Signs

1. כניסה

   knisa

   Entrance

   Usage

   Marks the entrance of buildings, stations, and facilities; public signage is usually trilingual Hebrew/Arabic/English, and the English ENTRANCE is what stands out

2. יציאה

   yetsi'a

   Exit

   Usage

   Appears at building and station exits and on motorway exit signs; road and station signage carries the English EXIT alongside it

3. יציאת חירום

   yetsi'at kherum

   Emergency Exit

   Usage

   Shown with the green running-man pictogram; in hotels and airports the English EMERGENCY EXIT is printed alongside and is easier to spot

4. פתוח

   patuakh

   Open (door sign)

   Usage

   The word on a shop door's OPEN flip sign; this single word covers both "open" and "open for business"

5. סגור

   sagur

   Closed (door sign)

   Usage

   The word on a shop door's CLOSED sign; from Friday afternoon to Saturday sundown many places swap in a sign reading sagur be-Shabbat

6. פתוח עכשיו

   patuakh akhshav

   Open Now

   Usage

   Doors just say patuakh; this longer form is what map apps and notices use to state that a place is open right now

7. סגור זמנית

   sagur zmanit

   Temporarily Closed

   Usage

   Hung before opening or during a break; small shops write miyad khozer ("back in a moment") by hand for the same thing

8. גברים

   gvarim

   Men

   Usage

   Marks the men's restroom or changing room; at religious sites it also marks the men's separate entrance

9. נשים

   nashim

   Women

   Usage

   Marks the women's restroom or changing room; the same word divides the prayer sections at religious sites such as the Western Wall

10. הכניסה אסורה

    haknisa asura

    No Entry

    Usage

    Posted on doors and areas closed to the public; near military zones it appears with shetakh tsva'i (military area), where photography is usually banned too

11. אסור לעשן

    asur le'ashen

    No Smoking

    Usage

    The indoor, restaurant, and transport no-smoking notice; in practice the red pictogram and the English NO SMOKING dominate, with the Hebrew set smaller

12. אזור עישון

    ezor ishun

    Smoking Area

    Usage

    Marks a designated smoking area at airports and stations; at Ben Gurion the English SMOKING AREA leads and the Hebrew runs alongside

13. מדרגות

    madregot

    Stairs

    Usage

    Directional sign pointing to stairs; an escalator is a different word (dargano'a), so do not confuse the two

14. דחוף

    dkhof

    Push

    Usage

    The push sign on a door; unvocalized it is spelled the same as dakhuf ("urgent"), but on a door it always means push

15. משוך

    mshokh

    Pull

    Usage

    The pull sign on a door, paired with dkhof; these two often have no English on them, so recognizing the Hebrew itself saves time

16. עבודות בנייה

    avodot bniya

    Under Construction

    Usage

    Posted at construction sites and closed-off passages; road barriers more often read zehirut avodot (caution, works)

17. לא בשירות

    lo besherut

    Out of Order

    Usage

    Posted on elevators, ticket machines, and restroom stalls; hotels and airports usually put the English OUT OF ORDER first, while handwritten notices may just say mekulkal (broken)

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