Pronouns
Pronouns (כִּנּוּיִים – kinuim) are words that replace nouns and indicate a person, object, or possession. In Hebrew, pronouns change according to number and gender and are divided into several types: personal, possessive, and demonstrative.
Personal Pronouns (גּוּף כִּנּוּיִים)
Personal pronouns in Hebrew vary by number (singular and plural) and gender (masculine and feminine).
| Person | Singular (Masculine) | Singular (Feminine) | Plural (Masculine) | Plural (Feminine) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | אני (ani) | אני (ani) | – | – |
| You | אתה (ata) | את (at) | אתם (atem) | אתן (aten) |
| He / She | הוא (hu) | היא (hi) | הם (hem) | הן (hen) |
| We | אנחנו (anachnu) | אנחנו (anachnu) | – | – |
Example Sentences:
| Hebrew | Transliteration | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| אני לומד עברית | (Ani lomed Ivrit.) | I am learning Hebrew. (masc.) |
| אני לומדת עברית | (Ani lomedet Ivrit.) | I am learning Hebrew. (fem.) |
| הוא גר בתל אביב | (Hu gar be-Tel Aviv.) | He lives in Tel Aviv. |
| אנחנו עובדים כאן | (Anachnu ovdim kan.) | We are working here. |
Personal pronouns do not change based on case, but their form may change when used with prepositions (for example, shortened forms exist when attached to prepositions – עליי, אליך, etc.).
Possessive Pronouns (כִּנּוּיִים שָׁמָרִים)
Possessive pronouns in Hebrew are expressed through suffixes added to the noun.
Possessive Pronoun Suffixes:
| Person | Masculine Suffix | Feminine Suffix | Example (Masculine) | Example (Feminine) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | -י (-i) | -י (-i) | ספרי (sfari) – "my book" | מחברתי (machberti) – "my notebook" |
| You | -ך (-cha) | -ך (-ech) | ספרך (sfarcha) – "your book" | מחברתך (machberetech) – "your notebook" |
| He | -ו (-o) | -ו (-o) | ספרו (sfaró) – "his book" | מחברתו (machberto) – "his notebook" |
| She | -ה (-a) | -ה (-a) | ספרה (sfarah) – "her book" | מחברתה (machberetah) – "her notebook" |
| We | -נו (-nu) | -נו (-nu) | ספרנו (sfarenu) – "our book" | מחברתנו (machberetenu) – "our notebook" |
| You | -כם (-chem) | -כן (-chen) | ספרכם (sfarchem) – "your (plural) book" | מחברתכן (machberetchen) – "your (plural) notebook" |
| They | -ם (-am) | -ן (-an) | ספרם (sfaram) – "their book" | מחברתן (machberetan) – "their notebook" |
Example Sentences:
| Hebrew | Transliteration | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| המחברת שלי כחולה | (Ha-machberet sheli kchula.) | My notebook is blue. |
| הילד שלך חכם | (Ha-yeled shelcha chacham.) | Your child is smart. (addressing a man) |
| אני אוהב את הספר שלו | (Ani ohev et ha-sefer shelo.) | I love his book. |
If a noun has the definite article ה, the possessive pronoun is added using the word של (shel):
| Hebrew | Transliteration | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| הספר של דני | (ha-sefer shel Dani) | Dani’s book. |
| הבית של ההורים שלי | (ha-bayit shel ha-horim sheli) | My parents’ house. |
Demonstrative Pronouns (כִּנּוּיִים רְמָזִיים)
Demonstrative pronouns are used to indicate objects that are near or far.
| Number | Masculine | Feminine | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | זה (ze) | זאת (zot) | "This / that" |
| Plural | אלה (ele) | אלה (ele) | "These / those" |
Examples:
| Hebrew | Transliteration | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| זה ספר מעניין | (Ze sefer me'anyen.) | This is an interesting book. |
| זאת חברה שלי | (Zot chavera sheli.) | This is my friend (female). |
| אלה ילדים טובים | (Ele yeladim tovim.) | These are good children. |
Important Notes:
- Unlike in English, where "this" can act as a subject, in Hebrew, a demonstrative pronoun must be used with a noun: זה/זאת + noun.
- זה and זאת do not change based on animacy (for example, you can say זה ספר– "this is a book" and זה כלב– "this is a dog").
Conclusion
Pronouns in Hebrew play a key role in speech and grammar. Personal pronouns vary by gender and number, possessive pronouns are formed using suffixes or the word של (shel), and demonstrative pronouns help indicate specific objects. Mastering these forms significantly improves Hebrew proficiency and helps construct correct sentences. The next topic will cover verbs and their conjugation in Hebrew.
Practise this in the app. In Shoresh every textbook topic comes with trainers: verb conjugation, tenses, binyanim, the imperative and choosing the right word in a sentence.
