אדוני
adonáy/ʔa.doːˈnaːj/
To say sir in Hebrew, say אדוני (adonáy). With vowel marks it is written אֲדוֹנִי.
אדוני is the polite way to address a man, especially when you do not know his name. Service staff use it, and so do people speaking to a stranger.
Meaning: address to any male, especially if his name or proper address is unknown (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
אדוני is made of אדון, meaning lord or master, plus the ending meaning my, so it literally means my lord.
Which one should you use?
אדוני is for addressing a man. To address a woman formally, use גברת, the equivalent of ma'am or madam.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
אדוני is formal and shows respect.
How does it change in a sentence?
אדוני is a noun. It is often used to call to someone directly, and it can also be the subject or object of a sentence, as in a polite third person address.
Did you know?
- Unlike in English, where 'sir' is often used in military contexts, אדוני is used primarily for civilian politeness and is not the standard military term for a superior.
- Because אדוני literally means 'my lord', using it in a joking way with a close friend can actually sound sarcastic or mock-heroic.
- While אדוני translates to 'my lord', in contemporary Israeli streets, people are much more likely to use the person's first name or simply skip the title entirely to avoid sounding stuffy.
Examples in context
- אדוני יכול כבר ללכת.You can go now, sir.Here אדוני is the subject, a polite way to tell a man he may go.Tatoeba #2067111 by MrShoval, translation #241113 by CK
- לא, אדוני, אני גרמני.No, Sir, I am German.Here אדוני addresses a man in the middle of a reply.Tatoeba #1357289 by Eldad, translation #1214882 by eadbannon
- אדוני, זהירות, זה חלק!Sir, be careful, it's slippery!Here אדוני opens a warning to a man about a slippery floor.Tatoeba #2119359 by MrShoval, translation #7830022 by shekitten
- 12 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Noa is working as a receptionist and Itay enters the office.
- נועה Noaשלום, אדוני. איך אני יכולה לעזור לך?Shalom, adoni. Eich ani yachola la'azor lach?Hello, sir. How can I help you?
- איתי Itayאני מחפש את המשרד של המנהל.Ani mechapes et hamisrad shel hamenahal.I am looking for the manager's office.
- נועה Noaאדוני, בבקשה תמתין כאן רגע.Adoni, bevakasha tamtin kan rega.Sir, please wait here a moment.
- איתי Itayתודה רבה.Toda raba.Thank you very much.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry אדוני, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
