Going to a country where a language with an own alphabet is used is always fun for me – because it is often a challenge and you have to learn like a child again. In Israel, Hebrew (Ivrit) is the official language, though a lot of Arabic is spoken. Most signs are trilingual (Hebrew, Arabic, English) and a lot of people speak English. And if not: there is always someone immediatly starting to translate if you seem to be in need.
The only problematic situation I faced was while getting some gasoline: most gas stations require payment by credit card and the fuel dispensers are always only in Ivrit. Don’t worry, if there is no staff available you can also pay by cash in advance. But as it is always nice to learn some new words here is a short list:
- good night: lajla tov
- good evening: erev tov
- good morning: boker tov
- yes: ken
- no: lo
- thanks: toda
- please: bevakascha
- hello/bye: shalom
- welcome: baruch haba
By the way: Did you know what the @-sign used for e-mail communication is called in Israel? “Schtrudel” (vortex) – sounds quite cute for a German ear. 😉