What does sukkah mean?
A sukkah is a temporary shelter traditionally built during the Jewish festival of Sukkot. The word refers both to the structure itself and, more broadly, to the booths and huts that people construct for the festival. Sukkahs are usually made with branches and decorated with meaningful designs, often involving fruit, leaves, and religious themes. They provide a place for eating, resting, entertaining guests, and spending time with family. Although a sukkah is a practical shelter, it also has religious significance because it recalls the temporary dwellings in which the Israelites lived during their wandering in the wilderness. The term comes directly from Hebrew and is now common in English discussions of Sukkot, Jewish education, and festival traditions.
nounA sukkah is a temporary booth or shelter traditionally constructed during the Jewish festival of Sukkot. It is commonly decorated with branches and used for eating, sleeping, and gathering.
- A temporary booth or shelter used during the festival of Sukkot, often for dining and gathering.
- A decorated structure, traditionally built with branches and used as a symbolic dwelling during Sukkot.
"The family built a sukkah in the garden and shared dinner beneath its leafy roof."
"Children drew pictures on the walls of the sukkah during the festival."
"They chose to eat their lunch in the sukkah rather than indoors."
The standard English plural is sukkahs, used when referring to multiple individual structures.
"The community erected several sukkahs around the courtyard."
A sukkah is a temporary home with a memorable rule: its walls are traditionally made from branches, while its roof can be open to the sky.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sukkah come from?
The word comes from Hebrew סֻכָּה (sukkah), meaning a booth, hut, or temporary shelter. It was borrowed into English through Jewish religious and cultural usage, especially in connection with Sukkot, the Hebrew festival whose name derives from the plural form sukkahot, “booths.” The related English word Sukkot refers to the festival itself rather than to an individual structure.
How sukkah is actually used
The word is generally used in English in Jewish cultural and religious contexts. It is transliterated from Hebrew, and pronunciation can vary somewhat, with both /ˈsʊkə/ and /ˈsuːkə/ heard.