Do you have any new Israeli friends? Do you want to visit the Holy Land? Do you simply want to expand your international vocabulary? Fortunately, learning to say "thank you" in Hebrew is very easy, even if you don't know any other words in this language. The most important term used to thank is toda, which is pronounced " toe-DAH".
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Learn the Easiest Way to Say "Thank You"
Step 1. Say the syllable "toh"
In Hebrew, the simplest and most common way to say "thank you" is "toda" (תודה). The first syllable is very similar to that of the Italian word "TOpo".
Try pronouncing it with your tongue and lips on the front of your mouth, making a very soft "oo" (or closed) sound. The vowel must not be the same as the "u" of "cura" but not an open "o" as in "post"
Step 2. Say the syllable "dah"
The second syllable of the word "toda" uses a normal "d". Some Hebrew speakers pronounce it with a short final sound similar to the "a" of the English word "apple".
When you say this syllable, try opening your mouth slightly. Say it with the middle or back of the mouth (not with the lips at the front) for perfect inflection
Step 3. Say the two syllables together with the accent on "dah"
The word "toda" is basically pronounced " toh-DAH, with emphasis on the second syllable. A great example of correct pronunciation and accent is available on Omniglot.
Important: if you emphasize the first syllable ("TOH-dah"), the word will have a strange sound and will be difficult to understand. It would be like pronouncing the Italian word "city" with the accent not on the last syllable but on the first: "cìtta"
Step 4. Use this term to say a generic "thank you"
In Hebrew "toda" is very common. You can use it to say "thank you" in any situation: for example when they bring you food, when they give you a compliment or when someone offers to help you.
One of the nicest aspects of the Hebrew language is that there are no stringent rules regarding the words to be used in formal and informal contexts (as in Spanish, for example). You can say "toda" to your little brother or the CEO of the company you work for: it makes no difference
Method 2 of 2: Learn Other Variations to Say "Thank You"
Step 1. Use "toda raba" (תודה רבה) to say "thank you very much"
If "toda" is fine for ordinary thanks, sometimes it is necessary to express a particular or special thanks. In these cases he uses "toda raba", which is roughly equivalent to "thank you very much" or "thank you very much".
- This expression is pronounced " toh-DAH rah-BAH"." Toda "is pronounced exactly as above. The" r "of" raba "is pronounced very gently with the back of the throat. It looks a lot like the French r (as in" au revoir ").
- Also note that in "raba" the accent falls on the syllable "bah" (exactly as in "toe-DAH").
Step 2. Alternatively you can say "rav todot" (רב תודות), which means "thank you very much"
The meaning is more or less similar to that of "toda raba", but "rav todot" is used very rarely.
The sentence is pronounced " ruv toe-DOTRemember to use the sweet French r, which is pronounced with the back of the throat, rather than the hard Italian r.
Step 3. If you are a man, use "ani mode lecha" (אני מודה לך)
Although Hebrew does not have verbal manners and words specific to formal situations, if you want to thank someone in a very courteous and formal way you can use gender grammar. This particular phrase is used when the speaker is a man, regardless of the gender of the person to whom it is addressed.
The expression is pronounced " ah-NEE moe-DEH leh-HHAH". The most difficult sound in this expression is" hah ", pronounced in the ending: it is quite a different sound from the English sound" ha "of the word" laughter ". The first h is pronounced with a hoarse sound similar to an r pronounced with the back of the throat. This phoneme is found in other Hebrew words, such as "Chanukah", "chutzpah" and so on.
Step 4. If you are a woman, use the expression "ani moda lach" (אני מודה ל)
The meaning is the same as that of the previous expression, the only difference is that it is used by female people. Also in this case the sex of the interlocutor is irrelevant.
" ah-NEE mo-DeH lach. Here the final syllable "lach" is pronounced with the same phoneme h present in the word "chutzpah" we talked about earlier. Also note that the second word of the sentence ends with the sound "dah" and not "deh".
Advice
- When someone thanks you in Hebrew, you can reply with "bevakasha" (בבקשה), which is roughly equivalent to the Italian "please". It is pronounced " bev-ah-kah-SHAH".
- If someone asks you how you are, reply with "tov, toda" (טוב, תודה). Corresponds more or less to "good, thank you" in Italian. "Tov" is pronounced roughly as it is written: it rhymes with "slav".
