LAN 404 BEGINNING
HEBREW I
Class VII: Pronouns
Dr. Esa Autero
Pronouns
1.1 Introduction

A pronoun is a word that replaces a noun

Antecedent is the word(s) which the noun refers back to
Moses was 120 years old when he died
 Moses = antecedent – “he” is the pronoun that refers back to “Moses”


Different types of pronouns
Personal, demonstrative, relative, and interrogative pronouns
 Personal: I, you, he, she, we …
 Demonstrative: this, that, these, those …
 Relative: whose, that, which, who …
 Interrogative: What? Who? How? …
 Hebrew pronouns function in a similar way as English pronouns

Pronouns
2.1 Independent personal pronouns

“Independent” – stand alone, not attached to any other word

1st, 2nd, 3rd person singular (Sg.) or plural (Pl.)
Person and Number – in English
Sg. 1
I
Sg. 2
Sg. 3
Pl. 1
You
He/she/it
We
Pl. 2
Pl. 3
You
They
Pronouns

Independent personal pronoun paradigm
Paradigm in Hebrew
Singular
1 com.
2 masc.
2 fem.
3. masc.
3. fem.
‫ אֲנכִִ י‬,‫אֲנִ י‬
‫אֲּ֫תה‬
‫ּת‬
ֲ‫אֲ֫ נ‬
‫הּא‬
‫ ִהוא‬,‫ִהיא‬
Plural
I
You
You
He/it
She/it
ּ‫אֲ ֫חנ נְנ‬
‫אֲּ֫תֲם‬
‫ אֲּ֫תֲן‬,‫אֲ֫ ח ֵּתנה‬
‫ חהמה‬,‫הֲֵם‬
‫ הֵ נה‬,‫הֲֵן‬
We
You
You
They
They
Pronouns

Use of the independent personal pronoun – memorize words

Independent pronouns in a noun sentence (predicative relationship)

Personal pronoun may precede or follow the noun or adjective
‫אֲנִ י ינהוה‬
‫הּא נ ִביא צ֫ ִדיק‬
‫הְֲֲֶֶ֫ך טכ וב‬
‫אֲּ֫ת ח‬
ּ‫אֲ֫ ְִים אֲ ֫חנ נְנ‬
‫אָּׁשהְֲִֶ֫ה‬
ֲִ ‫ִהיא‬
‫עיר ה֫ גנ דֹוֶה‬
ֲִ ֲ‫אֲּ֫תֲם ב‬
I am the LORD
He is a righteous prophet
You (sg.2.masc.) are a good king
We are brothers
She is a wise woman
You (pl.2masc.) are in the great city
Pronouns
2.2 Demonstrative pronouns and adjectives
 English demonstrative pronouns

“this”, “these”, “that”, and “those” – used as an adjective or pronoun
Adjectival usage: this man, that woman, these socks
 Pronominal usage: that is the man, these are the socks
 Increases the word’s specificity beyond the definite article

A man  the man  that man
 Hebrew demonstratives function like English equivalents
Pronouns

Demonstrative paradigm
Singular
Masculine
Feminine
Masculine
Feminine

‫זה‬
‫ֲז כאת‬
‫הּא‬
‫ִהיא‬
This
This
That
That
Plural
‫אֵחֲּלה‬
‫אֵחֲּלה‬
‫ ח ֵהמה‬,‫הֲֵם‬
‫ ח ֵהנה‬,‫הֲֵן‬
These
These
Those
Those
NOTE: sg. 3 masc. and fem. demonstratives identical to personal pronouns
Variant forms
‫זֶה‬
‫ֲז כאת‬
‫אֵחֲּלה‬
‫ ַהלָּ ז‬,‫ַהלָּ זֶה‬
‫ זכה‬,‫ זֹו‬,ּ‫ה֫ ּלֵח ז‬
ֲֵֶ‫א‬
Pronouns

Some ambiguities – sg. 3 or demonstrative?
Personal pronoun or demonstrative pronoun?
ׁ‫אי‬
ֲִ ‫ה‬
ֲ ‫הּא‬
He is the man (personal pronoun)
That is the man (demonstrative)
‫אָּׁשה‬
ֲִ ‫ה‬
ֲ ‫ִהיא‬
She is the woman (personal pronoun)
That is the woman (demonstrative)
Pronouns

The use of demonstrative pronouns
 Demonstratives used as adjectives or pronouns
1) Demonstrative Adjectives – follows noun: agrees w/ gender, number, definit.
This man
‫הֲאֲִיֲׁה֫ ֶּה‬
‫הֲאֲִָּׁשהֲה֫ ֲֶּ כאת‬
‫הֲאֲִיֲׁה֫ הּא‬
‫הֲאֲִָּׁשהֲה֫ ִהיא‬
‫אנ ִׁים הֲאֵחֲּלה‬
ֲ ֲ‫ה‬
‫אּלה‬
ֲ‫ה֫ נ ִהים הֲ ח‬
‫אנ ִׁים ההֲֵם‬
ֲ ֲ‫ה‬
‫ה֫ נ ִׁים ה ח ֵהנה‬
This woman
That man
That woman
These men
These women
Those men
Those women
Pronouns

