Lesson 53: Opening Hours
Before you set out, you need to know if a place is even open. This lesson gives you the words for opening hours — and the handy “from… until…” pattern.
Is it open?
עַד מָתַי הַחֲנוּת פְּתוּחָה?
ad matai hachanut ptucha?
Until when is the shop open?
עַד שְׁמוֹנֶה בָּעֶרֶב.
ad shmone ba’erev.
Until eight in the evening.
וּבְשַׁבָּת?
u’veshabbat?
And on Saturday?
בְּשַׁבָּת סָגוּר.
beshabbat sagur.
On Saturday it’s closed.
אָז אָבוֹא מָחָר בַּבֹּקֶר.
az avo machar baboker.
Then I’ll come tomorrow morning.
Grammar: “until when?” and “from… to…”
To ask hours, use עַד מָתַי? (ad matai?, “until when?”) and answer with עַד (ad, “until”) + the time. To give a full range, pair it with מ־ (mi-, “from”):
- מִתֵּשַׁע עַד חָמֵשׁ mitesha ad chamesh — “from nine to five”
The two key adjectives are פָּתוּחַ (patuach, “open”) and סָגוּר (sagur, “closed”), each agreeing in gender: a feminine חֲנוּת is פְּתוּחָה (ptucha) / סְגוּרָה (sgura).
Tip: In Israel many places close for שַׁבָּת (Friday afternoon to Saturday evening) — always worth checking the שְׁעוֹת פְּתִיחָה (she’ot pticha, “opening hours”).
Vocabulary
Open or closed
| פָּתוּחַ | patuach | open |
| סָגוּר | sagur | closed |
| שְׁעוֹת פְּתִיחָה | she’ot pticha | opening hours |
Useful words
| עַד מָתַי? | ad matai? | until when? |
| מ… עַד… | mi… ad… | from… until… |
| חֻפְשָׁה | chufsha | holiday, vacation |