Hebrew word of the day · Nuance
קַמְצָןkamtsan
stingy
The word for someone who won't split the bill is קַמְצָן.
Hear it read by a native speaker
In a sentence
הוּא קְצָת קַמְצָן
hu ktsat kamtsan
He's a bit stingy
How Israelis use kamtsan
קַמְצָן
(kamtsan, stingy) Said about a person, never about a price.
✗Wrong about people
הוּא זוֹל (hu zol, he is cheap) Israelis hear that he's on sale this week.
✓What an Israeli says
הוּא קְצָת קַמְצָן (hu ktsat kamtsan, he's a bit stingy)
Why the extra word
קְצָת (ktsat, a bit) It turns a verdict into teasing, and almost everyone adds it.
For a woman
הִיא קְצָת קַמְצָנִית (hi ktsat kamtsanit, she's a bit stingy)
Say it tonight
The bill arrives, one friend studies the ceiling. Lean over and use the softened version.
Your turn
Who in your life is getting this word first?
The mistake English speakers make
No matter how stingy she is, she's never קַמְצָן.
קַמְצָן
(kamtsan, stingy) This is the form you use about a man.
✗Wrong about a woman
הִיא קְצָת קַמְצָן (hi ktsat kamtsan) Israelis hear a word that stopped halfway.
✓Right
הִיא קְצָת קַמְצָנִית (hi ktsat kamtsanit, she's a bit stingy)
Why
Words that describe a person change shape for a man and for a woman, and this one adds it at the end.
More than one
קַמְצָנִים (kamtsanim, stingy men) קַמְצָנִיּוֹת (kamtsaniyot, stingy women)
Keep it friendly
קְצָת (ktsat, a bit) Drop it in before the word and the sentence turns into teasing.
Say it tonight
To a man counting every shekel: אַל תִּהְיֶה קַמְצָן (al tihye kamtsan, don't be stingy)
Three sentences you'll hear today
Calling someone cheap in Hebrew, softly, bluntly, or as a joke
הוּא קְצָת קַמְצָן, לֹא?
hu ktsat kamtsan, lo?
He's a bit stingy, no?
at a cafe, after he leaves
אַתָּה קַמְצָן אוֹ סְתָם שָׁכַחְתָּ?
ata kamtsan o stam shakhakhta?
Are you stingy or did you just forget?
on the phone with a friend
אַל תִּהְיֶה קַמְצָן, תֵּן טִיפּ.
al tihye kamtsan, ten tip.
Don't be stingy, leave a tip.
in a taxi, before you pay
Quick check: which one is right?
She's a bit stingy
- Aהִיא קְצָת קַמְצָן (hi ktsat kamtsan)
- Bהִיא קְצָת קַמְצָנִית (hi ktsat kamtsanit)
The answer: B
הִיא קְצָת קַמְצָנִית hi ktsat kamtsanit
This adjective changes with gender. About a man: קַמְצָן About a woman: קַמְצָנִית
Today's Hebrew challenges
Hebrew challenge #9
בְּקִיצוּר
bekitsur
What does it mean?
- ALong story short
- BIn a little while
- CI'll talk for 20 more minutes
The answer
AIt signals you're cutting to the point, from the word for short, קָצָר (katsar).
Hebrew challenge #10
תַּעֲשֶׂה ___ טוֹבָה
ta'ase ___ tova
Which word is missing?
- Aאֶת (et)
- Bלִי (li)
- Cאוֹתִי (oti)
The answer
BThe favour goes to someone, so Hebrew marks the receiver, not a direct object: לִי (li, to me)
Published 22 September 2026 by the Israeli Hebrew Institute. Every word, sentence and vowel point on this page was checked by a native Israeli teacher.