נסיעה טובה
nesi'a tova
The Hebrew phrase for "safe journey" is נסיעה טובה (nesi'a tova).
נסיעה טובה is used to wish someone a pleasant and secure trip. Although the adjective טובה literally translates to "good," this is the standard way to express the wish for a "safe" or "pleasant" journey in Hebrew.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the noun נסיעה, meaning "journey" or "trip" and the adjective טובה, meaning "good".
How does it change in a sentence?
Because the noun נסיעה is feminine, the adjective טובה must also be used in its feminine form.
How do you pronounce it?
nesi'a tova
When do people say it?
When someone wishes you נסיעה טובה, a common response is תודה, גם לך (thanks, to you too), especially if the person wishing you well is also traveling.
Did you know?
- The word נסיעה comes from a root meaning 'to lift' or 'to carry'. This same linguistic root is used to form the word נשיא, which means 'president' or 'leader'.
- While נסיעה טובה is standard for roads, Israelis often switch to טיסה נעימה for flights. The word נעימה means 'pleasant' rather than 'good', reflecting a shift in desired experience when flying.
- In Hebrew, the concept of a 'journey' is split between נסיעה for vehicle travel and מסע for travel on foot or general expeditions. Using נסיעה for a walking trip would be a linguistic mistake.
Examples in context
- נסיעה טובה.Have a safe journey.This example shows how to use נסיעה טובה to wish someone a safe journey.Tatoeba #1750286 by MrShoval, translation #1750162 by Spamster
- נסיעה טובה ללונדון!nesia tova le-London!A safe journey to London!
- נסיעה טובה, תכתוב לי כשאתה מגיע.nesia tova, tiktov li keshe-ata magia.Safe journey, write to me when you arrive.
Example conversation
Noam is leaving for a trip and saying goodbye to Agur.
- עגור Adiמתי אתה יוצא לדרך?matay ata yotze laderech?When are you hitting the road?
- נועם Noamאני יוצא עכשיו, אני כבר מאחר.ani yotze achshav, ani kvar me'acher.I'm leaving now, I'm already late.
- עגור Adiבסדר, נסיעה טובה, נועם!beseder, nesia tova, Noam!Okay, safe journey, Noam!
- נועם Noamתודה רבה, עגור. נשתמע!toda raba, Agur. nishtamea!Thanks a lot, Agur. We'll talk soon!
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
