Hebrew Content Writer
Instructions
Step 1: Identify Content Type and Register
| Content Type | Register | Audience | Key Characteristics |
|---|
| Legal / Government | Formal (gvoha) | Officials, lawyers | Passive voice, complex sentences, traditional gendering |
| Business / Corporate | Business | Professionals | Clear, professional, moderate formality |
| Marketing / Ads | Business-Casual | General public | Persuasive, benefit-focused, concise |
| Direct / Dugri | Dugri | Israeli general public | Blunt, no softeners, short imperative sentences |
| UX / Interface | Direct | End users | Imperative mood, ultra-short, action-oriented |
| Social Media | Informal | Young adults | Casual, slang-friendly, emoji-compatible |
| Blog / Article | Business | Readers | Informative, SEO-aware, structured |
Step 2: Apply Hebrew Grammar Rules
Spelling Standard -- Use Ktiv Maleh (Full Spelling):
Modern Hebrew content uses ktiv maleh (plene spelling) with vav and yod for vowels:
- Correct: תוכנה (tochnah) not תכנה
- Correct: שירות (sherut) not שרות
- Follow Academy of Hebrew Language guidelines
Smichut (Construct State) Rules:
- First noun loses definite article: "beit ha-sefer" (the school) not "ha-beit ha-sefer"
- First noun may change form: bayit -> beit, yom -> yom (unchanged)
- Adjectives agree with the LAST noun in the chain
Direct Object Marker (et):
- Required before definite direct objects: "ra'iti ET ha-sefer" (I saw the book)
- NOT used with indefinite objects: "ra'iti sefer" (I saw a book)
- Common mistake: omitting "et" or using it with indefinite objects
Subject-Verb Agreement:
- Verbs agree in gender and number with their subject
- Past tense: also agrees in person
- Present tense: only gender and number (no person distinction)
- Future tense: gender, number, and person
Step 3: Handle Gendered Language
Option A -- Traditional (default for formal/legal):
Use masculine plural for mixed groups. Standard in government, legal, academic writing.
Option B -- Slash Notation (for business/marketing):
משתמשים/ות יקרים/ות (dear users, m/f)
Option C -- Gender-Neutral Rewording (recommended for UX/tech):
| Instead of | Use |
|---|
| המשתמש צריך ללחוץ (the user needs to click, m.) | יש ללחוץ על (click on) |
| אתה יכול לבחור (you can choose, m.) | ניתן לבחור (it is possible to choose) |
| הלקוחות שלנו מרוצים (our customers are satisfied, m.) | שביעות רצון הלקוחות שלנו (the satisfaction of our customers) |
Ask the user which approach they prefer if not specified.
Step 4: Common Hebrew Writing Mistakes to Avoid
| Mistake | Wrong | Correct | Rule |
|---|
| Smichut with ha- on first noun | הבית הספר | בית הספר | Only second noun gets ha- |
| Missing et | ראיתי הכלב | ראיתי את הכלב | Definite direct object needs et |
| Wrong gender agreement | הילדה הלך | הילדה הלכה | Verb must match subject gender |
| Mixed ktiv | תוכנה/תכנה in same text | Pick one consistently | Use ktiv maleh throughout |
| Incorrect vav ha-hipukh | ואז הוא הולך | ואז הוא הלך | Vav ha-hipukh is biblical, not modern |
| Colloquial in formal text | נגיד ש... | לדוגמה... | Match register to context |
Step 5: Hebrew SEO Optimization
Keyword Strategy:
- Research keywords in Hebrew using Google Keyword Planner (region: Israel)
- Account for morphological variations -- target root words and common forms
- Example: "ביטוח" (insurance) also search "ביטוחים", "לבטח", "מבוטח"
- Consider bilingual searches -- Israelis search English for tech terms
On-Page SEO for Hebrew:
- Title tag: 50-60 Hebrew characters, primary keyword near beginning
- Meta description: 120-150 characters, compelling call-to-action
- H1: One per page, contains primary keyword
- URL slug: Transliterated Hebrew ("bituach-briut") or English equivalent
- Alt text: Descriptive Hebrew text for images
- Internal linking: Use Hebrew anchor text
Content Structure:
- Use short paragraphs (2-3 sentences) -- Hebrew text appears denser than English
- Use headers (H2, H3) every 200-300 words
- Bulleted lists improve readability in Hebrew
- Bold key terms for scanning
Step 6: Write in the Dugri (Direct) Register
"Dugri" is the blunt, no-nonsense register Israelis use and expect in everyday speech and increasingly in product copy, support replies, and startup marketing. It is a distinct mode, not just "informal" - it can be polite and still completely direct. Use it when the brand voice is plain-spoken or when softening would feel evasive to an Israeli reader.
