חמוץ
khamúts/χaˈmut͡s/
The Hebrew word for sour is חמוץ (khamúts).
חמוץ is used to describe something that has an acidic, sharp or tangy taste.
Meaning: having an acidic, sharp or tangy taste (adj)
Which one should you use?
חמוץ stands in contrast to מתוק, meaning sweet.
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine form of חמוץ is חמוצה. The masculine plural form of חמוץ is חמוצים. The feminine plural form of חמוץ is חמוצות.
How do you pronounce it?
khamúts
Did you know?
- The Hebrew word חמוץ shares a common root with the Arabic word حمض, which also describes acidic or sour tastes.
- Hebrew uses the same word חמוץ for both the taste of a lemon and the taste of spoiled milk.
- The word חמוץ can be used to describe an 'acidic' voice or tone of voice in an argument.
Examples in context
- זה מתוק או חמוץ?Is it sweet or sour?This sentence is useful for asking if something is sweet or sour using חמוץ.Tatoeba #2139909 by fekundulo, translation #42531 by CM
- התפוז הזה חמוץ מדי.This orange is too sour.This sentence is useful for describing an orange that is too sour using חמוץ.Tatoeba #5993303 by fekundulo, translation #1815582 by inestpereira
- ללימונים יש טעם חמוץ.Lemons are sour.This sentence is useful for stating that lemons have a sour taste using חמוץ.Tatoeba #1558142 by MrShoval, translation #435751 by CK
- הלימון הזה חמוץ מאוד!This lemon is very sour!
- 13 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Maya and Itay are tasting a new homemade dressing.
- מאיה Mayaאיך הטעם של הרוטב, איתי?eich hata'am shel harotav, Itay?How is the taste of the sauce, Itay?
- איתי Itayהוא קצת חמוץ, אבל זה טעים.hu ktsat chamutz, aval ze ta'im.It is a bit sour, but it is tasty.
- מאיה Mayaאתה אוהב את זה ככה?ata ohev et ze kacha?Do you like it like this?
- איתי Itayכן, אני מאוד אוהב טעם חמוץ.ken, ani meod ohev ta'am chamutz.Yes, I really love a sour taste.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry חמוץ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries חמוץ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
