Learning Hebrew is more accessible than it’s ever been, thanks to the internet. Whether you’re looking for private lessons, workbooks, or websites, everything you need to learn Hebrew is literally just a click away!

It’s a good thing, too, because there’s so much to learn. There’s a whole new alphabet, tons of grammar rules, vocabulary that’s nothing like English, and then of course pronunciation and spelling and colloquial expressions that make learning Hebrew more challenging. It’s a wonder that anyone manages to learn the language – but they do, and so can you.

Whatever your motivation is to learn Hebrew – to travel to Israel, to understand the Torah, to be able to watch the masterpiece that is Fauda, or to give your children the gift of bilingualism – these 7 tips for learning Hebrew will help you along your journey.

TIP 1:   BE CONSISTENT

Learning Hebrew requires consistency. Studying Hebrew is a commitment that takes time, and it’s not as simple as just buying a book and studying whenever you ‘get a chance.’ I can’t tell you the number of times someone has said to me, “I’ve been studying Hebrew for 5 years and I haven’t gotten anywhere.” 100% of the time, the reason they haven’t made the progress they expected or wanted is because they haven’t been consistent. It’s like joining a gym to lose weight or build muscle. How much progress do you think you’ll make if you go once every few weeks, versus once every day? It’s a no-brainer.

If you want to see real results, you’ll have to be both patient and committed. Establish a small chunk of sacred, don’t-interrupt-me time in your schedule – 15-30 mins is ideal – and set whatever reminders you need to so you don’t miss it. Don’t wait until you feel like studying, and don’t allow yourself to skip lessons unless there’s a S E R I O U S reason to do so. 

TIP 2: EMBRACE MISTAKES

Repeat after me: I will make mistakes and learn from them, I will embarrass myself and laugh about it later.

Mistakes are a natural and unavoidable part of learning Hebrew. You will make errors, you’ll mix up words, you’ll forget words, you’ll mispronounce things, and it’s okay! My second tip for learning Hebrew is to accept this fact before you even get started. It’s easier said than done, but you have to do it, or you’ll miss out on valuable opportunities to practice (and thereby improve) your Hebrew.

When I first went to Israel in 2009, I was there for two whole months and didn’t speak a word of Hebrew besides “shalom” – and I grew up speaking Hebrew! But the Hebrew I heard in Israel was much faster than what I was used to, and the accent was different, so rather than try, I stayed mute. Foolishness! What I did was waste 60 days’ worth of opportunities to become a stronger Hebrew speaker, all because of fear and self-doubt. If you always let fear stop you from speaking Hebrew, you’ll never be a good Hebrew speaker. N E V E R. 

Mistakes are lessons; embrace them, learn from them, and remember that your goal is progress, not perfection. Our natural inclination is to avoid doing something until we feel more confident, but the thing about learning Hebrew is that speaking it is what builds your confidence. If you want to be a better Hebrew speaker, you’re going to have to suck it up and stumble through speaking Hebrew not so well at first. Give yourself permission to make mistakes; after all, your attitude is more important than accuracy. 

TIP 3: STUDY BEFORE BED

Your first tip for learning Hebrew was to be consistent, and establishing a bedtime study routine is a solid way to add consistency. Even if you spend time studying during the day, it’s beneficial to do a quick review before you go to bed. Not only is reading a great way to relax and sleep better, but science has shown that people who study right before bedtime are more likely to retain the information. That’s because while you sleep, the brain processes what you’ve learned during the day, and moves that information to your long-term memory. All you need are 10 or 15 minutes – enough time to review words or a YouTube Hebrew lesson, or complete a Duolingo or Drops unit.

TIP 4: WRITE DOWN NEW WORDS

Learning Hebrew will expose you to lots of new words, which you might screenshot, type in the notes on your phone, or add to a digital flashcard library. Those are all well and good, but if you’re looking for the best way to record new vocabulary words – get you some good old fashioned pen and paper. Writing new Hebrew words down, as opposed to typing or texting them, stimulates the brain, and helps you better retain the new vocabulary. 

