טוב
tov/tˤoːb/
The Hebrew word טוב (tov) means "good".
טוב is used to describe something as good, or as a standalone response in spoken Hebrew to mean "okay" or "good".
How does it change in a sentence?
The word טוב is the masculine singular form. When modifying nouns, it must agree in gender and number: use טובה (tova) for feminine singular nouns, טובים (tovim) for masculine plural nouns and טובות (tovot) for feminine plural nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is tov. The IPA is /tˤoːb/.
Did you know?
- In the common phrase Mazal tov!, the word Mazal originally referred to a constellation or zodiac sign. The phrase literally wishes someone a 'good constellation' or 'good destiny'.
- The Arabic cognate طَيِّب (ṭayyib) sounds quite different, yet it shares the exact same Proto-Semitic root meaning 'good' or 'pleasant' as the Hebrew טוב.
- In modern Hebrew, if someone asks you for a favor and you reply simply with טוב, it can sometimes sound dismissive or blunt, similar to saying 'Fine' in English.
Examples in context
- מזל טוב!Mazal tov!This example shows how to use the form טוב in the common congratulatory phrase "Mazal tov!"Tatoeba #1046431 by Eldad, translation #9330341 by shekitten
- שבוע טוב!Shavua tov!This example shows how to use the form טוב in the phrase "Shavua tov!"Tatoeba #4220032 by BEASY8, translation #9399142 by shekitten
- זה נראה לי טוב.ze nir'e li tov.That looks good to me.
Example conversation
Iti and Maya are deciding what to order at a cafe.
- איתי Itayהאם הקפה הזה טוב?ha'im ha'kafe ha'ze tov?Is this coffee good?
- מאיה Mayaכן, הוא ממש טוב.ken, hu mamash tov.Yes, it is really good.
- איתי Itayאז אני אקח גם אחד.az ani ekach gam echad.Then I will take one too.
- מאיה Mayaבחירה טובה.bechira tova.A good choice.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry טוב, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries טוב, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
