Games
Playing games in Hebrew is fun, and guaranteed to improve your fluency and confidence. Go ahead, give these games a try!
Rules
Use the standard rules you usually play by, and add these few extra rules:
- After rolling the dice, don’t calculate your landing spot and jump there. Instead, “walk” your pawn and count the spaces in Hebrew, as you go.
- Before you play, ask in Hebrew “Is it my turn?” and/or “Is it your turn?” as if you cannot remember whose turn it is.
- When a player asks whose turn it is, answer in Hebrew.
- When a player uses English for any of the above, you can ding that player and make them pay $10 to the bank pile at the center of the board.
- Use Hebrew exclusively to say these words:
Language Used
| My turn | to.ri | תורי |
| Is it my turn? | to.ri ? | ?תורי |
| Your turn ♂ | tor.kha | תורך |
| Your turn ♀ | to.rekh | תורך |
| Is it your turn? ♂ | tor.kha ? | ?תורך |
| Is it your turn? ♀ | to.rekh ? | ?תורך |
| Play! ♂ | sa.khek | שחק |
| Play! ♀ | sa.kha.ki ! | !שחקי |
| 1 ♀ | a.khat | אחת |
| 2 ♀ | shta.yim | שתיים |
| 3 ♀ | sha.losh | שלוש |
| 4 ♀ | ar.ba | ארבע |
| 5 ♀ | kha.mesh | חמש |
| 6 ♀ | shesh | שש |
| 7 ♀ | she.va | שבע |
| 8 ♀ | shmo.ne | שמונה |
| 9 ♀ | tei.sha | תשע |
| 10 ♀ | e.ser | עשר |
| 11 ♀ | a.khat es.re | אחת-עשרה |
| 12 ♀ | shtim es.re | שתים-עשרה |
Printable File
Rules
Use the standard rules you usually play by. Try to call out the moves in Hebrew, as follows:
| Sorry! ♀ | sli.kha ! | סליחה |
| Slide ♀ | gli.sha | גלישה |
| Safety zone ♂ | e.zor mu.gan | איזור מוגן |
| Beginning ♀ | hat.kha.la | התחלה |
| My turn! | to.ri ! | תורי |
| Is it my turn? | to.ri ? | ?תורי |
| Your turn ♂ | tor.kha | תורך |
| Your turn ♀ | to.rekh | תורך |
| Is it your turn? ♂ | tor.kha ? | ?תורך |
| Is it your turn? ♀ | to.rekh ? | ?תורך |
| Play! ♂ | sa.khek | שחק |
| Play! ♀ | sa.kha.ki ! | !שחקי |
| I can’t ♂ | lo ya.khol | לא יכול |
| I can’t ♀ | lo ye.kho.la | לא יכולה |
| Not moving ♂ | lo zaz | לא זז |
| Not moving ♀ | lo za.za | לא זזה |
| Pawn ♂ | kha.yal | חייל |
| Pawn ♀ | kha.ye.let | חיילת |
| 1 ♀ | a.khat | אחת |
| 2 ♀ | shta.yim | שתיים |
| 3 ♀ | sha.losh | שלוש |
| 4 ♀ | ar.ba | ארבע |
| 5 ♀ | kha.mesh | חמש |
| 6 ♀ | shesh | שש |
| 7 ♀ | she.va | שבע |
| 8 ♀ | shmo.ne | שמונה |
| 9 ♀ | tei.sha | תשע |
| 10 ♀ | e.ser | עשר |
| 11 ♀ | a.khat es.re | אחת-עשרה |
| 12 ♀ | shtim es.re | שתים-עשרה |
Printable file
Rules
This game that is enjoyed around the world is easily played in Hebrew. A minimum of two players are needed. One player, the stander (העומד) stands against a tree, wall or any tall object. With eyes closed, the stander counts loudly up to 10. While the stander counts, all other players go and hide within the agreed-upon boundaries. When the counting is finished, the stander goes to search for the other players. When a player is found, the stander runs back to the counting spot, touches it, shouts “1, 2, 3!” and also shouts the name of the found player. The stander then goes to find the remaining players…
Language Used
| The stander (“it”) ♂ | ha.o.med | העומד |
| The stander (“it”) ♀ | ha.o.me.det | העומדת |
| Who | mi | מי |
| Who is the stander? ♂ | mi ha.o.med ? | ?מי העומד |
| Who is the stander? ♀ | mi ha.o.me.det ? | ?מי העומדת |
| 1 ♀ | a.khat | אחת |
| 2 ♀ | shta.yim | שתיים |
| 3 ♀ | sha.losh | שלוש |
| 4 ♀ | ar.ba | ארבע |
| 5 ♀ | kha.mesh | חמש |
| 6 ♀ | shesh | שש |
| 7 ♀ | she.va | שבע |
| 8 ♀ | shmo.ne | שמונה |
| 9 ♀ | tei.sha | תשע |
| 10 ♀ | e.ser | עשר |
Printable File
Rules
In this game for two people, each player decides and chooses from 3 possible hand shapes:
When both players are ready, they chant together (in Hebrew!) and then reveal their hands. The winner is determined per the rules shown in the diagram above. If both players chose the same shape, no winner is declared, and the game is repeated.
