Language/Hebrew/Grammar/Prepositions

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Hebrew → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Prepositions

Welcome to the exciting world of Hebrew prepositions! In this lesson, we will explore how prepositions function in the Hebrew language, their essential role in forming meaningful sentences, and how they differ from English. Understanding prepositions is crucial as they help us convey relationships between different elements in a sentence, such as location, time, and direction.

As you embark on this journey, you'll discover that prepositions can seem a bit tricky at first, but with practice and examples, you'll soon feel comfortable using them in your conversations. So, let's dive in!

What Are Prepositions?

Prepositions are words that link nouns, pronouns, or phrases to other words in a sentence. They help us understand relationships in terms of:

• Location (where something is)

• Time (when something happens)

• Direction (where something is going)

== Common Hebrew Prepositions

In Hebrew, prepositions often combine with definite articles (the equivalent of "the" in English) to create unique forms. Here are some of the most common Hebrew prepositions:

• בְּ (be) - in, at

• לְ (le) - to, for

• מִ (mi) - from

• עַל (al) - on, about

• תַּחַת (taḥat) - under

• מִן (min) - from

• בֵּין (bein) - between

• אֵצֶל (etzel) - at (a place or person's side)

Let's look at some examples to see these prepositions in action.

Examples of Hebrew Prepositions

Here are 20 examples illustrating the use of common Hebrew prepositions:

Hebrew	Pronunciation	English
אני בבית.	Ani b'veit.	I am at home.
היא נוסעת לירושלים.	Hi nose'at l'Yerushalayim.	She is traveling to Jerusalem.
הוא בא מישראל.	Hu ba mi'Yisra'el.	He comes from Israel.
הספר על השולחן.	Ha-sefer al ha-shulḥan.	The book is on the table.
הילד מתחת למיטה.	Ha-yeled mi-taḥat la-mita.	The boy is under the bed.
אני מישראל.	Ani mi'Yisra'el.	I am from Israel.
היא יושבת בין שני עצים.	Hi yoshevet bein shnei etzim.	She is sitting between two trees.
הוא עובד אצל חברה.	Hu oved etzel ḥevra.	He works at a company.
אנחנו נפגשים ב-5.	Anakhnu nifgashim b'ḥamesh.	We meet at 5.
אתה צריך לדבר על זה.	Ata tzarikh le-daber al ze.	You need to talk about this.
הספרים על המדף.	Ha-sfarim al ha-madaf.	The books are on the shelf.
היא נוסעת לתל אביב.	Hi nose'at le-Tel Aviv.	She is traveling to Tel Aviv.
הם באים מברצלונה.	Hem ba'im mi-Barcelona.	They are coming from Barcelona.
המפתח נמצא בתיק.	Ha-mafte’ḥ nimtsa ba-tik.	The key is in the bag.
אני גר בתל אביב.	Ani gar b'Tel Aviv.	I live in Tel Aviv.
הוא יושב ליד השולחן.	Hu yoshev leyad ha-shulḥan.	He is sitting next to the table.
היא שמה את התיק מתחת לשולחן.	Hi sama et ha-tik taḥat la-shulḥan.	She put the bag under the table.
אנחנו הולכים לעבודה.	Anakhnu holkhim la-avoda.	We are going to work.
אני מדבר על המוזיקה.	Ani medaber al ha-muzika.	I talk about the music.
הוא עבד אצל אבא שלו.	Hu avad etzel aba shelo.	He worked at his father's place.
הילד עומד בין שני החברים.	Ha-yeled omed bein shnei ha-ḥaverim.	The boy is standing between the two friends.

Using Prepositions in Sentences

When using prepositions in Hebrew, it’s important to remember that they often change forms according to the nouns they connect to. For example:

• When the preposition בְּ (in) is used with the definite article ה (the), it changes to בַּ (ba).

• Similarly, לְ (to) combined with ה (the) becomes לַ (la).

This combination can be illustrated with the following examples:

Hebrew	Pronunciation	English
אני בבית הספר.	Ani ba-beit ha-sefer.	I am at the school.
היא הולכת לגן.	Hi holekhet la-gan.	She is going to the kindergarten.
הוא עובד בעיר.	Hu oved ba-ir.	He works in the city.
המפתח בתיק.	Ha-mafteḥ ba-tik.	The key is in the bag.

Understanding how to use these combinations is essential for constructing sentences correctly.

