epstein@epsteinag.ch

Index

a) yesh – there is and en – there is not
b) the verb to have
c) the dative, formed with the preposition le- – to
d) more verbs
e) more prepositions
f) the merging of prepositions and personal pronouns (eg because of him, after you)
g) interrogative sentences without question word begin with ha-im

When in Hebrew a preposition (eg to, about, from, next to etc.) is connected with a personal pronoun (eg to me, about you, from him, next to us), then the preposition and the personal pronoun are usually merged into one word.

Example: because of – biglal

singularplural
biglal + ending (because of)malefemalemalefemale
1st personbecause of meבגלליbecause of usבגללינו
biglalibiglalenu
2nd personbecause of youבגללךבגללךbecause of youבגללכםבגללכן
biglalchahbiglalechbiglalchembiglalchen
3rd personbecause of himבגללובגללהbecause of themבגללםבגללן
biglalobiglalahbiglalambiglalan

Some prepositions have special endings in the 3rd person singular, eg. על, אל, תחת, לפני (al – on, about, el – to, tachat – under, lifneh – before, in front of)

singularplural
al + ending (about)malefemalemalefemale
1st personabout meעליabout usעלינו
alayalenu
2nd personabout youעליךעליךabout youעליכםעליכן
alechaalayichalechemalechen
3rd personabout him/herעליועליהabout themעליהםעליהן
alav alehaalehem alehen

Note: al + infinitive has the meaning of must, to have to.

Examples:

he must apologizealav lehitnatzelעליו להתנצל
we must praise the Lordalenu leshabeach la'-adonעלינו לשבח לאדון

specialties: some prepositions change when merged with personal pronouns.

  • im, with becomes iti, with me
singularplural
with עם – immalefemalemalefemale
1st personwith meאתיwith usאתנו
itiitanu
2nd personwith youאתךאתךwith you אתכםאתכם
itchahitachitchemitchen
3rd personwith him/herאתוותהwith themאתםאתן
itoitahitamitan
  • mi, min, from becomes – mimeni, from me and me-itanu, from us
singularplural
from מ mi-malefemalemalefemale
1st personfrom meממניfrom usמאתנו
mimenime’itanu
2nd personfrom youממךממךfrom youממכםממכן
mimchahmimechmimchemmimchen
3rd personfrom him/herממנוממנהfrom themמהםמהן
mimenomimenamehemmehen

beli, without – becomes bil’adi, without me.

singularplural
ohne בליmalefemalemalefemale
1st personwithout meבלעדיwithout us בלעדינו
bil'adibil'adenu
2nd personwithout youבלעדךבלעדיךwithout youבלעדיכםבלעדיכן
bil'adechabil'adayichbil'adechembil'adechen
3rd personwithout him/herבלעדיובלעדיהwithout themבלעדיהםבלעדיהן
bil'adavbil'adehabil'adehembil'adehen

Examples:

come with us!bo itanu!!בוא אתנו
without you (f) everything is boring.bil'adayich ha-kol mesha'amem.בלעדיך הכל משעמם
he simply ignores us.hu pashut mitalem me-itanu.הוא פשוט מתעלם מאתנו
we rely on you.anachnu somchim alechem.אנחנו סומכים עליכם
Who comes after him?mi ba acharav??מי בא אחריו
I did that because of him.asiti et se biglalo.עשיתי את זה בגללו
he acted against me.hu pa'al negdi..הוא פעל נגדי