Directions and Navigation כיוונים והתמצאות

20 Hebrew words on directions and navigation — with pictures, native audio and example sentences. Ask where, understand the answer, and get there.

English	Hebrew	Note
where is…?	איפה נמצא…?	⚠️ Genderנמצא agrees with the noun: איפה נמצאת התחנה? for a feminine one. In speech people often drop it: איפה התחנה?
to the right	ימינה	🔗 RootThe ־ה suffix marks direction — the same as in הביתה, 'homewards'.
to the left	שמאלה	🔗 Rootשמאל plus the directional ־ה, the mirror of ימינה. שמאל is also the political left.
straight ahead	ישר	🔀 Several meaningsAs an adjective ישר means 'honest'; in speech it can also mean 'right away'.
keep straight	תמשיך ישר	A future form used as a polite imperative — the norm in spoken directions.
turn	תפנה	Future-as-imperative from לפנות. To a woman: תפני. 🔗 Rootפ-נ-ה — the same root as פינה, a corner.
up	למעלה	🔗 Rootע-ל-ה, to go up — the family of עלייה. Both 'upward' and 'upstairs'.
down	למטה	The fixed opposite of למעלה — both 'downward' and 'downstairs'.
near	קרוב	🔀 Several meaningsAlso 'a relative': קרוב משפחה. 'Close to' is קרוב ל־.
far	רחוק	'Far from' takes מ־: רחוק מהים.
here	כאן	🌎 Regionפה is an equally common synonym in everyday speech.
there	שם	👓 Same spellingUnvowelled, identical to שם, 'a name' — sham there, shem a name.
corner	פינה	🔗 RootThe same root as תפנה, turn. פינת אוכל = dining nook.
block	בלוק	The English loanword; in building it also means a cinder block. The native phrase is קטע רחוב, 'a stretch of street'.
traffic light	רמזור	🔗 RootA famous modern blend: רמז (a signal) + אור (light).
intersection	צומת	⚠️ GenderA trap: it ends in ת but is masculine — צומת גדול. Plural צמתים.
in front of	מול	Closer to 'facing, across from' than to 'in front of'. Takes pronoun endings: מולי, מולך.
next to	ליד	🔗 RootLiterally 'at the hand of' — יד is a hand. With endings: לידי, לידך.
between	בין	'Between X and Y' repeats the preposition: בין הבנק לבין הדואר.
behind	מאחורי	🔗 RootFrom אחור (rear) with מ־. With pronouns: מאחוריי, מאחוריך.