The Hebrew Conjunction and the Adjective

The Conjunction

The conjunction וְ “and” is always written as an inseparable prefix.

The conjunction’s form is usually וְ. וְשֵׁם and a name.

The conjunction’s form is וּ before פ, ם, ב.

The conjunction’s form is וּ before consonants supported by a simple sh^ewa. וּבֵן and a son, וּמָקוֹם and from a place, וּדְמוּת and likeness.

Before consonants that are supported by a compound sh^ewa, the conjunction will take the short vowel of the class corresponding to the type of the compound sh^ewa. וֵֽאֲנִי and I.

Compare the kindred rule of the preposition:

1. The preposition will take a sh^ewa unless the word to which it is prefixed begins with a sh^ewa or a definite article.

2. When two vocal sh^ewas appear consecutively, the first sh^ewa is pressed into the full short vowel.

a. If they are both simple vocal sh^ewas, the first sh^ewa becomes a hirek. לִפְרִי, כִּבְרִית

b. If the second sh^ewa is a compound sh^ewa, the first sh^ewa will be converted into the shortest full vowel of the same class as the compound sh^ewa. בָּֽחֳלִי, לֶאֱלֹהִים, כַּאֲשֶׁר.

3. When the preposition is prefixed to a word with an article, the consonant of the preposition is placed instead of the ה of the article. Instead of בְּהַיּוֹם there is בַּיּוֹם. Instead of לְהַקּוֹל there is לַקּוֹל.

4. Sometimes, the preposition may receive kamets ( ָ ) before the tone syllable. This is usually true before an “a” sound in a monosyllabic word. לָעַד to an age.

Note: וִ before the form יְהִי – וִיהִי instead of וְיְהִי. Since the two vocal sh^ewas cannot stand together, the first one is converted into a hirek. When a yodh immediately follows a hirek, it becomes part of the vowel. Since two vowels cannot stand together without an intervening consonant, and since there is no consonant between the hirek yodh and the sh^ewa, the sh^ewa cannot be retained. This is the only exception to the rules for writing the conjunction.

The Adjective

The adjective may be used attributively or predicatively.

1. When it qualifies (modifies) a noun, it stands after the substantive and agrees with it in gender, number, and definiteness. שֵׁם טוֹב a good name, הַשֵּׁם הַטּוֹב the good name (literally: the name, the good), הַקּוֹל הַטּוֹב וְהַגָּדוֹל the good and great voice (the voice, the good, and the great).

2. The predicative adjective agrees with the substantive in gender and number and never takes the article. It stands before the noun. טוֹב הַקּוֹל the voice (is) good, וְגָדוֹל הַשֵּׁם טוֹב the name (is) good and great.

Note: According to the rules above is the customary order for the writing. However, for the sake of emphasis, it is possible to invert the order. When the phrase is inverted, that which is placed first receives the emphasis. הַשֵּׁם הַטּוֹב is translated as “the good name”; however, הַשֵּׁם הַטּוֹב would be translated as “the good name” with emphasis on good.