How to write dugri:
- Drop English-style softeners. Cut "we would be happy to", "it might be worth considering", "please feel free to". Say the thing.
- Short sentences, one idea each. Long subordinate clauses read as bureaucratic.
- Second-person imperative is fine and friendly: "תשלחו לנו את המספר" (send us the number), "תבדקו את זה" (check this).
- Lead with the point, then the reason - not the other way around.
- Dugri is not rude. It still uses "תודה" and basic courtesy; it just refuses to pad.
| Padded (avoid) | Dugri (use) |
|---|
| נשמח אם תוכלו לשקול לעדכן את הפרטים | תעדכנו את הפרטים |
| ייתכן שכדאי לבדוק את החיבור לאינטרנט | תבדקו את החיבור לאינטרנט |
| אנחנו מתנצלים על אי הנוחות שנגרמה | סליחה על העיכוב. תיקנו את זה |
Step 7: Handle Mixed Hebrew/English (Heblish)
Israeli writing routinely mixes Hebrew and English, especially in tech, marketing, and business copy. The decision for each English term is keep, transliterate, or translate:
- Keep in English - established tech/product terms with no natural Hebrew equivalent in daily use: API, SaaS, deploy, dashboard (often), email (though "אימייל"/"מייל" is also common). Brand and product names always stay in English.
- Transliterate - terms that have entered spoken Hebrew phonetically: "אימייל", "סטארטאפ", "פינטק", "באג", "פיצ'ר". Use when the transliteration is what people actually say.
- Translate - terms with a well-established Hebrew word the audience uses: "תוכנה" (software), "משתמש" (user), "הורדה" (download), "עדכון" (update). Forcing English here reads as lazy.
RTL/LTR mixing in one line:
- An English term inside a Hebrew sentence keeps its LTR run; the browser's bidi algorithm usually handles a single word, but wrap longer English strings, codes, or anything with punctuation in or so surrounding Hebrew punctuation does not reorder.
- Keep a space on both sides of the English run.
English nouns taking Hebrew grammar:
- Hebrew plural: Israelis routinely add Hebrew plural endings to English nouns - "באגים" (bugs), "לינקים" (links), "פיצ'רים" (features). This is natural; do not "correct" it to English plurals.
- Definite article: the Hebrew "ה־" attaches to the English noun - "האפ" (the app), "הלינק" (the link), "הדשבורד" (the dashboard).
- Gender: assign the English noun a Hebrew gender consistently (usually masculine by default) so verbs and adjectives agree - "הדשבורד נטען" not "הדשבורד נטענה".
Step 8: Nikud, Numerals, and Dates
When to add nikud (vowel points):
- Children's content, early-reader material, songs, poetry.
- A single ambiguous word where context does not disambiguate (e.g., to distinguish "סֵפֶר" from "סַפָּר").
- Foreign names and unfamiliar loanwords on first mention.
When to omit nikud:
- Modern body copy, UI text, marketing, articles - standard unvocalized Hebrew. Adding nikud throughout looks like a textbook and slows fluent readers.
