Aramaic, the ancient language of Mesopotamia, isn’t widely spoken today. But as the Jewish vernacular for centuries—and the language of the Talmud, Zohar, and many other Jewish texts1—it still influences Jewish scholarship and culture. In fact, many Aramaic words and phrases have become part of everyday Jewish conversation. Spice up your vocabulary with this selection of Aramaic words to know and use.
1. Aderaba (AH-dih-rah-bah) – “On the contrary”
Aderaba is like saying “au contraire” in Talmudic (or everyday) discussions. Use it to challenge someone’s premise: “You think staying up late will help you get more done? Aderaba! You’ll be exhausted and move twice as slowly tomorrow.”
Read: 11 Facts About Aramaic
2. Chavruta (khav-ROO-tah) – “Study partner”
A chavruta (or chavrusa) is a study partner—an important aspect of Torah study. When you learn with a well-suited chavruta, you build on each other’s insights and achieve much more than you could alone.
3. Agav (AH-gahv) – “By the way”
Here’s a great catch-all for casually dropping side notes: “Agav, that tie you’re wearing? It was just on sale for half price.”
4. Lichorah (lih-KHO-rah) – “Seemingly”
When you want to express uncertainty or soften a statement, lichorah2 is your go-to word. For example: “Lichorah, that tie doesn’t exactly match your suit.”
5. Rachamana Litzlan (rah-khah-MAH-nah litz-lan) – “May G‑d Preserve Us!”
This Aramaic word for G‑d is Rachamana, meaning “the Merciful One.” It’s often heard in the phrase Rachamana litzlan—“May G‑d preserve us!”—a heartfelt prayer expressed when mentioning something unfortunate.
6. Abba/Ima (AH-bah/EE-mah) – “Father/Mother”
You might recognize these as the Modern Hebrew words for Dad and Mom, but they arrived via Aramaic (the original Hebrew words are av and eim respectively). Same goes for sabba (grandfather) and savta (grandmother).
Read: Honoring Mom and Dad
7. Teiku (TAY-koo) – “Let it remain”
Sometimes, the Talmud hits a tricky question with no clear answer. When that happens, the discussion might wrap up with teiku, which essentially means, “Let’s leave it unresolved.”3 It’s a modest acknowledgment that the human mind is limited and some difficulties inevitably remain unanswered. While relatively rare in everyday speech, it’s a colorful word for when you want to gracefully throw in the towel on solving a mind-twisting problem.
8. Orayta (oh-RYE-tah) – “Torah”
We usually call the Torah by its Hebrew name, but its Aramaic counterpart, orayta, pops up in Jewish conversations, too. For example, you might hear de’orayta (“of the Torah”), which refers to a Biblical law, as opposed to de’rabanan (“of the Rabbis”), which means a Rabbinic injunction.
9. Gemara (gih-MAH-rah) – “Talmud”
The Talmud is often referred to as Gemara, which means “study” in Aramaic. It’s a reminder that Torah books aren’t just for the shelf—they’re meant to be studied and applied in real life.
10. Bar Mitzvah (bar MITZ-vah) – “Son [responsible for doing] mitzvahs”
While mitzvah is Hebrew, bar (meaning “son”) is Aramaic. Interestingly, bar is an Aramaic homonym, also meaning “outside.” The message? A bar mitzvah boy should carry his Judaism proudly—outdoors, for all to see.4
Read: Entering Adulthood
11. Netilat Yadayim (nih-TEE-latt yah-DAH-yim) – “Washing of the hands”
Before eating bread, Jewish law requires hand washing, known as netilat yadayim. The word netilat (or netilah) recalls the natla, Aramaic for “washing cup,” which is integral to the washing process. This explains why this term is used, rather than rechitzah, the usual word for “washing” in Hebrew.5
Listen: Elevating the Hands
12. (Be)sayata DeShmaya (bih-sah-YAH-tah dish-MAH-yah) – “(With) Divine assistance”
Ever seen the three Hebrew letters בס"ד at the top of letters or papers? It’s short for besayata deShmaya, “with the help of Heaven.”6 In speech, the prefix be- is dropped: “We’ll need some sayata deShmaya to pull off this deal.” In both cases, it’s a reminder that despite our best efforts, success can only be reached with Divine assistance.
13. Shakla Vetarya (SHAK-lah vih-TAR-yah) – “Discussion”
The Talmud is famous for its back-and-forth discussions. In Aramaic, this is called shakla vetarya (literally, “take and toss,” akin to “give and take” in English). You can use it for everyday conversations too: “There was a shakla vetarya in the office today about the pros and cons of caffeine.”
14. Hava Aminah/Maskana (HAH-vah a-MEE-nah/mahs-KAH-nah) – “Premise/conclusion”
Every shakla vetarya has two key parts: the hava aminah (literally, “I would have said”)—the initial assumption or premise—and the maskana, the final conclusion. For instance: “Our hava aminah was that we could quit caffeine, but our maskana was that it’s just not happening.”
May it be the maskana of our Abba in Heaven to remove all hardships from each and every one of us. Lichorah, there’s no need for any of that. Aderaba, may He shower us with blessings, including the ultimate blessing of Moshiach!
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