Tips On Using a Hebrew Dictionary

• If a word is completely new to you, make sure you check both ways - from Hebrew to English, and from English to Hebrew! This will hopefully pick up tragic errors caused by words which have dual meanings. For instance, a "kid" in English can mean either a young child, or a baby goat! Don't get the wrong one! Make sure you check a new word in both directions!
• A printed Hebrew Dictionary is unlikely to contain every parsing of a Hebrew word or verb, because there would simply be too many entries. However, usually an Electronic Hebrew Dictionary will contain every parsing of every Hebrew word. If you do not know Hebrew well, this can be a huge advantage.
• A Hebrew Dictionary often includes phrases, as well as just words. This can make a huge difference in understanding the idioms in a Hebrew text, as well as the individual words.
• A Hebrew Dictionary might also include Hebrew proverbs to illustrate how a word is commonly used. Proverbs are extremely important. Without understanding that something is a proverb, or by not fully understanding the meaning of the proverb, you can completely misunderstand a sentence.