Joining sentences
And, but, because, so, and when.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| וְ ve- | and |
| אֲבָל aval | but |
| אוֹ o | or |
| כִּי ki | because |
| בִּגְלַל biglal | because of |
| אָז az | so, then |
| לָכֵן lakhen | therefore |
| אֶלָּא ela | but rather |
| לַמְרוֹת שֶׁ lamrot she- | although |
- ani ayef, aval ani rotse latsetI'm tired, but I want to go out.a man speaking
- lo bati ki hayiti kholeI didn't come because I was ill.a man speaking
- yarad geshem, az nisharnu babayitIt rained, so we stayed home.
- ze lo kakhol ela yarokIt's not blue but green.
בִּגְלַל goes before a noun; before a clause, speech says כִּי or בִּגְלַל שֶׁ.
- hatisa butla biglal mezeg ha'avirThe flight was cancelled because of the weather.
When, before, after
These take ש and a clause: כְּשֶׁ kshe- "when", לִפְנֵי שֶׁ lifnei she- "before", אַחֲרֵי שֶׁ akharei she- "after", עַד שֶׁ ad she- "until". Before a noun or an infinitive, לִפְנֵי, אַחֲרֵי and עַד need no ש: לִפְנֵי הָאֲרוּחָה "before the meal".
For what is still to come, the clause takes the future too, unlike English.
- kshe'agi'a habayta, etkasher elekhaWhen I get home, I'll call you.to a man
- kshehayiti yeled, garnu bekheifaWhen I was a boy, we lived in Haifa.
- tishtof yadayim lifnei she'ata okhelWash your hands before you eat.to a man
- khikinu ad shehageshem nifsakWe waited until the rain stopped.
So that
כְּדֵי שֶׁ kdei she- "so that" takes the future. When both halves have the same subject, use כְּדֵי and the infinitive instead (Infinitives and commands).
- dibarti le'at kdei shekulam yavinuI spoke slowly so that everyone would understand.
Cards from this guide
8 cardsEach card asks about one thing this guide teaches, and its back gives the answer with why and an example. They're reviewed with the rest of the Joining sentences cards.
How do you say 'but'?
אֲבָל (aval).
כִּי or בִּגְלַל: which goes before a noun, as in 'because of the weather'?
בִּגְלַל (biglal).
How do you say 'because' before a whole clause?
כִּי (ki).
What does אָז (az) mean between two sentences?
'So': what follows from the first.
How do you say 'when' in a statement, as in 'when I was a boy'?
כְּשֶׁ (kshe-), on the next word: כְּשֶׁהָיִיתִי יֶלֶד.
What tense follows כְּשֶׁ (when) for something still to come?
The future: כְּשֶׁאַגִּיעַ (kshe'agi'a), 'when I get home'.
How do you say 'before' with a clause, as in 'before you eat'?
לִפְנֵי שֶׁ (lifnei she-).
What tense follows כְּדֵי שֶׁ (so that)?
The future: כְּדֵי שֶׁכֻּלָּם יָבִינוּ, 'so that everyone understands'.