In honor of ט”ו בשבט – Tu Bishvat, the “New Year for Trees,” there is no better time to brush up on your “green” vocabulary.
Here are 10 “green” terms for Tu Bishvat!
1. קַיָּימוּת – Sustainability
This is the core word of the movement. Derived from the word קיים – existing – קיימות refers to the ability to maintain the environment for future generations.
In context:
הילדים לומדים על קיימות בבית הספר היום.
The kids are learning about sustainability in school today.
2. אֵיכוּת הַסְּבִיבָה – Environmental Quality
While סביבה means environment or surroundings, the full term for environmental protection or ecology used by the government and activists is איכות הסביבה – literally, quality of the environment.
In context:
המשרד לאיכות הסביבה מגן על הגנים הלאומיים שלנו.
The Ministry of Environmental Protection (Quality) protects our national parks.
3. מִחְזוּר – Recycling
Coming from the word מַחזוֹר meaning cycle, מִחזוּר is the act of putting materials back into the cycle of use. You’ll see this word on the orange, blue, and purple bins all over Israel.
In context:
אל תזרוק את הבקבוק – הוא למחזור!
Don’t throw that (the) bottle away – it’s for recycling!
To recycle is למחזר, a פיעל verb.
4. חַד-פַּעֲמִי – Single-use / Disposable
Literally “one-time,” חד-פעמי is used to describe plastic or paper plates, cutlery, and cups. Reducing חד-פעמי is a major goal for sustainability in Israel today.
In context:
בט”ו בשבט הזה, אנחנו לא משתמשים בפלסטיק חד פעמי.
This Tu Bishvat, we are not using disposable plastic.
People often shorten חד-פעמי to חד”פ.
5. אֶנֶרְגִּיָּה יְרוּקָּה – Green Energy
Just like in English, ירוק – green – is the color of ecology. With all the sunshine in the Negev, Israel is a leader in אנרגיה ירוקה, specifically solar power – אנרגיה סולארית.
In context:
פאנלים סולאריים הם מקור מצוין לאנרגיה ירוקה.
Solar panels are a great source of green energy.
6. פְּסוֹלֶת – Waste / Trash
While זבל is the common word for “garbage,” פסולת is the more formal term for waste products, especially industrial or household waste that needs to be managed.
On a sign you may have seen on Israeli buses:
השלכת פסולת מרכב זה אסורה.
Disposing of waste from this vehicle is prohibited.
7. מַשְׁאַבִּים – Resources
Sustainability – קיימות – is all about how we manage our משאבים—specifically משאבי טבע (Natural Resources) like water, land, and minerals.
In context:
מים הם אחד המשאבים היקרים ביותר של ישראל.
Water is one of Israel’s most precious resources.
A single resource is a משאב; human resources is משאבי אנוש.
8. טְבִיעַת רֶגֶל פַּחְמָנִית – Carbon Footprint
A bit of a mouthful, but very important! טביעת רגל is footprint, where טביעה (the stand-alone version of טביעת) is related to the word מטבע, coin, which has an image imprinted. פחמנית comes from פחמן meaning carbon, which itself comes from פחם meaning coal.
The term טביעת רגל פחמנית in context:
אכילת אוכל מקומי מסייעת להפחית את טביעת הרגל הפחמנית.
Eating local food helps lower your (the) carbon footprint.
9. שִׁימּוּר – Conservation / Preservation
Whether it’s שימור הטבע (Nature Conservation) or preserving old buildings, this word is about keeping things safe and unchanged for the future. It is the noun version of the פיעל verb לשמר meaning to preserve.
In context:
ישראלים הם מומחים בשימור מים.
Israelis are experts in water conservation.
