משאלה
mish'alá/miʃ(ʔ)aˈla/
The English word "wish" is translated into Hebrew as משאלה (mish'alá).
The term משאלה is used to express the act of hoping for a specific outcome or to refer to the desire itself.
Meaning: to hope for an outcome (verb)
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is mish'alá and the IPA is /miʃ(ʔ)aˈla/.
When do people say it?
While the phrase מזל טוב is primarily used to say congratulations, it can also be used to express good wishes or blessings during joyful occasions.
Did you know?
- Hebrew distinguishes between a 'wish' as a desire, משאלה, and a 'wish' as a blessing, ברכה. You cannot use משאלה when wishing someone a happy new year or a speedy recovery.
- The root of משאלה is shared with the word שאלה, which means 'question'. Both words originate from the same core idea of seeking information or seeking a result.
- When wishing for something to happen in a formal or poetic context, Israelis may use מי ייתן, which literally means 'who would give'. It functions as a high-register way to say 'may it be'.
Examples in context
- יש לי אך ורק משאלה אחת.I have but one wish.This sentence is useful for showing how to express having a single wish with משאלה.Tatoeba #570835 by Eldad, translation #254935 by Eldad
- תום הביע משאלה.Tom made a wish.This sentence demonstrates how to say someone expressed a wish with משאלה.Tatoeba #4619063 by fekundulo, translation #2549461 by CK
- הבע משאלה.Make a wish.This sentence shows how to tell someone to make a wish using משאלה.Tatoeba #1621078 by DanielTzvi, translation #954159 by CK
- מאחל לך יום הולדת שמח!Wishing you a happy birthday!
- שיהיה לך יום מקסיםMay you have a lovely day.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Noa and Ido are talking about their future goals.
- נועה Noaיש לי משאלה אחת גדולה לשנה הבאה.Yesh li mash'ala achat gdola lashana haba'a.I have one big wish for next year.
- עידו Idoמה היא, נועה? אני רוצה לדעת.Ma hi, Noa? Ani rotze lada'at.What is it, Noa? I want to know.
- נועה Noaאני מקווה שהמשאלה שלי תתגשם בקרוב.Ani mekava shehamash'ala sheli titgashem bekarov.I hope that my wish comes true soon.
- עידו Idoאני בטוח שזה יקרה, עידו מבטיח לך.Ani batuach sheze yikre, Ido mavtiach lach.I'm sure it will happen, Ido promises you.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry משאלה, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
