Ways to say it
| Hebrew | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| חָטִיף | khatíf | masculine |
| נשנוש |
A snack is an item of food eaten between meals. In Hebrew, you can refer to a specific item or the general act of nibbling using different words.
What does it mean word for word?
The word חָטִיף is derived from a root meaning 'to snatch' or 'to grab', which implies something that is grabbed quickly to eat.
Which one should you use?
חָטִיף usually refers to a specific, often packaged, single-serving item like a granola bar or a bag of chips. In contrast, נשנוש refers more to the concept or the act of light snacking and nibbling on various small things.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
נשנוש is a more colloquial and informal term used to describe light eating or munching.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of the masculine noun חָטִיף is חֲטִיפים. If you want to describe the action of snacking or nibbling, use the verb לנשנש.
How do you pronounce it?
khatíf
Did you know?
- The word חָטִיף shares its root with the word for 'kidnap' חטיפה, as both describe the act of snatching something away quickly.
- The verb לנשנש can be used metaphorically to describe someone who 'nibbles' away at a work project or a task slowly and bit by bit.
- In modern Hebrew, calling a food item a חָטִיף almost always implies it is a processed, pre-packaged product rather than something homemade.
Example sentences for Hebrew are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Noa and Noam are studying together in a library.
- נועה Noaנועם, אתה רעב?Noam, ata ra'ev?Noam, are you hungry?
- נועם Noamכן, אני צריך חָטִיף קטן.ken, ani tsarikh khatif katan.Yes, I need a small snack.
- נועה Noaיש לי חָטִיף כאן בתיק.yesh li khatif kan batik.I have a snack here in my bag.
- נועם Noamתודה רבה, נועה.toda raba, Noa.Thank you very much, Noa.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “snack” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
