Language/Hebrew/Grammar/Pronouns
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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!
Don't miss the chance to check out these pages as you wrap up this lesson: Nouns, Verbs, Fractions and Decimals & Review of Nouns and Pronouns.
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.
➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎
Sources
- Pronoun Personal — unfoldingWord® Hebrew Grammar 1 ...
- Appendix:Hebrew pronouns - Wiktionary
- A Comprehensive Guide to Hebrew Pronouns
Videos
Hebrew Pronouns (כנויי-גוף) - YouTube
Subject Pronouns - Free Biblical Hebrew - Lesson 4 - YouTube
Other Lessons
- Negation
- How to Use Be
- Future Tense
- Personal pronouns and the present tense
- Give your Opinion
- Questions
- Adjectives
- Nouns
- Plurals
◀️ Nouns — Previous Lesson | Next Lesson — Adjectives ▶️ |