Hebrew for ATMs and Cash Withdrawals

If you live in Israel, you will probably need to use an ATM pretty quickly. The good news is that the Hebrew you need is fairly limited and very practical. Once you know a few key words, you can read most ATM screens, ask for help, and understand the basic banking language around withdrawing cash.

The most useful words

Here are the core terms to know:

• כספומט (kaspomat) — ATM
• כסף (kesef) — money
• משיכה (meshikha) — withdrawal
• למשוך כסף (limshokh kesef) — to withdraw money
• חשבון (ḥeshbon) — account
• כרטיס (kartis) — card
• קוד (kod) — PIN code
• מזומן (mezuman) — cash
• יתרה (yitran) — balance
• עמלה (amla) — fee / commission

You may also see משיכת מזומן (meshikat mezuman) for “cash withdrawal.”

What you might see on the screen

ATM screens often use short, direct words. Some common ones:

• משיכת מזומן — cash withdrawal
• בירור יתרה — balance inquiry
• הכנס כרטיס — insert card
• הכנס קוד — enter PIN
• בחר סכום — choose amount
• אישור — confirm
• ביטול — cancel

If you can read these words, the rest is usually just following the prompts. This is one of those situations where basic reading skills matter a lot, so if you are still building confidence, it helps to review Alphabet & Reading and Vowels (Nikud).

Useful phrases for asking for help

If the machine is confusing or not working, these phrases can help:

• איפה הכספומט? — Where is the ATM?
• אני רוצה למשוך כסף. — I want to withdraw money.
• איך אני מוציא כסף? — How do I get cash out?
• הכרטיס לא עובד. — The card is not working.
• אפשר לעזור לי? — Can you help me?
• אני לא מבין את המסך. — I don’t understand the screen.

A very common and useful sentence is:

• אני צריך/צריכה למשוך כסף. — I need to withdraw money.

Use צריך if you are speaking as a man, and צריכה if you are speaking as a woman.

Talking about fees and limits

Banking and ATM language often includes a few extra words that are worth recognizing:

• מגבלה — limit
• סכום — amount
• עמלה — fee
• העברה — transfer
• בנק — bank

For example:

• יש עמלה? — Is there a fee?
• מה המגבלה? — What is the limit?
• כמה אפשר למשוך? — How much can I withdraw?

If you are also learning how to handle phone calls with banks or service providers, the patterns in Hebrew for Israeli Service Calls can be useful too.

A simple ATM dialogue

Here is a realistic example:

A: אני רוצה למשוך כסף.
B: הכנס כרטיס.
A: הכנסתי.
B: הכנס קוד.
A: בחר סכום.
B: מאה שקלים, בבקשה.
A: אישור.

Even if you do not understand every word, the structure is usually predictable: insert card, enter PIN, choose amount, confirm, take cash.

A few tips for real life

• Look for short action words like הכנס, בחר, and אישור.
• If the machine asks about a חשבון, it is asking about your account.
• If you see מזומן, it means cash.
• If you are unsure, do not guess fast. Take a moment to read the screen carefully.
• When in doubt, ask a nearby person or bank employee: אפשר לעזור לי?

Quick recap

To use an ATM in Hebrew, focus on these words first:

כספומט, משיכה, למשוך כסף, כרטיס, קוד, מזומן, יתרה, עמלה

That small set will already help you handle most basic cash withdrawal situations in Israel.

If you want, the next step is learning more everyday service vocabulary, so you can deal with banks, stores, and phone support with less stress.