Greetings
שלום (Shalom)
sha-LOM
Hello, goodbye and peace — the all-purpose greeting in Hebrew.
مرحبا (Marhaba)
MAR-ha-ba
Hello in Arabic. Roughly a tenth of Haifa's residents are Arab citizens of Israel, and Arabic is genuinely useful here in a way it is not in Tel Aviv.
תודה (Toda)
to-DA
Thank you. 'Toda raba' is thanks a lot; 'bevakasha' serves as both please and you're welcome.
Daily life
כרמלית (Carmelit)
kar-me-LIT
The underground funicular that climbs from the downtown to the Carmel ridge — Israel's only subterranean railway, and the shorthand locals use for the whole up-and-down problem.
מטרונית (Metronit)
met-ro-NIT
Haifa's bus rapid transit — long articulated buses on dedicated lanes running the flat coastal axis. The horizontal half of the city's transport.
הכרמל (HaCarmel)
ha-kar-MEL
The mountain, and by extension the upper city. 'Up on the Carmel' means cooler, greener, quieter and more expensive.
ארנונה (Arnona)
ar-NO-na
Municipal property tax, billed per square metre to whoever occupies the flat. In a cheap-rent city it is a much bigger share of your housing cost than you expect.
Social
סבבה (Sababa)
sa-BA-ba
Cool, fine, all good — the universal Israeli okay.
יאללה (Yalla)
YA-lla
Come on, let's go. An Arabic loanword that Hebrew absorbed completely, and one you will use hourly.
Culture
חג החגים (Hag HaHagim)
hag ha-ha-GIM
The Holiday of Holidays — Haifa's December festival in Wadi Nisnas marking Hanukkah, Christmas and the Muslim calendar together. The city's signature event.
Emergency
הצילו! (Hatzilu!)
ha-TZI-lu
Help! Emergency numbers are 101 for a Magen David Adom ambulance, 100 police, 102 fire, 104 Home Front Command.
Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.