Greetings
שלום (Shalom)
sha-LOM
Hello, goodbye and peace. Works in every register, from a shop counter to a government office.
תודה (Toda)
to-DA
Thank you. 'Toda raba' is thanks a lot; 'bevakasha' covers both please and you're welcome.
שבת שלום (Shabbat shalom)
sha-BAT sha-LOM
The Friday greeting, used from about Thursday afternoon onwards. In Jerusalem you will say it far more often than in Tel Aviv.
أهلاً وسهلاً (Ahlan wa sahlan)
AH-lan wa SAH-lan
Welcome, in Arabic. Arabic is spoken by a large share of the city's residents and is genuinely useful east of the centre and in the Old City.
Social
שבוע טוב (Shavua tov)
sha-VU-a tov
Good week — said after dark on Saturday when Shabbat ends and the city switches back on.
סבבה (Sababa)
sa-BA-ba
Cool, fine, all good — the universal Israeli okay.
Daily life
ארנונה (Arnona)
ar-NO-na
Municipal property tax, billed to whoever lives in the flat rather than the owner. In Jerusalem the rate depends on which zone your street is in.
מרפסת שמש (Mirpeset shemesh)
mir-PE-set SHE-mesh
A sun balcony — the thing every Jerusalem listing advertises and the reason flats face the direction they do.
Food
שוק (Shuk)
shook
Market. In Jerusalem it means Mahane Yehuda, which is a produce market by day and a bar district by night.
Culture
בעזרת השם (Be'ezrat Hashem)
be-ez-RAT ha-SHEM
God willing. Used constantly in religious Jerusalem where a secular Tel Avivi would say 'yihiyeh beseder'.
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Some of this may be out of date.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.