חָזַר
khazar
To return in Hebrew is חָזַר (khazar) or שָׁב.
Meaning: to come or go back (verb)
Ways to say it
| Hebrew | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| חָזַר | khazar |
| שָׁב | shav |
The verb refers to the act of coming or going back. When discussing a return or refund in a commercial context, such as returning an item to a store, use the noun הַחֲזָרָה. For financial contexts, specifically a gain or loss from an investment, the noun תְּשׁוּאָה is used.
Which one should you use?
חָזַר is the standard, modern way to say 'to return' in everyday Hebrew, whereas שָׁב is a more formal or biblical form.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The form חָזַר is the third-person masculine singular past tense, meaning 'returned'.
How do you pronounce it?
khazar
Did you know?
- The biblical form שָׁב is the root of the Hebrew word for 'repentance', which is תְּשׁוּבָה. In this context, returning does not mean moving through space, but returning to one's true moral nature.
- In modern Hebrew, the word חזרה (the noun form of חָזַר) is also the standard word for a 'rehearsal' in theater or music. One literally 'returns' to the same lines or notes repeatedly.
- In colloquial Israeli Hebrew, the phrase חָזַרְתּוּ? is often used as a shorthand to ask if someone has 'come to their senses' or 'returned' to a rational state of mind.
Examples in context
- כָּל-הַנְּחָלִים הֹלְכִים אֶל-הַיָּם, וְהַיָּם אֵינֶנּוּ מָלֵא, אֶל-מְקוֹם, שֶׁהַנְּחָלִים הֹלְכִים–שָׁם הֵם שָׁבִים, לָלָכֶת.All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full, unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.This sentence is useful for seeing how שָׁב is used in a literary context.Tatoeba #2786395 by fekundulo, translation #7009918 by Hybrid
- הַכֹּל חָזַר לַסֵּדֶר.hakol khazar la-seder.Everything returned to normal.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “return” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
