זבל
zével/ˈze.vel/masculine
The Hebrew word for trash is זבל (zével).
זבל is used to refer to things that are discarded. It is also frequently used figuratively to describe something of very poor quality, such as a bad movie or a terrible song, much like the English word 'trash'.
Meaning: things to be discarded (noun)
Which one should you use?
אשפה translates specifically to 'garbage'. For a more formal context, use פסולת.
How does it change in a sentence?
While זבל is typically used as an uncountable mass noun, the plural form זבלים can be used to refer to specific types or collections of trash in certain contexts.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ˈze.vel/. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- The Hebrew word זבל shares a common root with Arabic words for 'manure' or 'dung', meaning its literal historical sense is closer to animal waste than modern household rubbish.
- While you might use זבל to describe a bad movie, using it to describe a person is a very harsh insult that implies they are completely worthless or 'garbage'.
- While זבל is the common word for trash, the more formal word פסולת comes from the root for 'disqualification' or 'rejection'.
Examples in context
- בואו ננקה את הבלגן הזה! יש יותר מדי זבל כאן.Let's clean up this mess! There's too much trash here.
Example conversation
Maya and Noam are cleaning their kitchen together.
- מאיה Mayaנועם, יש פה המון זבל.Noam, yesh po hamon zbel.Noam, there is a lot of trash here.
- נועם Noamאני אוריד את הכל עכשיו.Ani orid et hakol achshav.I will take it all down now.
- מאיה Mayaתביא גם את הזבל מהסלון.Tavi gam et hazbel mehsalon.Bring the trash from the living room too.
- נועם Noamבסדר, אני כבר שם.Beseder, ani kvar sham.Okay, I'm already there.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “trash” translations and entries זבל, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries זבל, CC BY-SA 4.0.