Use a notebook or a set of index cards for Hebrew, and try to include more information than just the words themselves. You can add transliterations, draw pictures, copy the phrase or sentence you saw the word in, note its gender and whether it’s singular or masculine, etc. If you’re visual, like me, you can even color code the different types of words, e.g. green for verbs, purple for adjectives. 

You should still feel free to jot words down in your phone or on another device, but make time (like your 15 mins before bed – see tip 3) to copy those words by hand into your Hebrew notebook or stash of index cards.

TIP 5: USE YOUR VOCABULARY WORDS

Now that we’ve talked about how important it is to write down new words, when learning Hebrew it’s crucial to USE what you’ve learned. Have you ever heard the phrase, “if you don’t use it, you lose it?” Believe me, it’s true! You can write and review all the Hebrew words in the world, but if you never use them, you won’t remember when it matters most – when you need to speak!

If you live with someone who is also learning Hebrew (or doesn’t mind learning, like a young child), that’s perfect! As you learn Hebrew vocabulary words, don’t use the English ones anymore. For instance, once you learn that boqer tov (בוקר טוב) means “good morning,” you should only say boqer tov moving forward. If you can only say one word of a sentence in Hebrew, don’t be ashamed – use that one word! Asking, “what would you like for qinu’ach (קינוח)?” is still better than “what would you like for dessert?” 

If you don’t have anyone at home to talk to, talk out loud to yourself in Hebrew! Narrate things as you do or see them. Making a sandwich? Practice all of your lunch vocabulary, and name the various items you’re using. Getting ready for bed? Practice your routine verbs, like washing up, brushing your teeth, putting on pajamas. Look outside your window and practice saying what you see in Hebrew.

To help you either talk with others or aloud to yourself as you are learning Hebrew, label objects in your home. You can write words out on post-it notes (see tip #4) and tape them anywhere that makes sense. Try focusing on one room at a time until you no longer need the visuals, then move on to the next room in Hebrew.

TIP 6: GET AS MUCH INPUT AS YOU CAN

When it comes to language learning, input refers to everything that you take in with your eyes and ears, i.e. what you hear and see/read. When learning Hebrew, you want to expose yourself to Hebrew songs, videos, podcasts, posters, books, etc., as much as you can.

YouTube is a fantastic free resource for Hebrew input. Besides my channel (of course), you can watch children’s shows, listen to children’s books being read, or learn popular nursery rhymes or songs. Don’t feel silly starting with materials made for children. Trying to read or watch adult content as a beginner will only frustrate you (but of course you’re always welcome to try.)

If you like podcasts, I highly recommend Hebrew Podcasts; it’s not free but the subscription is worth every penny and then some. If you’re a reader, check out the Nitzanim book series that’s written specifically for Hebrew learners. If you’re looking for even more resources, check out my growing list of resources for learning Hebrew.

TIP 7: FIND A HEBREW LANGUAGE MEETUP

Remember we talked about embracing mistakes (tip #2) and using your Hebrew vocabulary as much as possible (tip #5)? Well, one of the best ways to put those into practice is to join a Hebrew language meetup group. They usually include a handful of native Hebrew speakers, along with Hebrew learners at all different levels, so you’re bound to get something out of the experience. I found Hebrew language meetup groups in New York City, Apex, NC, Seattle, San Francisco, Palm Beach County, and even Amsterdam and Mexico, so search and see what’s available in your area.

If you can’t find a Hebrew language meetup to join, reach out to local synagogues or Israeli groups to see if they offer classes or other Hebrew learning opportunities. If you’re a college student or have access to a college campus, check out the Jewish, Middle Eastern studies, and foreign language departments to see what options they may have.

It’s the age of technology, so you can, of course, also find language partners online. There are a number of WhatsApp groups for Hebrew language learners, or you can make your own connections in Facebook groups like Hebrew at The Kefar or Duolingo Hebrew Learners. You can also find Hebrew conversation partners on iTalki or PolyglotClub.

And there you have it – my 7 tips for learning Hebrew. Here’s a graphic you can pin & save to remind you:

Deciding to learn Hebrew is a major undertaking, but with these tips and my lessons, you’ll be speaking and reading Hebrew before you know it!

Be’hatslachah (בהצלחה),
T’helah