Lesson 142: Wishes and Condolences
Some of the most important phrases in any language are the ones for life’s milestones — a birth, an illness, a loss. Hebrew has a precise, ritualised set of them, and using the right one at the right moment is the height of social fluency.
Good news and bad
שָׁמַעְתָּ? לְדָנָה נוֹלַד בֵּן!
shamata? ledana nolad ben!
Did you hear? Dana had a baby boy!
מַזָּל טוֹב! צָרִיךְ לְבָרֵךְ אוֹתָהּ.
mazal tov! tsarich levarech ota.
Congratulations! We should congratulate her.
וְשָׁמַעְתִּי שֶׁסַּבָּא שֶׁלָּהּ חוֹלֶה.
ve’shamati shesaba shela chole.
And I heard her grandfather is ill.
אוֹי. אָז גַּם נְאַחֵל רְפוּאָה שְׁלֵמָה.
oy. az gam ne’achel refua shlema.
Oh. Then let’s also wish a full recovery.
Register: the right words for the moment
These are fixed formulas — you don’t paraphrase them. Each belongs to a specific occasion:
| Hebrew | Romanization | When |
|---|---|---|
| מַזָּל טוֹב | mazal tov | a birth, wedding, achievement |
| רְפוּאָה שְׁלֵמָה | refua shlema | to someone ill (“a full recovery”) |
| בְּהַצְלָחָה | behatslacha | before an exam, interview, challenge |
| תַּנְחוּמִים | tanchumim | condolences, at a death |
The verbs are לְבָרֵךְ (levarech, “to bless / congratulate”) and לְאַחֵל (le’achel, “to wish”). The gravest formula, said to a mourner, is בָּרוּךְ דַּיַּן הָאֱמֶת — handle it with care.
Tip: Match the weight of the moment. מַזָּל טוֹב is warm and everyday; תַּנְחוּמִים is solemn and never casual. Reaching for the wrong register here is more jarring than any grammar slip.
Vocabulary
Wishes
| בְּרָכָה | bracha | blessing, good wish |
| מַזָּל טוֹב | mazal tov | congratulations |
| רְפוּאָה שְׁלֵמָה | refua shlema | get well soon |
| בְּהַצְלָחָה | behatslacha | good luck |
Verbs & solemn words
| לְבָרֵךְ | levarech | to bless, congratulate |
| לְאַחֵל | le’achel | to wish |
| תַּנְחוּמִים | tanchumim | condolences |