Function words · 58/60
Conjunctions and connectors
And, but, because, so, if, when, in order to, although
The key particle is שֶׁ (“that, which”): it attaches to the next word and appears in many conjunctions: כְּשֶׁ (when), בִּגְלַל שֶׁ (because), לִפְנֵי שֶׁ (before), כְּדֵי שֶׁ (so that). After אִם (if) and כְּשֶׁ (when), the future is expressed with the future tense: אִם יִהְיֶה זְמַן — if there is time.
| Hebrew | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| וְve | and | לֶחֶם וְחֶמְאָהlechem vechem'abread and butter |
| אוֹo | or | תֵּה אוֹ קָפֶה?te o kafe?tea or coffee? |
| אֲבָלaval | but | רָצִיתִי לָבוֹא, אֲבָל לֹא הָיָה זְמַןratsiti lavo, aval lo haya zmanI wanted to come, but there was no time |
| גַּםgam | also, too | גַּם אֲנִיgam anime too |
| גַּם… וְגַם…gam… vegam… | both… and… | גַּם חַם וְגַם לַחgam cham vegam lachboth hot and humid |
| שֶׁshe | that; which, who | אֲנִי חוֹשֵׁב שֶׁזֶּה נָכוֹןani choshev sheze nachonI think that it's right |
| כִּיki | because | נִשְׁאַרְתִּי בַּבַּיִת כִּי יָרַד גֶּשֶׁםnish'arti babayit ki yarad geshemI stayed home because it was raining |
| בִּגְלַל שֶׁbiglal she | because (colloquial) | אִחַרְתִּי בִּגְלַל שֶׁהָיָה פְּקָקicharti biglal shehaya pkakI was late because there was a traffic jam |
| מִפְּנֵי שֶׁ / מִשּׁוּם שֶׁmipnei she / mishum she | since, because (formal) | |
| לָכֵןlachen | therefore | הָיָה קַר, לָכֵן לָבַשְׁתִּי מְעִילhaya kar, lachen lavashti me'ilit was cold, so I put on a coat |
| אָזaz | so, then | אָז מָה עוֹשִׂים?az ma osim?so what do we do? |
| אִםim | if | אִם יִהְיֶה לִי זְמַן, אָבוֹאim yihye li zman, avoif I have time, I'll come |
| אִלּוּ / לוּilu / lu | if (unreal) | אִלּוּ יָדַעְתִּי, הָיִיתִי בָּאilu yadati, hayiti baif I had known, I would have come |
| כְּשֶׁ / כַּאֲשֶׁרkshe / ka'asher | when | כְּשֶׁאֲנִי עָיֵף, אֲנִי שׁוֹתֶה קָפֶהkshe'ani ayef, ani shote kafewhen I'm tired, I drink coffee |
| לִפְנֵי שֶׁlifnei she | before | לִפְנֵי שֶׁאַתָּה הוֹלֵךְ, תִּסְגֹּר אֶת הַחַלּוֹןlifnei she'ata holech, tisgor et hachalonbefore you go, close the window |
| אַחֲרֵי שֶׁacharei she | after | אַחֲרֵי שֶׁאָכַלְנוּ, יָצָאנוּacharei she'achalnu, yatsanuafter we ate, we went out |
| עַד שֶׁad she | until | חַכֵּה עַד שֶׁאֲנִי אֶחֱזֹרchake ad she'ani echezorwait until I come back |
| בִּזְמַן שֶׁbizman she | while | |
| מֵאָז שֶׁme'az she | since | מֵאָז שֶׁעָלִיתִי לָאָרֶץme'az she'aliti la'aretssince I moved to Israel |
| כְּדֵיkedei | in order to (+ infinitive) | אֲנִי לוֹמֵד כְּדֵי לְדַבֵּרani lomed kedei ledaberI'm studying in order to speak |
| כְּדֵי שֶׁkedei she | so that (+ future tense) | כְּדֵי שֶׁתָּבִיןkedei shetavinso that you understand |
| לַמְרוֹת שֶׁlamrot she | although | לַמְרוֹת שֶׁהָיָה קַר, הָלַכְנוּ לַיָּםlamrot shehaya kar, halachnu layamalthough it was cold, we went to the beach |
| אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁaf al pi she | even though (formal) | |
| אֶלָּאela | but rather | לֹא הַיּוֹם אֶלָּא מָחָרlo hayom ela macharnot today but tomorrow |
| אוֹ… אוֹ…o… o… | either… or… | |
| לֹא… וְלֹא…lo… velo… | neither… nor… | לֹא חַם וְלֹא קַרlo cham velo karneither hot nor cold |
| Hebrew | Meaning |
|---|---|
| קֹדֶם כֹּלkodem kol | first of all |
| לְמָשָׁלlemashal | for example |
| כְּלוֹמַרklomar | that is, i.e. |
| בְּנוֹסָףbenosaf | in addition |
| חוּץ מִchuts mi | except, besides |
| בִּמְקוֹםbimkom | instead of |
| לְעֻמַּת זֹאתle'umat zot | on the other hand |
| בְּכָל זֹאתbechol zot | nevertheless |
| בְּכָל אֹפֶן / בְּכָל מִקְרֶהbechol ofen / bechol mikre | in any case, anyway |
| בְּסוֹפוֹ שֶׁל דָּבָרbesofo shel davar | in the end, ultimately |
| אִם כֵּןim ken | if so, then |
| אִם לֹאim lo | if not, otherwise |
| אוּלַיulai | maybe |
| כַּנִּרְאֶהkanir'e | apparently |
| כַּמּוּבָןkamuvan | of course |
Practise it in the app. Shoresh has conjugation, tense and binyan trainers, and the dictionary shows the forms of any word.
