הַיּוֹם
hayóm
To say today in Hebrew, say הַיּוֹם (hayóm). For nowadays, Hebrew uses כיום (kayóm). If unsure, use הַיּוֹם.
Meaning: on the current day (adv)
Ways to say it
| Hebrew | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| הַיּוֹם | hayóm | |
| כיום | kayóm | /kaˈjom/ (Modern Israeli) |
הַיּוֹם means on the current day, as in being busy today. It also works as a noun for today.
What does it mean word for word?
הַיּוֹם is made of the definite article ha- and the noun yóm, day, so it literally means the day.
Which one should you use?
Use הַיּוֹם for this specific day. Use כיום to mean nowadays or currently, when talking about general trends or modern times.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
כיום is formed by adding the prefix ke- to the word for day, and it works as an adverb.
How do you pronounce it?
Say it as hayóm, with the stress on the last syllable.
Did you know?
- The word יוֹם ('yom') is used in the biblical account of creation to describe a period of time that may not be a literal 24-hour 'day'. This creates a linguistic tension between the calendar 'today' and the cosmic 'day'.
- The word כיום is constructed by layering three distinct parts: the prefix כְּ meaning 'like', the definite article הַ meaning 'the', and יוֹם meaning 'day'. It literally translates to 'like the day'.
- In modern Hebrew slang, the word היום ('hayom') is often used in the phrase היום זה היום ('hayom ze hayom'), which means 'today is the day' to signal that a long-awaited event is finally happening.
Examples in context
- יש הרבה זעם בעולם כיום.There is a lot of anger in the world today.Here כיום means nowadays, about anger in the world.Tatoeba #6140349 by fekundulo, translation #6138633 by al_ex_an_der
- "אולם", הטעים ולדימיר פוטין, "כיום המצב שונה"."However", stressed Vladimir Putin, "today is another situation".Here כיום sets the present situation against the past.Tatoeba #2356029 by Eldad, translation #1361782 by Eldad
- באשר לסטודנטים כיום, אני לא יודע על מה הם חושבים.As for the students of today, I don't know what they are thinking about.Here כיום describes the students of today in general.Tatoeba #1459470 by Eldad, translation #18704 by LittleBoy
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing their plans for the day.
- דניאל Danielמה את עושה הַיּוֹם?ma at osa hayom?What are you doing today?
- מאיה Mayaאני הולכת לעבודה הַיּוֹם.ani holechet la'avoda hayom.I am going to work today.
- דניאל Danielהַיּוֹם יום עמוס מאוד.hayom yom amus me'od.Today is a very busy day.
- מאיה Mayaכן, אני יודעת.ken, ani yoda'at.Yes, I know.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “today” translations and entries כיום, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries כיום, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
