עֶרֶב טוֹב

Pronounced roughly eh-REV tov. The stress is on the second word of the phrase: tov.

עֶרֶב טוֹב is a common Hebrew greeting used when meeting someone in the evening. It works the same way as “good evening” in English and is polite and natural in everyday conversation. You can use it when arriving somewhere, answering the door, greeting a teacher or shop worker, or beginning a conversation later in the day. The example עֶרֶב טוֹב, נִפָּגֵשׁ בְּעֶשֶׂר means “Good evening, let’s meet at ten,” showing that the phrase can be used as a normal opening greeting before continuing with plans or conversation.

This is a set expression made of two words: עֶרֶב (“evening”) and טוֹב (“good”). It is not a verb phrase and does not change form. The phrase is used as a greeting, often at the start of an interaction.

In Hebrew, greetings vary by time of day, so עֶרֶב טוֹב is the standard evening equivalent of “good morning” or “good afternoon.” It is a safe, polite choice in most situations.