רַב
ravmasculine
The English phrase 'rabbi' is translated into Hebrew as רַב (rav) or רַבִּי.
Meaning: Jewish scholar or teacher (noun)
Ways to say it
| Hebrew | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| רַב | rav | masculine |
| רַבִּי | rabí | masculine |
A rabbi is a Jewish scholar or teacher.
What does it mean word for word?
The root of the word רַב carries the literal meaning of 'great', 'large' or 'many'.
Which one should you use?
The form רַב is often used as a title or a formal designation for a scholar. In contrast, רַבִּי is the more common term for the person's role or title in general conversation.
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine plural form for a female teacher or scholar is רַבּוֹת.
How do you pronounce it?
rav
Did you know?
- While the feminine plural רַבּוֹת is a standard grammatical form, the singular feminine version רַבִּית is actually a modern linguistic creation. For much of history, the role was almost exclusively male, so the singular feminine form was not part of the traditional lexicon.
- In Sephardic and Mizrahi traditions, a person may be called רַב as a communal leader or judge even if they lack formal rabbinic ordination.
- The term רַבּוֹן was historically used as a specialized form of address to express profound reverence rather than just a job title.
Examples in context
- שָׁלוֹם, רַבִּי! מַה נַשְׁמָע?Hello, Rabbi! How are you?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rabbi” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
