Lesson 85: Obligation and Permission
Rules are everywhere — and Hebrew expresses them with three short, high-frequency words: must, allowed, and forbidden. They’re impersonal and easy to use.
Is it allowed here?
מֻתָּר לְעַשֵּׁן כָּאן?
mutar le’ashen kan?
Is smoking allowed here?
לֹא, אָסוּר. זֶה מָקוֹם צִבּוּרִי.
lo, asur. ze makom tsiburi.
No, it’s forbidden. It’s a public place.
וְאֵיפֹה מֻתָּר?
ve’eifo mutar?
And where is it allowed?
בַּחוּץ. וְאַתָּה חַיָּב לִזְרֹק אֶת הַבְּדָל לַפַּח.
bachuts. ve’ata chayav lizrok et habdal lapach.
Outside. And you must throw the butt in the bin.
בָּרוּר.
barur.
Clear.
Grammar: must, allowed, forbidden
Two of these are impersonal — no subject, just the word + an infinitive:
| Hebrew | Romanization | English |
|---|---|---|
| מֻתָּר לְ… | mutar le… | it’s allowed to… |
| אָסוּר לְ… | asur le… | it’s forbidden to… |
| חַיָּב + לְ… | chayav + le… | (someone) must… |
מֻתָּר and אָסוּר never change form, but חַיָּב (chayav, “obliged”) agrees with the person — a woman is חַיֶּבֶת (chayevet).
Tip: Compare with צָרִיךְ (tsarich, “need to”) from earlier: חַיָּב is stronger — a real obligation, not just a need.
Vocabulary
Rules
| מֻתָּר | mutar | allowed, permitted |
| אָסוּר | asur | forbidden |
| חַיָּב | chayav | must, obliged |
| חוֹבָה | chova | duty, obligation |
Useful words
| צִבּוּרִי | tsiburi | public |
| בָּרוּר | barur | clear, understood |
| פַּח | pach | bin, trash can |