Language/Hebrew/Grammar/How-to-Use-Have
Hi Hebrew learners! ๐
In this lesson, we will learn how to use the verb "have" in Hebrew. "Have" is a useful verb that allows us to express possession, obligation, and other situations. We will go over the conjugation of "have" in Hebrew and provide examples to illustrate its usage.
Consider exploring these related pages after completing this lesson: Pronouns & Ordinal Numbers.
Conjugation of "Have"
In Hebrew, "have" is translated as "yesh" (ืึตืฉื). "Yesh" is an irregular verb, which means its conjugation pattern is different than regular verbs. Below are the conjugations of "yesh" in present tense:
Person | Hebrew Pronoun | Conjugation | English Translation |
---|---|---|---|
1st singular | ืื ื | ืืฉ ืื (Yesh li) | I have |
2nd singular (male) | ืืชื | ืืฉ ืื (Yesh lecha) | You have (masc. sing.) |
2nd singular (female) | ืืช | ืืฉ ืื (Yesh lach) | You have (fem. sing.) |
3rd singular (male) | ืืื | ืืฉ ืื (Yesh lo) | He has |
3rd singular (female) | ืืื | ืืฉ ืื (Yesh la) | She has |
1st plural | ืื ืื ื | ืืฉ ืื ื (Yesh lanu) | We have |
2nd plural (male) | ืืชื | ืืฉ ืืื (Yesh lechem) | You have (masc. pl.) |
2nd plural (female) | ืืชื | ืืฉ ืืื (Yesh lechem) | You have (fem. pl.) |
3rd plural | ืื/ืื | ืืฉ ืืื/ืืื (Yesh lahem/lan) | They have (masc/fem) |
Notice that "yesh" is usually combined with the preposition "ื" (le), which means "to" or "for." This is why we have "yesh li" (I have) instead of just "yesh." The object possessed, indicated by "ื," follows the verb.
Expressing Obligation
In Hebrew, we use "yesh" to express obligation. In this case, "yesh" is combined with the preposition "ื" to mean "must" or "have to." For example:
- ืื ื ืืืื ืืืืื ืขืืจืืช (Ani chayav lilmud ivrit) - I must learn Hebrew.
- ืืชื ืืืื ืืืืืจ ืืช ืืขืืืื (Atah chayav ligmor et ha'avoda) - You have to finish the work.
Notice that we use the word "chayav" (ืืืื) to indicate obligation.
Possessive Pronouns
In Hebrew, we often use possessive pronouns instead of the verb "have" to indicate possession. Possessive pronouns are formed by adding a suffix to the noun. Below are the possessive pronouns in Hebrew:
English | Hebrew | Pronunciation |
---|---|---|
My | ืฉืื | Sheli |
Your (masc. sing.) | ืฉืื | Shelcha |
Your (fem. sing.) | ืฉืื | Shelach |
His | ืฉืื | Shelo |
Her | ืฉืื | Shela |
Our | ืฉืื ื | Shelanu |
Your (masc. pl.) | ืฉืืื | Shelchem |
Your (fem. pl.) | ืฉืืื | Shelchen |
Their (masc./fem.) | ืฉืืื/ืฉืืื | Shelahem/Shelhen |
Here's an example dialogue to illustrate the usage of possessive pronouns:
- Person 1: ืืจืื ืฉืื ืืื ืืฉื ืืืื. (Harechev sheli hu yashan me'od.) - My car is very old.
- Person 2: ืืจืื ืฉืื ืืื ืืืฉ ืืืื. (Harechev sheli hu chadash me'od.) - My car is very new.
In this dialogue, we see that instead of saying "yesh li harechev" (I have a car), Person 1 uses the possessive pronoun "sheli" (my) to indicate possession.
Interesting fact
Did you know that Hebrew is written from right to left? It is the only Semitic language that is written in this direction. This unique aspect of Hebrew's orthography can be challenging for learners, but it also gives the language a distinctive look and feel.
To improve your Hebrew Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!
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Videos
Hebrew Grammar - How to use โet" (ืืช) - YouTube
Other Lessons
- Verb to Have
- Personal pronouns
- Nouns
- Questions
- Pronouns
- Adjectives
- Future Tense
- Negation
- Personal pronouns and the present tense
- Plurals
Sources
- A Manual Hebrew Grammar for the Use of Beginners, by James ...
- A Manual Hebrew Grammar for the Use of Beginners (Hardcover ...
- Modern Hebrew grammar - Wikipedia