Language/Hebrew/Grammar/Pronouns

Hebrew Grammar - Pronouns

Hi Hebrew learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will talk about pronouns in Hebrew. Pronouns are crucial in any language, as they allow us to refer to previously mentioned subjects, objects, or people. Learning how to use pronouns in Hebrew will help you further express yourself and understand conversations better. So let's get started!

What are Pronouns

Pronouns are words that are used in place of nouns. In Hebrew, pronouns are essential in conversations, and it is important to understand how to use them correctly. By learning about pronouns, you will be better equipped to communicate with native speakers and express your thoughts.

Here are some categories of pronouns in Hebrew:

• Personal
• Reflexive
• Demonstrative
• Interrogative
• Relative
• Possessive

In this lesson, we will focus on personal and possessive pronouns.

Personal Pronouns

Personal pronouns are used to replace the name of a person or an object. Hebrew personal pronouns are gender-specific, meaning that there are different pronouns for males and females.

Here is a table that shows the Hebrew personal pronouns along with their pronunciation and English translation:

Hebrew	Pronunciation	English
אֲנִי	ani	I
אַתָּה	ata	You (masculine singular)
אַתְּ	at	You (feminine singular)
הוּא	hu	He
הִיא	hi	She
אֲנַחְנוּ	anachnu	We
אַתֶּם	atem	You (masculine plural)
אַתֶּן	aten	You (feminine plural)
הֵם	hem	They (masculine)
הֵן	hen	They (feminine)

Here's an example of personal pronouns in a conversation:

• Person 1: אַתְּ מִכָּנֶסֶת לַסִּנְמָה? (At mekhanest le-sinema?) (Are you going to the cinema?)
• Person 2: כן, אֲנִי מְחַכֶּה לְךָ (Ken, ani mekha'ke lecha) (Yes, I'm waiting for you.)

Notice how we use the pronoun "אֲנִי" (ani) to specify "I". And "אַתְּ" (at) is used to refer to "you" – but it depends on whether you are talking to a male or female.

Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns are used to indicate that something belongs to someone. Similarly, to personal pronouns, possessive pronouns are also gender-specific. Hebrew has two types of possessive pronouns: suffixes and independent pronouns.

Suffix Possessive Pronouns

Suffixes are added to the end of verbs, nouns, or adjectives to show possession.

Here is a table that shows the Hebrew suffix possessive pronouns along with their pronunciation and English translation:

Hebrew	Pronunciation	English
שְׁלִי (M) שְׁאַלְי (F)	sheli	My
שֶׁלְךָ (M) שֶׁלְךְ (F)	shelkha	Your (singular, masculine)
שֶׁלָּךְ	shela	Your (singular, feminine)
שֶׁלוֹ	shelo	His
שֶׁלָּהּ	shela	Hers
שֶׁלָּנוּ	shelanu	Our
שֶׁלְכֶם	shelkhem	Your (plural, masculine)
שֶׁלְכֶן	shelkhen	Your (plural, feminine)
שֶׁלָּהֶם (M) שֶׁלָּהֶן (F)	shelahem	Theirs

Here's an example of using suffix possessive pronouns in a sentence:

הַבַּיִת שֶׁלִּי גָּדוֹל. (Ha-bayit sheli gadol) (My house is big.)

Notice how we use the suffix 'sheli' to indicate that the house belongs to us.

Independent Possessive Pronouns

Independent possessive pronouns work as standalone pronouns and do not require external nouns. They are used frequently in possessive phrases and to avoid repetition of a noun.

Here's a table that shows independent possessive pronouns along with their pronunciation and English translation:

Hebrew	Pronunciation	English
שֶׁלִּי	sheli	Mine
שֶׁלָּךְ	shela	Yours
שֶׁלוֹ	shelo	His
שֶׁלָּהּ	shela	Hers
שֶׁלָּנוּ	shelanu	Ours
שֶׁלְּכֶם	shelchem	Yours (plural, masculine)
שֶׁלְּכֶן	shelchen	Yours (plural, feminine)
שֶׁלָּהֶם (M) שֶׁלָּהֶן (F)	shelahem	Theirs

Here's an example of using independent possessive pronouns in a conversation:

• Person 1: מִי הַעוֹמֵד שֶׁלָּךְ עַל הַשַׁלְחָן? (Mi ha'omed shelach al ha'shalchan?) (Who's standing on your table?)
• Person 2: הוּא שֶׁלִּי. (Hu sheli.) (He's mine.)

Practice Makes Perfect

To improve your Hebrew Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

Here are some exercises to help you practice pronouns:

Exercise 1

Fill in the blanks using the correct Hebrew pronoun:

1. אֲנִי אוֹהֵב _____ (כֶּלָּה). 2. הוּא _____ (חָטָא). 3. ____ בֵּית גָּדוֹל. (הָשֵׁם שֶׁלִּי) 4. שֶׁלָּהּ קַטָּנָה, וְשֶׁלוֹ גָּדוֹל. (Our cat is small, and ___ is big.) 5. אִם אַתָּה רוֹצֶה, _____ יכול ללכת איתָנו. (You are welcome to join ____ if you want to.)

Answers: 1. את (at) 2. הוא (hu) 3. הבית שֶׁלִּי (habayit sheli) 4. his 5. אתה (atah)

Exercise 2

Choose the correct pronoun to fill in the blank: 1. זה הָמַקוֹם שֶׁ־____ חַיִל בַּמִּלְחָמָה. a. אֲנִי (ani) b. הוּא (hu) c. אַתָּה (ata)

2. יוֹם טוֹב! _____ עָשִׂית הַיּוֹם? a. מָה (ma) b. אַתְּ (at) c. אָנוּ (anu)

3. הַכֶּלֶב שֶׁלָּנוּ אֲכַל אֵת הַבָּשָׂר שֶׁ־____ הִכַּנָּה אֶת־אָמְנָם. a. אַתֶּן (aten) b. שְׁלָכֶן (shelkhen) c. שֶׁלֵּנוּ (sheleno)

Answers: 1. הוא (hu) 2. מה (ma) 3. הכנה (hikhna)

Summary

In this lesson, we talked about personal and possessive pronouns in Hebrew. Personal pronouns are used to replace the name of a person or an object in a sentence, and Hebrew has both gender-specific and non-gender-specific pronouns. Possessive pronouns, on the other hand, are used to indicate ownership and these are also gender-specific. To further improve your understanding and proficiency in the Hebrew language, it is best to practice as much as you can! Don't forget to get in touch with native speakers and try to find other resources to help you learn Hebrew.

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Sources

• Hebrew Pronouns
• Hebrew Grammar
• Hebrew Verbs