Numerals and dates:
- In running body copy, prefer digits for most numbers ("3 ימים", "תוך 24 שעות"); spelling out is reserved for formal/legal text or numbers that open a sentence.
- Number-gender agreement for 1-10: Hebrew numbers take the OPPOSITE gender form of the noun they count (a known trap). With a masculine noun use the feminine-form number: "שלושה ימים" (three days, masc. noun). With a feminine noun use the masculine-form number: "שלוש שנים" (three years, fem. noun).
- Dates follow Israeli convention and 24-hour time. See for formatting in UI components.
- Hebrew quotation marks: Hebrew uses the same for quotation in practice, but note that gershayim and geresh are reserved for acronyms (צה"ל) and abbreviations - do not let them double as quote marks in the same span.
Step 9: Literal-Translation Pitfalls
Calques from English produce text that is grammatical but unmistakably translated. Watch for:
| Pitfall | Wrong (calque) | Natural Hebrew |
|---|
| "to make sense" translated word-for-word | זה עושה סנס / זה עושה שכל | זה הגיוני / זה מסתדר |
| Over-using generic "אתה" for impersonal "you" | אתה צריך ללחוץ, אתה יכול לראות | יש ללחוץ, אפשר לראות |
| "בכדי" used where plain "כדי" belongs | בכדי לשמור את הקובץ | כדי לשמור את הקובץ |
| Redundant "את ה־" stacking after a preposition | להתחבר את החשבון | לחבר את החשבון / להתחבר לחשבון |
| Literal "at the end of the day" | בסוף היום | בסופו של דבר / בשורה התחתונה |
"בכדי" is not wrong in every context, but it is overused as a fancier-looking "כדי"; default to plain "כדי".
Examples
Example 1: Marketing Email
User says: "Write a Hebrew marketing email for a SaaS product launch"
Result: Write business-register Hebrew email with compelling subject line, benefit-focused body, clear CTA. Apply SEO principles if it will be a web version. Use gender-inclusive language.
Example 2: UX Error Message
User says: "Write Hebrew error messages for a login form"
Result: Write short, clear, action-oriented Hebrew text in imperative mood. Use neutral/inclusive phrasing. Examples: "הסיסמה שגויה. יש לנסות שנית" (The password is incorrect. Please try again).
Example 3: SEO Blog Post
User says: "Write a Hebrew blog post about cloud security for Israeli businesses"
Result: Research Hebrew keywords, write structured article with proper H2/H3 hierarchy, include meta description, use ktiv maleh throughout, business register.
Example 4: Gender-Inclusive Rewrite
User says: "Make this Hebrew text gender-inclusive"
Result: Identify gendered forms, apply Option C rewording where possible, use slash notation where rewording is awkward, maintain readability and register.
Bundled Resources
References
references/hebrew-grammar-quick-ref.md
Gotchas
- Agents default to formal/literary Hebrew (safa gvoha) when writing marketing or UI text. Israeli users expect casual, conversational Hebrew. Use colloquial phrasing, not textbook Hebrew.
- Hebrew punctuation differs from English: the geresh (') and gershayim (") are used for abbreviations (e.g., tsahal) and acronyms, not for quotation. Agents may strip these or replace them with standard ASCII quotes.
- Agents tend to transliterate English idioms literally into Hebrew, producing unnatural text. "Think outside the box" does not translate directly; use native Hebrew expressions instead.
- Hebrew has grammatical gender that must agree between nouns, verbs, and adjectives. Agents often use masculine defaults even when addressing a female user or a feminine noun.
Reference Links
Troubleshooting
Error: "Text mixes formal and informal registers"
Cause: Inconsistent tone throughout the content
Solution: Identify the target register at the start and apply it consistently. Common issue when multiple writers contribute or when translating from English.
Error: "SEO keywords don't match Hebrew search patterns"
Cause: Direct translation of English keywords to Hebrew
Solution: Use Google Keyword Planner with Israel region. Hebrew search patterns differ from English -- Israelis may search differently than direct translations suggest.