Hebrew for Saying “Up to You”

You’re at a café, someone asks where you want to sit, and you genuinely don’t care. In English, you might say, “Up to you.” In Hebrew, the simplest everyday answer is often איך שאתה רוצה (ech she’ata rotzeh) when speaking to a man, or איך שאת רוצה (ech she’at rotza) when speaking to a woman.

That’s the version you’ll hear a lot in real life. It’s direct, natural, and flexible. It can mean “whatever you want,” “your choice,” or simply “I’m fine with either option.”

The most common way to say it

איך שאתה רוצה / איך שאת רוצה

Literally, this is closer to “however you want.” In practice, it works very well for “Up to you.”

Examples:

• איפה לשבת? — איך שאתה רוצה.
  Where should we sit? — Up to you.
• רוצה ללכת עכשיו או אחר כך? — איך שאת רוצה.
  Do you want to go now or later? — Up to you.

This phrase is useful because it doesn’t sound too stiff. It’s the kind of thing people say when they’re leaving the decision to the other person without making a big deal out of it.

A shorter, more casual option

You’ll also hear מה שבא לך (ma sheba lekha / lekh / lakh depending on who you’re speaking to), which is very common in spoken Hebrew. It means something like “whatever you feel like” or “whatever you want.”

It’s more casual than איך שאתה רוצה. Among friends, it can sound perfectly normal:

• רוצה קפה או תה? — מה שבא לך.
• נלך ברגל או ניקח אוטובוס? — מה שבא לך.

If you’re speaking in a more formal setting, or to someone you don’t know well, איך שאתה רוצה is usually the safer choice.

When “up to you” sounds too vague

Sometimes English speakers use “up to you” when they really mean “I’m okay with either.” Hebrew speakers do this too, but the exact tone matters. If you want to sound relaxed and cooperative, these phrases work well. If you want to sound a little more decisive, you might say something like לא משנה לי (“it doesn’t matter to me”) instead.

That’s a useful distinction.

• איך שאתה רוצה = your choice
• מה שבא לך = whatever you feel like
• לא משנה לי = doesn’t matter to me

They overlap, but they don’t feel identical.

For example, if a friend asks, סושי או פיצה?, saying איך שאתה רוצה leaves the choice to them. Saying לא משנה לי sounds a bit more neutral, maybe even slightly more detached.

A small warning about tone

In some situations, “up to you” in English can sound warm and easygoing. In Hebrew, a flat איך שאתה רוצה can sometimes sound a little dismissive if the tone is off. That’s not because the phrase is wrong. It’s because tone matters a lot.

If you say it with a relaxed voice, it sounds normal. If you say it sharply, it can sound like: “Fine, do whatever.” Same words, different message.

If you want to sound especially friendly, you can soften it with context:

• איך שאתה רוצה, אני בסדר.
  Up to you, I’m fine either way.
• מה שבא לך, באמת.
  Whatever you feel like, really.

That little באמת can make a difference.

What to use in everyday Israel

If you’re standing at the entrance to a restaurant, trying to choose between two places, or deciding whether to take a taxi or walk, these are the phrases that actually help. You don’t need a fancy expression. You need something people will understand immediately.

A good practical habit is to match the level of formality to the situation:

• with friends: מה שבא לך
• with people you don’t know well: איך שאתה רוצה / איך שאת רוצה
• if you want to be very neutral: לא משנה לי

If you’re also learning how to handle related everyday moments, it may help to look at Hebrew for Saying “I’ll Let You Know” and Hebrew for Asking Someone to Repeat Themselves. Those phrases come up in the same kinds of conversations: quick decisions, quick responses, no drama.

And if the conversation is moving fast and you need to keep up, Hebrew for Asking People to Speak Slowly is another one worth having ready.

The main thing here is simple: in Hebrew, “up to you” is usually less about one perfect translation and more about choosing the version that fits the relationship. Say it plainly, keep the tone relaxed, and you’ll sound much more natural than if you try to force a textbook phrase.