Ways to say it
| Hebrew | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| ניצח | nitséakh | /nisˤˈsˤiħ/ /nitˤˈt͡sˤiħ/ |
| נִצֵּחַ | nitséakh | |
| זָכָה | zakhá |
The verb is used to describe achieving victory in a competition or defeating an opponent. While the verb forms focus on the action, the noun ניצחון is used when referring to a victory or triumph in a broader sense. Related nouns include זכייה or הֶשֵּׂג for a feat or achievement, and רֶוַח for gain or profit.
Which one should you use?
There is a distinction between the two main ways to express winning: ניצח refers specifically to defeating an opponent in a competition, whereas זכה is often used in a more formal or literary context to mean winning a prize or being awarded something.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The present tense form for a masculine singular subject is מנצח. If you want to say 'I won' in the past tense, use the first-person singular form ניצחתי.
How do you pronounce it?
nitséakh
Did you know?
- If you are a 'winner' in a general, successful sense, you might be called מנצח, but this can also mean a 'conductor' in a musical context.
- While ניצח means 'to win', the same root is used in the word נצח, which means 'eternity'.
- In a legal context, זכה is used to say a defendant was 'acquitted', effectively meaning they 'won' their case.
Examples in context
- אתה טוען שתום לא ניצח?Are you saying Tom didn't win?Tatoeba #13058901 by fekundulo, translation #6348435 by CK
- ניצחתי?Did I win?Tatoeba #5416916 by fekundulo, translation #2005189 by CK
- כן ניצחנו.We did win.Tatoeba #6075671 by fekundulo, translation #2241071 by CK
- אני מנצח בתחרות השחמט.I win in the chess competition.
- אתה תצליח ותנצח!You will succeed and win!
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing the results of a sports match.
- עגור Adiדניאל, ראית מי ניצח במשחק אתמול?Daniel, ra'ita mi nitzach ba-mishak etmol?Daniel, did you see who won the game yesterday?
- דניאל Danielכן, הקבוצה שלי ניצחה בתוצאה גבוהה.Ken, ha-kvutza sheli nitzcha be-totsaa gvoha.Yes, my team won by a high score.
- עגור Adiזה באמת מפתיע שהם ניצחו.Ze be-emet maftia she-hem nitzchu.It is really surprising that they won.
- דניאל Danielהם פשוט שיחקו טוב יותר.Hem pashut sichaku tov yoter.They simply played better.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “win” translations and entries ניצח, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
