Hebrew Vocabulary for University

At some point or another, either you are going to decide it is time to be part of a university, or your young children will grow up and become students. Whenever that happens, you must be ready, because there is a high chance of this happening in Israel.

In the past, we’ve taught you the right Hebrew words for pregnancy, all the Hebrew vocabulary you need to name the items of your house, and even the right Hebrew words for the stars and the planets… But unless you want to become the next Stephen Hawking, a gynecologist, or an interior designer, none of these vocabulary articles were useful for university.

In this short but useful article, we are going to give you all the basic words you need to know before joining a university in Israel. Are you ready to meet amazing מרצים in your פקולטה? Awesome… so prepare yourself to learn these 10 Hebrew words for university.

Want to wear your cap and gown in Israel? Learn these university-related Hebrew words!

Don’t get us wrong, we know it is challenging, but we want you to study in Israel. The one thing we insist on, is on the importance of learning Hebrew before your arrival in order to have a smooth, soft, and friendly landing. If you are already in Israel, it is always great to strengthen your vocabulary and to add a few more words to it.

Do you know how to say professor, faculty or degree? Do you even know how to say “university” in Hebrew and what is the difference between this and a private educational institution? In the upcoming paragraphs you are going to learn all of this and much more.

Are you ready to wear a lovely cap and grown in the Land of Milk and Honey? Well, you should definitely learn these 10 words first. Dear students, here we go!

1. University: University in Hebrew is אוניברסיטה (pronounced: oo-nee-ver-see-tah). It is a Hebrew version of the same word. There are lots of amazing universities in Israel: The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the Tel Aviv University, the Bar Ilan University in Ramat Gan, the University of Haifa, and the Technion, among others. But also, Israel has a number of big educational institutions that are not universities, but colleges. College in Hebrew is מכללה, and it is pronounced me-chla-lah… One of the best ones in the country, and a favorite for international students is the IDC, in Herzliya.

2. Professor: Professor in Hebrew is מרצה, it is pronounced mar-tzeh, and it literally means lecturer. In your local אוניברסיטה or מכללה you’ll have different types of professors that you’ll both love and hate. What’s for sure is that you’ll learn a whole lot from all of them. Don’t forget that, sometimes, a bad example can be an amazing lesson!

3. Faculty: Faculty in Hebrew is פקולטה, and it is pronounced fah-cool-tah. Each university and campus (which is pronounced in the exact same way in Hebrew) has different faculties. Interesting fact coming up… Did you know that the Faculty of Agriculture of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem isn’t located in Jerusalem? It is actually located in Rehovot, a few meters away from the amazing Weizmann Institute.

4. Library: Library in Hebrew is ספריה, and it is pronounced see-free-ah. Be prepared, even if some books are now digital, you will spend a whole lot of time in your university’s library. Actually, one day, if you do a good job, maybe even your תזה (thesis) is going to be read by other students to get knowledge, inspiration and relevant content for one of their מחקרים (research projects).

5. Auditorium: Some of the presentations you’ll see here are going to be breathtaking, and some others will help you get back those hours of sleep you lost when writing your last paper. Anyway, you should know how to say auditorium in Hebrew. Auditorium in Hebrew is אודיטוריום (pronounced in the exact same way you do it in English). Easy, right?

6. Research: Research in Hebrew is מחקר, and it is pronounced mech-kar. You will have to do a lot of these when getting your degree and when writing your thesis. Don’t worry, research is fun and interesting, especially when looking for information that is somehow related to a field you love. You’ll do a great job!

7. Thesis: Some degrees will ask you to write a thesis in order to receive your diploma. Pick a nice subject and you will rock the Dean’s world! Thesis in Hebrew is תזה (pronounced: teh-zah), and as we said before, it could become part of the ספריה of your פקולטה one day. Isn’t that encouraging?

8. Degree: This is a very important one! So we are going to make it short and to the point… Degree in Hebrew is תואר, it is pronounced toh-ar, and as very traditional Jewish parents, we hope you get at least 2 of them… always, in an area you are passionate about!

9. Dean: Dean in Hebrew is דיקן (pronounced: dee-kahn). We hope you meet your דיקן only for good reasons. Either to receive compliments, or because he or she wants you to become an Assistant Professor. What do you say? How does that sound?

10. Graduation: This is a very interesting Hebrew word. Graduation in Hebrew is טקס סיום לימודים, which literally means “ceremony of end of studies”. It is pronounced “teh-kes see-uhm lee-muh-deem”, and we hope you have the most amazing, successful and emotional one ever! You deserve it!

Learn Hebrew today and earn that Degree!

The first step is to learn some Hebrew. Check out the live, online Hebrew courses offered by the Rosen Hebrew School and begin your experience today. There is no time to waste.

Learning Hebrew has never been so easy and engaging before. Meet your instructors and some extraordinary classmates who, just like you, will be impressed with the methodologies applied for them to learn the language of our ancestors.

Are you ready to speak Hebrew fluently? The time is now!