Two of the most practical verbs you'll use from day one. Like all Hebrew verbs, they change form based on the gender of the speaker.
I Want — רוֹצֶה / רוֹצָה
| Hebrew | Transliteration | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| אֲנִי רוֹצֶה | Ani rotse | I want | Male speaker |
| אֲנִי רוֹצָה | Ani rotsa | I want | Female speaker |
| אַתָּה רוֹצֶה | Ata rotse | You want | To a man |
| אַת רוֹצָה | At rotsa | You want | To a woman |
| הוּא רוֹצֶה | Hu rotse | He wants | |
| הִיא רוֹצָה | Hi rotsa | She wants | |
| אֲנַחְנוּ רוֹצִים | Anachnu rotsim | We want | Mixed or male group |
| אֲנַחְנוּ רוֹצוֹת | Anachnu rotsot | We want | All-female group |
I Need — צָרִיךְ / צְרִיכָה
| Hebrew | Transliteration | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| אֲנִי צָרִיךְ | Ani tsarich | I need | Male speaker |
| אֲנִי צְרִיכָה | Ani tsricha | I need | Female speaker |
| אַתָּה צָרִיךְ | Ata tsarich | You need | To a man |
| אַת צְרִיכָה | At tsricha | You need | To a woman |
| הוּא צָרִיךְ | Hu tsarich | He needs | |
| הִיא צְרִיכָה | Hi tsricha | She needs | |
| אֲנַחְנוּ צְרִיכִים | Anachnu tsrichim | We need | Mixed or male group |
Using with Infinitives (I want TO...)
Pattern: Add לְ + infinitive after רוֹצֶה or צָרִיךְ to say "I want to..." or "I need to..."
| Hebrew | Transliteration | English |
|---|---|---|
| אֲנִי רוֹצֶה לֶאֱכֹל | Ani rotse le'echol | I want to eat (m) |
| אֲנִי רוֹצָה לִישׁוֹן | Ani rotsa lishon | I want to sleep (f) |
| אֲנִי צָרִיךְ לָלֶכֶת | Ani tsarich lalechet | I need to go (m) |
| אֲנִי צְרִיכָה לְדַבֵּר | Ani tsricha ledaber | I need to talk (f) |
| אֲנִי רוֹצֶה מַיִם | Ani rotse mayim | I want water (m) — no infinitive needed for nouns |