Prepositions and Their Combinations

It's also important to note that Hebrew often uses combinations of prepositions for more specific meanings. Here are some examples:

• בְּעִיר (be'ir) - in the city

• לְעֵבֶר (le'ever) - to the side of

• עַל־גַּבֵּי (al-gabbei) - on top of

Here's an example table to illustrate this:

Hebrew	Pronunciation	English
הוא גר בעיר גדולה.	Hu gar ba'ir gdola.	He lives in a big city.
אני הולך לעבר הכניסה.	Ani holekh le'ever ha-khnisa.	I am going to the entrance.
הספר נמצא על־גבי השולחן.	Ha-sefer nimtsa al-gabbei ha-shulḥan.	The book is on top of the table.

Exercises for Practice

Now that we've explored the world of Hebrew prepositions, it’s time to put your knowledge to the test! Below are 10 exercises designed to help you practice using prepositions in sentences.

1. Translate the following sentence: "The cat is on the chair."

2. Fill in the blank: "She is going ___ the store." (Use the Hebrew word for "to")

3. Translate to Hebrew: "I am sitting under the tree."

4. Fill in the blank: "They come ___ Jerusalem." (Use the Hebrew word for "from")

5. Translate to Hebrew: "We are meeting at the café."

6. Fill in the blank: "The dog is ___ the bed." (Use the Hebrew word for "under")

7. Translate the following sentence: "He is working at the company."

8. Fill in the blank: "The book is ___ the table." (Use the Hebrew word for "on")

9. Translate to Hebrew: "I am from Tel Aviv."

10. Fill in the blank: "She is sitting ___ the two friends." (Use the Hebrew word for "between")

Solutions to Exercises

Here are the solutions to the exercises above:

1. החתול על הכיסא. (Ha-ḥatul al ha-kise.)

2. לְ (le) - "She is going לְהַחֲנוּת."

3. אני יושב מתחת לעץ. (Ani yoshev mi-taḥat la-etz.)

4. הם באים מירושלים. (Hem ba'im mi'Yerushalayim.)

5. אנחנו נפגשים בבית הקפה. (Anakhnu nifgashim be-beit ha-kafe.)

6. הכלב מתחת למיטה. (Ha-kelev mi-taḥat la-mita.)

7. הוא עובד אצל החברה. (Hu oved etzel ha-ḥevra.)

8. הספר על השולחן. (Ha-sefer al ha-shulḥan.)

9. אני מִתֵּל־אֲבִיב. (Ani mi-Tel Aviv.)

10. היא יושבת בין שני החברים. (Hi yoshevet bein shnei ha-ḥaverim.)

Conclusion

Congratulations on reaching the end of this lesson on Hebrew prepositions! You’ve learned what prepositions are, how they operate, and have practiced using them in various contexts. Remember, mastering prepositions will greatly enhance your ability to communicate in Hebrew. Keep practicing, and soon you’ll be using them effortlessly in your conversations!

Table of Contents - Hebrew Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Introduction to Hebrew Alphabet

• Consonants
• Vowels
• Nikkud
• Reading Practice

  ---

Everyday Hebrew Vocabulary

• Greetings
• Numbers
• Family Members
• Colors, Shapes, and Sizes
• Food and Drink
• Clothing
• Transportation and Travel
• Weather
• Time and Calendar

  ---

Hebrew Grammar

• Nouns
• Pronouns
• Adjectives
• Verbs
• Prepositions
• Conjunctions

  ---

Israeli Culture

• Jewish Holidays
• Israeli Society
• Famous Israelis
• Israeli Cuisine

  ---

Hebrew Expressions

• Common Phrases
• Slang
• Idioms

  ---

Hebrew Numbers

• Ordinal Numbers
• Fractions and Decimals

  ---

Hebrew Geography and Landmarks

• Cities and Regions
• Landmarks

  ---

Hebrew Literature and Language

• Hebrew Poetry
• Hebrew Proverbs

  ---

Grammar Review

• Review of Nouns and Pronouns
• Review of Adjectives
• Review of Verbs

Sources

• Preposition Definite Article — unfoldingWord® Hebrew Grammar 1 ...
• Hebrew prepositions – Hebrew conjugation tables
• Preposition — unfoldingWord® Hebrew Grammar 1 documentation
• Unit Seven - Hebrew Prepositions

Other Lessons

• Conjunctions
• Adjectives
• Consonants
• Review of Verbs
• Conditional Mood
• Negation
• Verbs
• Give your Opinion
• Nouns

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