sameach

Sameach (Hebrew: שמח) is a Hebrew verb meaning to be glad or to rejoice. In modern Hebrew, the form sameach can function as the masculine singular imperative meaning “rejoice!” and it also appears as part of constructions describing a state of happiness. The root of the word is שמ-ח (shin-mem-chet).

The related noun simcha (שמחה) means joy or celebration and is widely used in everyday language and Jewish culture. Simcha is commonly applied to happy occasions such as weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs, and other celebrations, and it also appears in many fixed phrases and place names within Hebrew-speaking communities.

Usage and examples show the spectrum of the root. In liturgical or biblical contexts, forms of the root appear in phrases like Yismach Yisrael, often translated as “Let Israel rejoice.” In modern speech, people say אני שמח (ani same’ach) for “I am happy” when the speaker is male, and אני שמחה (ani smeicha) when the speaker is female. A common greeting for the Sabbath is Shabbat sameach, meaning “a joyful Sabbath,” though Shabbat Shalom is also widely used.

Sameach and simcha thus reflect related ideas of gladness and celebration in Hebrew. The verb and its noun form a core semantic pair in religious, cultural, and everyday contexts, illustrating how Hebrew words derived from the same root intertwine emotion, ritual life, and social events.