Why right-to-left lines misbehave

Hebrew reads from right to left, but digits and Latin words inside a Hebrew sentence still read from left to right. Every player has to resolve that mix with the Unicode bidirectional rules, and the result depends on what it decides the "main" direction of the line is. When a player guesses wrong, usually because the line starts with an English word or a number, the question mark jumps to the right-hand edge and the sentence looks broken to anyone who reads Hebrew.

Burning the subtitles into the picture settles the question once. The layout is decided in the editor, you see it in the preview, and every viewer gets those exact pixels, whatever app or phone they watch on. Here is how the editor treats Hebrew:

Line direction: A line whose letters are mostly Hebrew is laid out right to left, even when it opens with an English word or a number.
Typing: The text box in the line list takes its direction from the text, so typing Hebrew feels natural. Judge the final layout in the video preview, not in the text box.
Letters: Open Sans contains its own Hebrew alphabet. With any of the other fonts, Hebrew is drawn in Noto Sans Hebrew while Latin words and digits keep the font you picked.
Wrapping: Long lines wrap at spaces and stay right to left on every line of the block.

Where the Hebrew text comes from

If people speak Hebrew in the video, let AI transcribe it: leave "Subtitle language" on "Same as spoken (auto-detect)" or choose Hebrew. If they speak English, Russian, Arabic or another supported language, choose Hebrew and the speech is translated into Hebrew subtitles. Only the audio is sent for this; the picture stays on your computer. The cost is 1 credit per minute, so a 12-minute talk costs 12 credits (1.2¢), and new accounts get 100 free credits when they sign in with Google.

Expect ordinary unpointed spelling, the way Hebrew is printed for adult readers. If a translator has already written the subtitles, import their SRT or VTT file instead; keep in mind that translation only works from the speech, so an imported file stays in the language it was written in. For a plain Hebrew transcript rather than subtitles, Hebrew video to text is the shorter path, and to swap the soundtrack for a Hebrew voice there is the Hebrew video translator.

How to put Hebrew subtitles on a video

Open the editor on this page and pick your video (MP4, MOV, M4V, WebM or MKV).
Keep the AI switch on and set "Subtitle language" to Hebrew, then press AI subtitles. If you already have a file, switch AI off and use Import SRT / VTT.
Watch the whole video once. Stop on every line that contains digits, an English name or an acronym and look at it in the preview, not just in the list.
In Style, choose Open Sans if you want Hebrew and Latin letters to share one design, then set alignment and size.
Press Render video, confirm the summary and wait for Download video. Export SRT as well if the video is also going to YouTube with a separate track.

Mixed lines, worked through

These are the lines that need a second look. In each case the preview shows what viewers will see.

A price in the sentence

"המחיר הוא 49.90 ש״ח" keeps the digits in their normal left-to-right order inside the right-to-left line. That is correct; don't reverse the number to make it look "Hebrew".

An English product first

"iPhone 15 הגיע לחנויות" is mostly Hebrew, so the line runs right to left and the product name sits at the right-hand start. If it still reads awkwardly, rephrase so a Hebrew word opens the line.

Acronyms

צה״ל and ארה״ב need gershayim (״). A plain straight double quote works too, but don't mix the two styles in one video.

A question

The question mark belongs at the left end of the line. In the burned-in MP4 it stays there; in an exported SRT, an older desktop player may still move it, which is a limitation of that player.

Translation decisions only a Hebrew reader can make

Machine translation into Hebrew gets the meaning right far more often than it gets the voice right. These are the review points worth your time:

Gender. English "you" has to become masculine, feminine or plural in Hebrew. A tutorial aimed at everyone may need the plural or a consistent choice; the translation may switch between forms from line to line.
Names. English names can be spelled in Hebrew with or without extra vav and yod letters. Pick one spelling for each person and brand and search the line list to keep it consistent.
Loanwords. Israeli speech is full of English tech and business terms. The recognizer may write them in Hebrew letters or in Latin; decide which looks right for your audience.
Register. Spoken Hebrew in a vlog is far more casual than written Hebrew. A translation from formal English can sound stiff; shorten it toward how people actually talk.

