חייל
khayálmasculine
The Hebrew word for soldier is חייל (khayál). Wiktionary also lists חַיָּל.
Meaning: member of an army (noun)
Ways to say it
| Hebrew | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| חייל | khayál | masculine |
| חַיָּל |
The term refers to a member of an army.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine singular noun חייל becomes the plural form חיילים to mean soldiers. For a female soldier, use the feminine singular form חיילת.
How do you pronounce it?
khayál
Did you know?
- In biblical Hebrew, the word חַיִל was used to describe the 'virtuous woman' in Proverbs 31, meaning a woman of strength and capability.
- The word חייל shares a root with the word חיל, which can mean 'wealth' or 'army'. In ancient contexts, having a large army was seen as a primary form of national wealth.
- Because military service is mandatory for most citizens, חייל is a primary identity marker used in social contexts, like dating or job interviews, long after the service ends.
Examples in context
- חייל נתן לי מים.The soldier gave water to me.This sentence shows the use of חייל to describe someone giving water.Tatoeba #1734622 by MrShoval, translation #44107 by CK
- הוא היה חייל אמיץ.He was a brave soldier.This sentence uses חייל to describe a brave soldier.Tatoeba #1459726 by Eldad, translation #1457462 by CK
- האדם הזה הוא חייל.That man is a soldier.This sentence uses חייל to identify a man as a soldier.Tatoeba #5560367 by fekundulo, translation #2163147 by Source_VOA
- אחי היה שליח צבאי מנוסה. הוא עבר תהליך ארוך וקשה במסגרת ההכשרה לחייל בצה"ל.My brother was an experienced military emissary. He went through a long and challenging process as part of the training to become a soldier in the IDF.
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Noam and Maya are looking at a photo of Noam's brother.
- נועם Noamזה האח שלי, הוא חייל עכשיו.Ze ha-ach sheli, hu chayyal achshav.This is my brother, he is a soldier now.
- מאיה Mayaהוא נראה גאה בתמונה.Hu nir'e ga'e ba-tmuna.He looks proud in the photo.
- נועם Noamהוא חייל מצטיין ביחידה שלו.Hu chayyal mitztayen ba-yechida shelo.He is an outstanding soldier in his unit.
- מאיה Mayaכל הכבוד לו!Kol ha-kavod lo!Kudos to him!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “soldier” translations and entries חייל, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
