Basic Sentence Structure
Syntax (תחביר – tachbir) in Hebrew has unique features that differ from Russian and English. The main principles of sentence construction include a fixed word order, the use of specific question words, and unique negation structures.
Word Order in a Sentence (S-V-O)
In Hebrew, the basic word order in declarative sentences is Subject – Verb – Object (S-V-O)
Examples:
| Hebrew | Transliteration | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| אני קורא ספר | Ani kore sefer | I am reading a book |
| היא הולכת לעבודה | Hi holechet la-avoda | She is going to work |
| אנחנו אוהבים מוזיקה | Anachnu ohavim muzika | We love music |
In many cases, word order can be flexible, but the S-V-O structure is the most common in spoken Hebrew.
Note: The word order remains the same in the past and future tenses.
Interrogative Sentences (What? Where? When? How? Why?)
Questions in Hebrew are formed using specific question words.
| Question Word | Pronunciation | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| מה | ma | What? | מה זה? (Ma ze?) – "What is this?" |
| מי | mi | Who? | מי הוא? (Mi hu?) – "Who is he?" |
| איפה | eifo | Where? | איפה אתה? (Eifo ata?) – "Where are you?" |
| מתי | matai | When? | מתי אתה בא? (Matai ata ba?) – "When are you coming?" |
| איך | eich | How? | איך אתה מרגיש? (Eich ata margish?) – "How do you feel?" |
| למה | lama | Why? | למה אתה מחכה? (Lama ata mechake?) – "Why are you waiting?" |
| כמה | kama | How much/many? | כמה זה עולה? (Kama ze ole?) – "How much does this cost?" |
Note: Unlike in English, Hebrew does not require a change in word order when forming a question. You simply add the question word at the beginning of the sentence.
Examples of Questions in Sentences:
| Hebrew | Transliteration | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| מה אתה עושה? | Ma ata ose? | What are you doing? |
| איפה הילדים? | Eifo ha-yeladim? | Where are the children? |
| מתי מתחיל הסרט? | Matai matchil ha-seret? | When does the movie start? |
Negation (לא and אין)
Hebrew uses two main ways to express negation: לא (lo) and אין (ein)
1. "No/Not" – לא (lo)
לא (lo) is used to negate verbs and imperative sentences.
Formula: לא + verb
| Affirmative | Negative |
|---|---|
| אני יודע עברית. (Ani yodea Ivrit) – "I know Hebrew" | אני לא יודע עברית. (Ani lo yodea Ivrit) – "I do not know Hebrew" |
| היא גרה כאן. (Hi gara kan) – "She lives here" | היא לא גרה כאן. (Hi lo gara kan) – "She does not live here" |
| הם עובדים היום. (Hem ovdim ha-yom) – "They are working today" | הם לא עובדים היום. (Hem lo ovdim ha-yom) – "They are not working today" |
2. "There is no" – אין (ein)
אין (ein) is used to indicate the absence of something (lack of an object, item, or possibility)
Formula: אין + noun / pronoun
| Affirmative | Negative |
|---|---|
| יש לי כסף. (Yesh li kesef) – "I have money" | אין לי כסף. (Ein li kesef) – "I have no money" |
| יש זמן. (Yesh zman) – "There is time" | אין זמן. (Ein zman) – "There is no time" |
| יש אוכל בבית. (Yesh ochel ba-bayit) – "There is food in the house" | אין אוכל בבית. (Ein ochel ba-bayit) – "There is no food in the house" |
Comparison Between לא and אין:
| Hebrew | Transliteration | Usage | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| לא | lo | Negates actions | אני לא רוצה (Ani lo rotze) – "I do not want" |
| אין | ein | Negates existence | אין לי זמן (Ein li zman) – "I do not have time" |
Note: לא is used with verbs, while אין is used with nouns and "there is/there isn’t" (יש/אין)
Conclusion
Hebrew grammar follows a fixed word order (S-V-O), which helps convey meaning clearly. Question structures do not require word order changes; adding a question word is enough. Negation is expressed using לא(for verbs) and אין(for nouns), making Hebrew concise and efficient.
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.