If you plan to publish in more than one direction, the post on right-to-left video localization covers what else changes besides the subtitles.

Length and reading time

Hebrew packs prepositions and articles onto the front of words (ב, ל, ה, ו, ש), so a Hebrew line often says the same thing in fewer characters than its English source. The editor applies the same limits as for Latin scripts: a warning when a line passes 42 characters and when a subtitle asks for more than 21 characters per second. AI subtitles arrive as single lines of roughly 32 characters, which rarely trip either warning. When a translated line does get flagged, drag its end later on the timeline or trim a word, and see fixing auto-generated subtitles for a sensible order of checks.

Styling Hebrew subtitles

Centred text at the bottom is the safe default for right-to-left subtitles because it doesn't depend on which edge the line starts from. If you prefer edge alignment, right alignment matches the reading direction. Hebrew letters are square and fairly uniform, so a slightly heavier weight and a clear outline help on busy footage; the Classic and High Contrast presets both work. Unlike Arabic, Hebrew letters don't join, so moderate letter spacing doesn't damage the text. For the joined-script counterpart, see Arabic subtitles; for type choices in general, fonts for subtitles.

If you need vowel points for children's videos or learners, type the niqqud into the line and zoom the preview to check the marks sit cleanly under and over the letters at your chosen size.

Final checks before you render

Every line with digits, Latin words or acronyms has been looked at in the preview.
The same name is spelled the same way throughout.
Gendered forms match the people being addressed.
No warnings are left in the line list, or you have read each one and decided to keep it.
Text stays clear of logos and lower thirds; turn on "Show safe area" for vertical videos.

If what you really need is a Hebrew subtitle file for a platform that accepts tracks, the AI subtitle generator gives you an SRT or VTT without the rendering step.

About the subtitle editor on this page

Opens: MP4, MOV, M4V, WebM, MKV videos your browser can decode
Subtitles from: AI (from the speech, optionally translated into one of 21 languages), an SRT or VTT file, or typing them in
You download: An MP4 with the subtitles drawn into the picture at the original resolution and frame rate, plus SRT and VTT files
Cost: Editing, styling, rendering and SRT/VTT export are free, with no account and no watermark. AI subtitles cost 1 credit per minute (5-credit minimum per video); signing in with Google gives 100 free credits and accounts get 10 free credits a day
Privacy: The video never leaves your device and is rendered in your browser. Only for AI subtitles is the audio sent, over HTTPS, and it is deleted within 30 minutes of delivery
Rendering needs: Chrome or Edge 94+, Safari 16.4+, or Firefox 130+ on a computer. Editing and SRT/VTT export work in any current browser

Subtitle tools

Frequently asked questions

Will punctuation sit on the correct side in Hebrew subtitles?

In the rendered MP4, yes: a mostly Hebrew line is laid out right to left, so full stops and question marks end up at the left end. In an exported SRT the final layout depends on the viewer's player.

Can I turn an English video into Hebrew subtitles?

Yes. Choose Hebrew under "Subtitle language" and the English speech is translated as it is subtitled. The timing of translated lines is set by text length, so nudge any that start early or late.

Which font should I use for Hebrew subtitles?

Open Sans is the one font in the list with its own Hebrew letters, so Hebrew and Latin text match. Any other font still works; its Hebrew is drawn in Noto Sans Hebrew.

Can I add niqqud to the subtitles?

You can type vowel points into any line by hand and they are drawn with the text. The AI writes unpointed Hebrew, as in everyday print.

Can Hebrew and English appear on screen at the same time?

Yes, as two lines in one subtitle: put the Hebrew line and the English line in the same text box with a line break between them. The AI produces one language per run, so the second language is typed or pasted in.

Add Hebrew Subtitles to a Video