Learning pronouns in Hebrew, a Semitic language spoken in Israel and by Jewish communities worldwide, is essential for both spoken and written communication. Hebrew pronouns vary according to person, number, gender, and case. This guide covers personal, possessive, demonstrative, reflexive, and interrogative pronouns, providing detailed explanations and examples for each, including transliterations for pronunciation help.

Personal Pronouns

Personal pronouns in Hebrew replace nouns referring to people or things and are used based on the person being referred to.

Subject Pronouns:

• אני (Ani) – I: “אני הולך.” (Ani holekh) – I am going.
• אתה (Atah) – You (masculine, singular): “אתה אוכל.” (Atah okhel) – You are eating.
• את (At) – You (feminine, singular): “את רואה.” (At ro’ah) – You (f) see.
• הוא (Hu) – He: “הוא יושב.” (Hu yoshev) – He is sitting.
• היא (Hi) – She: “היא עובדת.” (Hi ovedet) – She is working.
• אנחנו (Anachnu) – We: “אנחנו לומדים.” (Anachnu lomdim) – We are learning.
• אתם (Atem) – You (masculine, plural): “אתם שומעים.” (Atem shom’im) – You (m, pl) hear.
• אתן (Aten) – You (feminine, plural): “אתן רוקדות.” (Aten rokdot) – You (f, pl) dance.
• הם (Hem) – They (masculine): “הם רצים.” (Hem ratzim) – They (m) run.
• הן (Hen) – They (feminine): “הן מדברות.” (Hen medabrot) – They (f) speak.

Object Pronouns:

In Hebrew, object pronouns are often attached to prepositions or verbs as suffixes.

• אותי (Oti) – Me: “הוא רואה אותי.” (Hu ro’eh oti) – He sees me.
• אותך (Otcha/Otach) – You (m/f, singular): “אני מחפש אותך.” (Ani mechapes otcha/otach) – I am looking for you.
• אותו/אותה (Oto/Otah) – Him/Her: “אני שומע אותו/אותה.” (Ani shomea oto/otah) – I hear him/her.
• אותנו (Otanu) – Us: “הם זוכרים אותנו.” (Hem zochrim otanu) – They remember us.
• אתכם/אתכן (Etchem/Etchen) – You (m/f, plural): “אני רואה אתכם/אתכן.” (Ani ro’eh etchem/etchen) – I see you (pl).
• אותם/אותן (Otam/Otan) – Them (m/f): “אני מבין אותם/אותן.” (Ani mevin otam/otan) – I understand them.

Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns in Hebrew indicate ownership and are usually attached to the noun as suffixes.

• שלי (Sheli) – My/Mine: “הספר שלי.” (Ha-sefer sheli) – My book.
• שלך (Shelcha/Shelach) – Your (m/f, singular): “הבית שלך.” (Ha-bayit shelcha/shelach) – Your house.
• שלו/שלה (Shelo/Shelah) – His/Hers: “הרכב שלו/שלה.” (Ha-rechev shelo/shelah) – His/Her car.
• שלנו (Shelanu) – Our/Ours: “המשרד שלנו.” (Ha-misrad shelanu) – Our office.
• שלכם/שלכן (Shelachem/Shelachen) – Your (m/f, plural): “הגן שלכם/שלכן.” (Ha-gan shelachem/shelachen) – Your garden.
• שלהם/שלהן (Shelahem/Shelahen) – Their/Theirs: “הכיסאות שלהם/שלהן.” (Ha-kisa’ot shelahem/shelahen) – Their chairs.

Demonstrative Pronouns

Demonstrative pronouns in Hebrew point to specific nouns and vary based on distance and gender.

• זה (Zeh)/זו (Zo) – This (masculine/feminine): “זה טוב.” (Zeh tov) – This is good (m). “זו טובה.” (Zo tovah) – This is good (f).
• אלה (Eleh) – These: “אלה יפים.” (Eleh yafim) – These are beautiful.

Reflexive Pronouns

Reflexive pronouns in Hebrew are used when the subject performs an action upon itself.

• עצמי (Atsmi) – Myself: “אני מדבר עם עצמי.” (Ani medaber im atsmi) – I speak to myself.
• עצמך (Atzmecha/Atzmech) – Yourself (m/f): “תקשיב לעצמך.” (Takshiv le’atzmecha/atzmech) – Listen to yourself.
• עצמו/עצמה (Atzmo/Atzmah) – Himself/Herself: “הוא חושב על עצמו.” (Hu choshev al atzmo) – He thinks about himself.

Interrogative Pronouns

Interrogative pronouns are used to ask questions about people, places, or things.

• מי (Mi) – Who: “מי בא?” (Mi ba?) – Who is coming?
• מה (Mah) – What: “מה זה?” (Mah zeh?) – What is this?
• איזה (Eizeh) – Which: “איזה אחד אתה רוצה?” (Eizeh echad ata rotzeh?) – Which one do you want?
• איפה (Eifo) – Where: “איפה הספר?” (Eifo ha-sefer?) – Where is the book?

Understanding and correctly using Hebrew pronouns is vital for effective communication. Practice forming sentences with each type of pronoun, and try to engage in conversations or writing exercises to apply these concepts actively. Remember, context and the nuances of Hebrew grammar play a significant role in choosing the correct pronoun form.