חמץ

See also: ח־מ־ץ

Aramaic

Verb

חמץ • (transliteration needed)

1. To be sour.

Hebrew

Etymology

Root
ח־מ־ץ (kh-m-ts)
10 terms

Cognate with Jewish Babylonian Aramaic חמע, Classical Syriac ܚܡܥ, Arabic حَامِض (ḥāmiḍ) and Akkadian 𒄩𒁀𒍮 (ḫabāṣu, ḫamāṣu, “to be cheerful, to be elated from alcohol”).

Pronunciation

• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /χaˈmets/
• (Sephardi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ħaˈmets/, /ħaˈmesˤ/
• (Ashkenazi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈχɔməts/
• (Biblical Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ħaːˈmeːsˤ/

• Audio:

  (file)

Verb

חָמֵץ • (khaméts) (pa'al construction)

1. To leaven, ferment. (of dough)

Conjugation

Conjugation of חָמַץ (see also Appendix:Hebrew verbs)

non-finite forms		to-infinitive		לחמוץ / לַחֲמֹץ
		action noun		—
		passive participle		חָמוּץ
finite forms		singular		plural
		m	f	m	f
past	first	חָמַצְתִּי		חָמַצְנוּ
	second	חָמַצְתָּ	חָמַצְתְּ	חֲמַצְתֶּם1	חֲמַצְתֶּן1
	third	חָמַץ	חָמְצָה	חָמְצוּ
present		חָמֵץ	חֲמֵצָה	חֲמֵצִים	חֲמֵצוֹת
future	first	אֶחֱמַץ		נֶחֱמַץ
	second	תֶּחֱמַץ	תֶּחֶמְצִי	תֶּחֶמְצוּ	תֶּחֱמַצְנָה2
	third	יֶחֱמַץ	תֶּחֱמַץ	יֶחֶמְצוּ	תֶּחֱמַצְנָה2
imperative		חֲמַץ	חִמְצִי	חִמְצוּ	חֲמַצְנָה2

¹ Pronounced חָמַצְתֶּם and חָמַצְתֶּן in informal Modern Hebrew.
² Rare in Modern Hebrew.

or

Conjugation of חָמַץ (see also Appendix:Hebrew verbs)

non-finite forms		to-infinitive		לחמוץ / לַחְמֹץ
		action noun		—
		passive participle		חָמוּץ
finite forms		singular		plural
		m	f	m	f
past	first	חָמַצְתִּי		חָמַצְנוּ
	second	חָמַצְתָּ	חָמַצְתְּ	חֲמַצְתֶּם1	חֲמַצְתֶּן1
	third	חָמַץ	חָמְצָה	חָמְצוּ
present		חָמֵץ	חֲמֵצָה	חֲמֵצִים	חֲמֵצוֹת
future	first	אֶחְמַץ		נֶחְמַץ
	second	תֶּחְמַץ	תֶּחְמְצִי	תֶּחְמְצוּ	תֶּחְמַצְנָה2
	third	יֶחְמַץ	תֶּחְמַץ	יֶחְמְצוּ	תֶּחְמַצְנָה2
imperative		חֲמַץ	חִמְצִי	חִמְצוּ	חֲמַצְנָה2

¹ Pronounced חָמַצְתֶּם and חָמַצְתֶּן in informal Modern Hebrew.
² Rare in Modern Hebrew.

Noun

חָמֵץ • (khaméts) m

1. (Judaism, collective) chametz (foods with leavening agents that are forbidden on the Jewish holiday of Passover)

Usage notes

• Used mostly in the context of the rules and rituals ahead of and during the Jewish holiday of Passover, where it denotes products forbidden for consumption or possession by Jews during the holiday. In this context, the opposite of חָמֵץ is כָּשֵׁר לְפֶּסַח (kashér lepésakh, “kosher for Passover”).

Derived terms

• ביעור חמץ

Noun

חֹמֶץ • (khómets) m

1. defective spelling of חומץ (vinegar)

References

• Duschak, Moritz (1870) Die Botanik des Talmud (in German), Pest: I. Neuer, pages 32–33

Yiddish

Etymology

From Hebrew חָמֵץ.

Pronunciation

• (YIVO, Northeastern) IPA^(key): /ˈχɔmət͡s/
• (Poylish) IPA^(key): /ˈχumət͡s/

Noun

חמץ • (khomets) m

1. (Judaism) chametz (foods with leavening agents that are forbidden on the Jewish holiday of Passover)

Derived terms

• חמצדיק (khometsdik)
• בדיקת-חמץ (bedikes-khomets)

Related terms

• כּשר־לפּסח (kosher-lepeysekh, “kosher for Passover”)