The Hebrew Noun – Lesson 11

Hebrew has a definite article (the), but no indefinite article (a/an). The definite article is the letter he (ה). It is attached to the beginning of a noun as a prefix. It also causes the letter immediately following it to acquire a daghesh forte, and normally has a pathah. So, while “heavens” is שָׁמַיִם , “the heavens” is הַשָׁמַיִם .

If the next letter is a guttural (gutturals cannot have a daghesh forte), then the vowel (normally pathah) is usually lengthened instead. In this case the definite article typically has a kamets, but sometimes it has a seghol or stays with a pathah. So, while “earth” is אֶרֶֶץ , “the earth” is הֶָׁאֶָׁרֶץ . Instead of the א (a guttural) taking daghesh forte, the vowel under the ה is lengthened to a kamets.

Another very common prefix is the conjunction “and”, which is simply a waw (ו) attached to the beginning of a word. It is pointed with either a shewa (וֶ), a shurek (וּ), or sometimes a kamets (וֶָׁ). So, while “spirit” is

רוּחֶַ , “and spirit” is וֶרוּחֶַ , and “and the earth” is והָׁאָׁרֶץ .

Identify the vocabulary word, and whether or not “and” or “the” is prefixed:

בֵּית הַבֵַּיִתֵּ

וְהַבֵַּיִֵּתֵּ וְדַםֵּ

אָדֵָּםֵּ הַדָבֵָּרֵּ

הָאֵָּבֵּ וְהַ נֵּ פשֵּ

וְאָבֵּ וְיוֹם

הֵָּאָדֵָּםֵּ וְהַמִזְ בֵּחֵַּ

וְגוֹיֵּ הַכֹּ הֵּןֵּ

הַ לֵּבֵּ הַמָקוֹםֵּ

וּ מֵּ לךֵּ

Vocabulary

קוֺלֶ voice

אָׁחֶ brother

חֶרֶבֶ sword

יֶלֶדֶ child