A Practical Guide to Giving Clear Directions in Hebrew

How do you say “turn left” and “turn right” in Hebrew?

In Englewood, NJ, Hebrew learners may need to give directions in everyday situations such as walking through a neighborhood, explaining how to reach a building, or guiding someone through a busy public area. The most useful starting phrases are:

• Turn right — פְּנֵה יָמִינָה (*p’neh yaminah*) when speaking to a man
• Turn right — פְּנִי יָמִינָה (*p’ni yaminah*) when speaking to a woman
• Turn left — פְּנֵה שְׂמֹאלָה (*p’neh s’molah*) when speaking to a man
• Turn left — פְּנִי שְׂמֹאלָה (*p’ni s’molah*) when speaking to a woman
• Go straight — לֵךְ יָשָׁר (*lekh yashar*) when speaking to a man
• Go straight — לְכִי יָשָׁר (*lekhi yashar*) when speaking to a woman

Hebrew commands usually change according to the gender of the person being addressed. In careful speech, use the form that matches the listener. In casual conversation, speakers may sometimes use forms less precisely.

What are the basic Hebrew words for directions?

The main direction words are easy to recognize after a little practice:

• Right — יָמִין (*yamin*)
• Left — שְׂמֹאל (*s’mol*)
• Straight — יָשָׁר (*yashar*)
• Back — אָחוֹר (*ahor*)
• Forward — קָדִימָה (*kadimah*)
• Near — קָרוֹב (*karov*)
• Far — רָחוֹק (*rahoq*)
• Next to — לְיַד (*leyad*)
• Opposite — מִמּוּל (*mim mul*)
• Between — בֵּין (*bein*)
• Behind — מֵאֲחוֹרֵי (*me’ahorei*)
• In front of — לִפְנֵי (*lifnei*)

The word מִמּוּל means “opposite” or “across from,” while לְיַד means “next to” or “beside.” These are especially useful when describing nearby homes, entrances, intersections, or public buildings.

How do you tell someone to continue along a street?

To say “continue” or “keep going,” Hebrew uses several natural expressions:

• Continue straight — תמשיך ישר (*tamshikh yashar*) to a man
• Continue straight — תמשיכי ישר (*tamshikhi yashar*) to a woman
• Keep going — תמשיך (*tamshikh*) to a man
• Keep going — תמשיכי (*tamshikhi*) to a woman
• Go until the end of the street — לך עד סוף הרחוב (*lekh ad sof ha-rehov*) to a man
• Go until the end of the street — לכי עד סוף הרחוב (*lekhi ad sof ha-rehov*) to a woman

The Hebrew word for street is רְחוֹב (*rehov*). “The end of the street” is סוֹף הָרְחוֹב (*sof ha-rehov*).

For a polite instruction, begin with בבקשה (*bevakashah*), meaning “please”:

בבקשה, תמשיך ישר.
*Bevakashah, tamshikh yashar.*
“Please continue straight.”

How do you describe an intersection or a corner?

A useful direction often includes a landmark and a turning point. Common words include:

• Intersection — צוֹמֶת (*tso-met*)
• Corner — פִּנָּה (*pinah*)
• Traffic light — רַמְזוֹר (*ramzor*)
• Crosswalk — מַעֲבַר חֲצִיָּה (*ma’avar hatsiyah*)
• Stop sign — תַּמְרוּר עֲצֹר (*tamrur atzor*)
• Street — רְחוֹב (*rehov*)
• Road — כְּבִישׁ (*kvish*)
• Entrance — כְּנִיסָה (*knisah*)
• Exit — יְצִיאָה (*yetsi’ah*)

For example:

בפינה תפנה שמאלה.
*Ba-pinah tifneh smolah.*
“At the corner, turn left.”

ברמזור הבא תפני ימינה.
*Ba-ramzor ha-ba tifni yaminah.*
“At the next traffic light, turn right.”

The word הַבָּא (*ha-ba*) means “the next” in a masculine form. For a feminine noun, use הַבָּאָה (*ha-ba’ah*). Since רַמְזוֹר is grammatically masculine, הרמזור הבא is correct.

