You are here: Home | Judaism | Holidays | The Four Questions of Passover

The Four Questions of Passover

These are the Four Questions used during the Pesach seder, in Hebrew (Unicode), transliteration, and English. If you have any questions, please contact me. If you are new to the site, feel free to take a look around. If you want to know why my site is named The Four Questions, see the About page.

‏מַה נִּשְּׁתַּנָה הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה מִכָּל הַלֵּילוֹת‎

Ma nishtanah halailah hazeh meekol haleilot!

How different this night is from all other nights!

‏שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין חָמֵץ וּמַצָּה, הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה כּוּלוֹ מַצָּה‎

Shebechol haleilot anu ochlin chametz u-matzah. Halaila hazeh kulo matzah?

On all other nights we eat (leavened) bread or matzah. On this night why do we eat only matzah?

‏שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין שְׁאָר יְרָקוֹת, הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה מָרוֹר‎

Shebechol haleilot anu ochlin she’ar yerakot. Halaila hazeh maror?

On all other nights we eat all types of vegetables. On this night why do we eat only bitter herbs?

‏שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אֵין אֶנוּ מַטְבִּילִין אֲפִילוּ פַּעַם אֶחָת, הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה שְׁתֵּי פְעָמִים‎

Shebechol haleilot ein anu matbilin afilu pa’am echat. Halaila hazeh sh’tei f’amim?

On all other nights we do not dip our vegetables even once. On this night why do we dip them twice?

‏שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין בֵּין יוֹשְׁבִין וּבֵין מְסֻבִּין, הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה כֻּלָנו מְסֻבִּין‎

Shebechol haleilot anu ochlin bein yoshevin evein mesubeen. Halaila hazeh kulanu mesubeen?

On all other nights we eat our meals sitting or reclining. On this night why do we eat only reclining?