צדיק
tsadík/sˤadˈdiq/
The Hebrew word for righteous is צדיק (tsadík).
While its formal meaning is to be morally justified, in colloquial Hebrew, צדיק is often used to describe a person who is exceptionally good, kind or helpful, sometimes functioning as a way to call someone a saint or a very good person.
Meaning: justified morally (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective changes based on gender and number: צדיקה is the feminine singular form, צדיקים is the masculine plural form and צדיקות is the feminine plural form. Another word, יָשָׁר, can also be used to convey the concept of righteousness, specifically meaning straight or upright.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is tsadík.
Did you know?
- The word צדיק has a surprising linguistic history involving a potential 'slip of the tongue' where the letter 'qoph' merged with the name of the letter 'tsadi' during fast recitation.
- In Jewish mysticism, a צדיק is often viewed as a spiritual conduit who can intercede in heaven on behalf of others.
- In colloquial Hebrew, calling someone a צדיק can sometimes be used sarcastically to describe someone pretending to be more virtuous than they are.
Examples in context
- לא אמרתי בכלל שהוא צדיק.I never said that he was righteous.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use צדיק in a negative statement.Tatoeba #3876518 by fekundulo, translation #5242405 by Joseph
- הרבנים מציינים כי משה אדם צדיק ונפלא ביותר.The rabbis note that Moshe is a righteous and extraordinary person.
- הוא תמיד נסה להיות צדיק.hu tamid nisa lihiyot tzadik.He always tried to be righteous.
- הוא אדם צדיק מאוד.hu adam tzadik me'od.He is a very righteous man.
Example conversation
Two friends discuss a difficult moral decision.
- עגור Adiאיתי, האם אתה חושב שזה צדיק?Itay, ha'im ata choshev sheze tzadik?Itay, do you think this is righteous?
- איתי Itayכן, עגור, זה הדבר הנכון לעשות.Ken, Agur, ze hadavar hanachon la'asot.Yes, Agur, it is the right thing to do.
- עגור Adiאני רק רוצה להיות צדיקה בעיני כולם.Ani rak rotze lihiyot tzadika be'eyney kulam.I just want to be righteous in everyone's eyes.
- איתי Itayהחשוב הוא שתהיי צדיקה בעינייך.Hachashuv hu shetehyi tzadika be'eynayich.The important thing is that you are righteous in your own eyes.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry צדיק, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries צדיק, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
