Young people who study Hebrew in-person or through our online Hebrew courses often do so because they want to study in an Israeli university. Being proficient at written and spoken Hebrew—along with excellent grades and extracurriculars—can improve your chances of getting admission into one of Israel’s many world-class universities.

Below, we’re sharing a few words that’ll come in handy when you make your way to an Israeli university:

1. Teh-kes See-Uhm Lee-Muh-Deem (טקס סיום לימודים)

This word—though a bit of a mouthful in Hebrew—has a very simple English equivalent, which is “graduation”.

It goes without saying that before you can study at a university in Israel, you’ll first need to go through your high school graduation. In Hebrew, however, you’ll be undergoing a ceremony at the end of the study, which is the literal translation of the word teh-kes see-uhm lee-muh-deem.

2. Oo-nee-ver-see-tah (אוניברסיטה)

This is quite self-explanatory, in our opinion.

The word oo-nee-ver-see-tah, in Hebrew, means ‘university’. Your higher studies in Israel tend to happen at a university. But if you’re searching for a more familiar word, such as the equivalent of ‘college’, then the word you’re looking for is me-chla-lah (מכללה).

3. See-free-ah (ספריה)

We admit that this one might not be as readily translatable as the 2^nd word on our list.

See-free-ah is the Hebrew word for library, where a university student spends many of their waking hours writing papers, looking up research, making assignments, and going over the recommended reading for their courses.

Recommend reading: All You Need To Know About Schooling In Israel

4. Mar-Tzeh (מרצה)

An essential part of your university experience here in Israel will be the mar-tzeh you study from, or—translated from Hebrew to English—your “professor”.

The literal translation of mar-tzeh is actually lecturer. Whether you’re in a college or university, you’re likely to have a mar-tzeh that you’ll love, and a mar-tzeh that you’ll end up hating. Remember that just because you don’t always get along with your mar-tzeh doesn’t mean you’re bad at their course.

5. Mech-Kar (מחקר)

Depending on your degree, you’ll be expected to undertake significant amounts of mech-kar, or research.

All that mech-kar will likely lead to writing a teh-zah (תזה)—or a “thesis”—as you work towards completing your degree—or toh-ar (תואר)—in Israel.

Whatever subjects you’re passionate about studying, you’ll find numerous options for studying them in Israel. Reap the benefits of completing your higher education in Israel, and let us help you get there with our modern Hebrew learning courses.

At Ulpan-Or, we give students across the world the chance to learn Hebrew online with native teachers. Whether you’re looking for Hebrew language courses for beginners or you’re interested in Hebrew language learning for immersion, contact us today to get started.