Language Used
| rock | e.ven | אבן |
| paper | ni.yar | ניר |
| scissors | u.mis.pa.ra.yim | ומספריים |
| the winner | ha.me.na.tse.akh | המנצח |
| between | ben or bein | בין |
| the two [of us] | ha.sh.na.yim | השניים |
| 1 ♀ | a.khat | אחת |
| 2 ♀ | shta.yim | שתיים |
| 3 ♀ | sha.losh | שלוש |
Printable File
Rules
One of the players hides an object and the others try to locate it by moving from place to place and listening to feedback from the hider. The hider is limited to using descriptors that illustrate the object’s “temperature.” In this game, the further you are from the object, the “colder” it is, and the closer you are to the object, the “hotter” it is. The object’s location is “hot” as it can be. T. For example, if the object is hidden in the kitchen and you are searching the upstairs bedroom, then the hider will tell you it is “freezing.” When you get closer to the object, the hider will tell you it is getting “warmer,” and when you are very close to the object, it is “boiling.” It is up to the hider to choose the descriptors.
Language Used
| Frozen ♂ | ka.fu | קפוא |
| Intense coldness (“dog” coldness) ♂ | kor kla.vim | קור כלבים |
| [I am] freezing cold ♂ | ko.fe | קופא |
| [I am] freezing cold ♀ | ko.fet | קופאת |
| Cold ♂ | kar | קר |
| Colder ♂ | kar yo.ter | קר יותר |
| Colder (alternate) ♂ | yo.ter kar | יותר קר |
| Coldest ♂ | ha.khi kar | הכי קר |
| Getting colder/cooler ♂ | mit.ka.rer | מתקרר |
| Cool ♂ | ka.rir | קריר |
| Warm ♂ | kha.mim | חמים |
| Getting warmer/hotter♂ | mit.kha.mem | מתחמם |
| Hot ♂ | kham | חם |
| Fire ♂ | esh | אש |
| Boiling ♂ | ro.te.akh | רותח |
| Scalding ♂ | lo.het | לוהט |
Printable File
Rules
This is a finger game, similar to This Little Piggy. In the game, a story is told and acted out by the narrator’s fingers on the listener’s arm. This is the story:
| What you say | What it means | What you do | |
|---|---|---|---|
סבתא בישלה דייסה. | Grandma cooked hot cereal. |  Swirl your pointer finger around and around the open palm of your family member’s cupped hand, as if you were stirring a pot. | |
נתנה לאבא, | She gave [some] to __, She gave [some] to __, She gave [some] to __, She gave [some] to __, | Stop stirring, name 4 close family members, and as you do so, use your hand to gently squeeze the tip of each of the family member’s 4 fingers. | |
וליצחק לא נשאר. | And there was not [or none] left for __. | When you squeeze the tip of the family member’s 5th finger, say their name. | |
אז הלך, הלך, הלך, הלך, הלך, הלך, הלך, הלך, הלך… | So he went, he went, he went, he went, he went, he went, he went, he went… |  Use your pointer and middle fingers to “walk” away from your family member’s palm, up their arm, in a playful, tickling manner. | |
ומצא! | And he found [some]! | And now you tickle their armpit (or neck, or tummy) and the game ends in eruptions of laughter. |
Printable File
Rules
Peekaboo is often the first game we introduce to baby. I challenge you to fine any place where Peekaboo is not played!
Facing the infant, a parent covers their face with their hands, pauses and then reveals their face, crying “peekaboo!” as they watch their baby’s delighted face light up. Here is how to play it in Hebrew:
Language Used
| Peekaboo! | ku.ku ! | !קוקו |
| Where am I? | ei.fo a.ni ? | ?איפה אני |
| Where’s Jessie? | ei.fo je.si ? | ?איפה ג’סי |
| Where’s mom? | ei.fo i.ma ? | ?איפה אמא |
| Where’s dad? | ei.fo a.ba ? | ?איפה אבא |
| Here! | hi.ne ! | !הנה |
| Here I am! | hi.ne a.ni ! | !הנה אני |
| Here I am! | a.ni po ! | !אני פה |
| Here I am! | a.ni kan ! | !אני כאן |
| Here’s Jessie! | hi.ne je.si ! | !הנה ג’סי |
| Here’s mom! | hi.ne i.ma ! | !הנה אמא |
| Mom’s here! | i.ma po ! | !אמא פה |
| Mom’s here! | i.ma kan ! | !אמא כאן |
| Here’s dad! | hi.ne a.ba ! | !הנה אבא |
| Dad’s here! | a.ba po ! | !אבא פה |
| Dad’s here! | a.ba kan ! | !אבא כאן |
Printable File
More Game Options
- Hebrew Wordle
- Logic crossword puzzles
- Yoyo “easy” crossword puzzles
- Install backgammon and play in over a dozen languages–Hebrew included!