How do you use landmarks in Hebrew directions?

Landmarks make directions easier to follow than street names alone. Hebrew commonly uses the structure “next to,” “across from,” or “behind” a recognizable place.

Examples:

זה ליד הבית הגדול.
*Ze leyad ha-bayit ha-gadol.*
“It is next to the large house.”

זה מול הכניסה.
*Ze mul ha-knisah.*
“It is opposite the entrance.”

הבניין נמצא מאחורי הרחוב הראשי.
*Ha-binyan nimtsa me’ahorei ha-rehov ha-rashi.*
“The building is behind the main street.”

Useful landmark vocabulary includes:

• House — בַּיִת (*bayit*)
• Building — בִּנְיָן (*binyan*)
• Park — פַּארְק (*park*)
• School — בֵּית סֵפֶר (*beit sefer*)
• Library — סִפְרִיָּה (*sifriyah*)
• Entrance — כְּנִיסָה (*knisah*)
• Parking area — אֵזוֹר חֲנָיָה (*ezor hanayah*)

In a dense residential community, visual details such as a corner, entrance, crosswalk, or distinctive building can be more helpful than a long sequence of street names.

How do you say how far away something is?

Distance expressions help the listener understand whether to keep walking or look for a turn soon.

• It is close — זֶה קָרוֹב (*ze karov*)
• It is far — זֶה רָחוֹק (*ze rahoq*)
• Two minutes away — שְׁתֵּי דַקּוֹת מִכָּאן (*shtei dakot mi-kan*)
• Five minutes on foot — חָמֵשׁ דַּקּוֹת בָּרֶגֶל (*hamesh dakot ba-regel*)
• About one block — כְּבָר רְחוֹב אֶחָד (*kvar rehov ehad*) in informal usage
• A little farther — קְצָת יוֹתֵר רָחוֹק (*tsat yoter rahoq*)

A natural sentence is:
זה בערך חמש דקות ברגל.
*Ze be-erekh hamesh dakot ba-regel.*
“It is about five minutes on foot.”
The phrase מִכָּאן (*mi-kan*) means “from here,” and בָּרֶגֶל (*ba-regel*) means “on foot.”

How do you ask someone for directions in Hebrew?

To ask politely, begin with סליחה (*sliḥah*), meaning “excuse me” or “sorry.”
סליחה, איך מגיעים לרחוב הזה?
*Slihah, ekh magi’im la-rehov ha-zeh?*
“Excuse me, how do you get to this street?”
Other useful questions include:

• Where is the entrance? — איפה הכניסה? (*eyfo ha-knisah?*)
• Is it far from here? — זה רחוק מכאן? (*ze rahoq mi-kan?*)
• Which way is the park? — באיזה כיוון הפארק? (*be-eizeh kivun ha-park?*)
• Can you show me on the map? — אתה יכול להראות לי במפה? (*atah yakhol le-har’ot li ba-mapah?*) to a man
• Can you show me on the map? — את יכולה להראות לי במפה? (*at yekholah le-har’ot li ba-mapah?*) to a woman

The verb מגיעים (*magi’im*) means “arrive” or “get to” in a general, conversational question.

What mistakes should Hebrew learners avoid?

The most common mistake is treating all direction phrases as gender-neutral. Commands such as “turn” and “go” change depending on whether the speaker is addressing a man or a woman.
Another frequent issue is confusing ימין (*yamin*, right) with שמאל (*s’mol*, left). A helpful memory strategy is to practice the pair together: ימינה ושמאלה (*yaminah ve-smolah*), “right and left.”
Learners should also listen for the difference between:

• פנייה ימינה — a right turn
• פנייה שמאלה — a left turn
• תפנה ימינה — turn right, speaking to a man
• תפני שמאלה — turn left, speaking to a woman

Finally, directions are easier to understand when given in short steps. Instead of describing an entire route in one long sentence, give one instruction at a time: continue straight, turn at the corner, cross the street, and look for the entrance.