Photo: Guy Sharett

Using pronouns in conversation is easy when speaking our mother tongue. But in Hebrew, it might be more difficult.

In this episode, Guy explains the mechanism of Hebrew pronouns which, in turn, will help you sound more natural and casual.

New Words and Expressions:

Lama ze magi’a lanu? – Why do we deserve it? – למה זה מגיע לנו?

Ze magi’a le-mishehu/lo – Serves him right – זה מגיע למישהו/לו

Magi’a le-eli – Eli deserves it – מגיע לאלי

Lo yafe, lama ata omer she-magi’a lo – It’s not nice to say these things, why do you say he deserves it – לא יפה, למה אתה אומר שמגיע לו

Lama ze magi’a li – Why do I deserve it – למה זה מגיע לי

Lo higi’a la – She didn’t deserve it – לא הגיע לה

Shanim she-lo shamati shum davar mimena – For years I haven’t heard a thing from her – שנים לא שמעתי שום דבר ממנה

Lo shamati me-Racheli klum – I haven’t heard anything from Racheli – לא שמעתי מרחלי כלום

Gam ani lo shamati klum mimena – I, too, haven’t heard anything from her – גם אני לא שמעתי כלום ממנה

Lishmo’a mashehu mi-mishehu – To hear something from someone (To know how they are doing) – לשמוע משהו ממישהו

Eifo od timtsa achat kamoni she-tavin otcha – Where else can you find someone like me who would understand you – איפה עוד תמצא אחת כמוני שתבין אותך

Eifo od emtsa echad kamocha she-mevin oti – Where else could I find someone like you who understands me – איפה עוד אמצא אחד כמוך שמבין אותי

Kmo Benny – Like Benny – כמו בני

Kamohu – Like him – כמוהו (formal: Kmoto)

Kamoni, kamocha, kamoch, kamohu, kamoha, kamonu, kamochem, kamohem – Like me, you, etc. – כמוני, כמוך, כמוך, כמוהו, כמוה, כמונו, כמוכם, כמוהם

“Kamoni – kamocha” – I am like you – כמוני – כמוך

Anachnu sofrim tsiporim ki anachnu kol ha-zman rotsim levadé she-(ha)tsiporim nish’arot itanu – We count birds, because we want to make sure all the time, that the birds stay with us – אנחנו סופרים ציפורים כי אנחנו כל הזמן רוצים לוודא ש(ה)ציפורים נשארות איתנו

Im (with) + anachnu (us) = Itanu – עם + אנחנו = איתנו

Ani margisha she-li pi million yoter kashe me-hem – I feel that for me, it’s million times more difficult than it is for them – אני מרגישה שלי פי מיליון יותר קשה מהם

Yoter kashe li mi-le-mishehu acher – It’s harder for me than it is for someone else – יותר קשה לי מלמישהו אחר

Pi shtayim – Twice as much – פי שתיים

Pi million – A million times – פי מיליון

Ani lo rotsa she-yihyu kalim klapai – I don’t want them to make it easier for me – אני לא רוצה שיהיו קלים כלפיי

Playlist and Clips:

Daniel Barzilai – Lama Ze Magi’a Lanu (lyrics)

Rami Kleinstein – Al Ha-gesher Ha-yashan

Liran Danino – Achat Kamoni (lyrics)

Hen nish’arot itanu – They stay with us (bird counting in Israel)

Li pi million yoter kashé me-hem

Previous Episodes

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