Demonstrative pronoun and adjective – examples
‫הֲאֲִיׁ ה֫ ּטֹובֲה֫ ֶּה‬
‫אָּׁשה ה֫ ּטֹובהֲה֫ ֲֶּ כאת‬
ֲִ ֲ‫ה‬
‫איֲׁה֫ ּטֹוב ה֫ הּא‬
ֲִ ‫ה‬
ֲ
‫הֲאֲִָּׁשהֲה֫ ּטֹובהֲה֫ ִהיא‬
‫ּטֹובים‬
ִ ֫‫האֲנ ִׁים ה‬
ֲ
‫האֵחֲּלה‬
ֲ
‫ה֫ נ ִׁים ה֫ ּטֹובֹותֲהֲאֵחֲּלה‬
‫הם‬
ֲ‫ּטֹובים ה ֵח‬
ִ ֫‫הֲאֲנ ִׁים ה‬
This good man
This good woman
That good man
That good woman
These good men
These good women
Those good men
Attributive adjective
is placed b/w noun &
demonstrative adj.
 It agrees in
gender, number &
definiteness
Pronouns
2) Demonstrative pronouns

When demonstrative functions as a pronoun, it precedes the noun
 Agrees in gender and number (masc./fem. & sg./pl.) – not in definiteness
ׁ‫זה הֲאֲִי‬
‫ֲז כאתֲהֲאֲִָּׁשה‬
ׁ‫הּא הֲאֲִי‬
‫ִהיא הֲאֲִָּׁשה‬
‫אֵחֲּלהֲהֲאֲנ ִׁים‬
‫אֵחֲּלהֲה֫ נ ִהים‬
‫אנ ִׁים‬
ֲ ֲ‫הֲֵם ה‬
‫ח ֵהנהֲהנ ִׁים‬
This is the man
This is the woman
That is the man
That is the woman
These are the men
These are the women
Those are the men
Those are the women
Pronouns
2.3 Relative pronoun

English “who”, “whom”, “whose”, “that”, “which”


Introduces a relative clause (relative pronoun + clause)
Blessed in the person who studies Hebrew
 “who studies Hebrew” = relative clause that modifies the noun “person”
 Hebrew relative pronoun:
‫אֲׁר‬
That, which
Who, whom
 Does not change form or inflect
‫ֲ֫כאֲׁר‬
When,
as
Pronouns


May appear w/ or without Maqqef
Follows immediately the noun it modifies
‫הֲעֲֵצ אֲׁר בנֲתֹוְך־ה֫ ֲ֫גן‬
The tree that (is) in the middle of
the garden
‫ר־ּתְ֫ ת‬
ֲ‫ההֲ ִרים אֲֲׁ ֫ח‬
‫ֲִֶ֫ים‬
ֲ‫ָּׁש ֫ח‬
ֲ ֲ֫‫ה‬
‫ה֫ מְֲֲֶך אֲׁר בנְֲ֫ נרּתֲם‬
‫דֲוִד אֲׁר נבבֲֵית ינהוֲה‬
The mountains that (are) under the
heavens
The king whom you chose
David, who (is) in the house of the
LORD
Pronouns
2.4 The interrogative pronouns – for asking questions
‫ִֶ֫י‬
]‫ ֶ֫֫ה‬,‫ֶ֫הֲ[ֶ֫ה‬


May appear w/ or without Maqqef
Form does not change

Vowel changes only in ‫ֶ֫ה‬
Who, whom?
What?
Pronouns

Interrogative pronoun – examples
‫ה־ָּׁשֶֹ֫ו‬
‫ֶ֫֫ נ‬
ֲ‫ֶ֫ה־עֲ ח ִִׂשית‬
‫ֶ֫ה ה֫ ְֶֹום ה֫ ֶּה‬
‫ִֶ֫יֲאֲּ֫תה‬
‫איֲׁה֫ ֶּה‬
ֲִ ֲ‫ִֶ֫י־ה‬
‫האֵחֲּלה‬
ֲ ‫ִֶ֫יֲהֲאֲנ ִׁים‬
what (is) his name?
What have you done?
What (is) this dream?
Who (are) you?
Who (is) this man?
Who (are) these men?
Pronouns

Interrogative particle ֲ‫ה‬

Alternative to interrogative pronoun – ֲ‫ה‬

Prefixed to a word (Hebrew does not have questions marks etc.)
‫ֶׁ֫ ְ ה֫ חְֲֶֶ֫ך אֲת־ה֫ נ ִביא‬
‫הֶׁ֫ ְֲה֫ חְֲֶֶ֫ך‬
‫אֲת־ה֫ נ ִביא‬

The king sent the prophet
Did the king send the prophet?
The spelling of the ֲ‫ ה‬changes in the following manner:

Prefixed to most consonants – ֲ‫ה‬

Prefixed to gutturals or any consonant with silent Shewa – ֲ֫‫ה‬

Prefixed to guttural followed by Qamets – ֲ‫ה‬
Pronouns

It is possible to confuse interrogative particle w/ definite article
 To avoid confusion remember the following:

Interrogative particle does not normally have Daghesh Forte

Interrogative often prefixed to a verb or another particle

The Hateph Pathach (ֲ‫ )ה‬of the interrogative particle not found in definite
article
Pronouns

Practice

Workbook p. 35, no: 1-5


p. 36, no: 1-5
Homework

Workbook p. 37-38, no:1-10 “Bible Translation”

Practice letters and reading (out loud) – e.g. words on vocabulary & workbook

Vocabulary quiz (Ch. 8) on words pp. 77-78 (8.12) + personal &
demonstrative pronouns (p. 76-77)