָה), you can respond with בְּבַקָּשָׁה to mean "you're welcome" or "don't mention it."
Did you know?
- In highly informal Israeli culture, the word בְּבַקָּשָׁה is sometimes omitted entirely in favor of a direct command, as extreme politeness can occasionally be perceived as sarcasm or distance.
- The word בְּבַקָּשָׁה can be used sarcastically to mean 'please!' in the sense of 'give me a break' or 'stop lying' when the speaker is skeptical.
- In Israel, בְּבַקָּשָׁה is frequently used as a way to say 'here you go' when handing an object to someone, similar to the English phrase 'here it is'.
Examples in context
- בבקשה, תוכל לסגור את הדלת?Please, can you close the door?
- האם תוכל לשוב בבקשה?Could you please come back?
- בבקשה, תוכלו להקדיש כמה דקות להסבר?Please, could you spare a few minutes to explain?
- אפשר להשאיל את העט בבקשה?Could you lend me the pen, please?
- תוכל לעזור בבקשה?Could you help, please?
- איפה אתה, תוכל לבוא לפה בבקשה?Where are you, could you come here, please?
- בבקשה, תוכל לפתוח את החלון? תודה!Please, can you open the window? Thank you!
- תביא לי מים, בְּבַקָּשָׁה.tavi li mayim, bevakasha.Bring me water, please.
- תעזור לי בְּבַקָּשָׁה.ta'azor li bevakasha.Help me, please.
- תסגור את הדלת, בְּבַקָּשָׁה.tisgor et ha'delet, bevakasha.Close the door, please.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “please” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
