Endings for "my" and "his"
The owner's ending on the noun: שְׁמִי, אִשְׁתִּי, לְדַעְתִּי.
Everyday Hebrew says "my" with שֶׁל (Possession). Formal Hebrew puts the owner's ending straight on the noun, and speech keeps these forms in family words and set phrases.
| שֵׁם name | מִשְׁפָּחָה family | חֲבֵרִים friends | |
|---|---|---|---|
| my | שְׁמִי shmi | מִשְׁפַּחְתִּי mishpakhti | חֲבֵרַי khaverai |
| your (m.) | שִׁמְךָ shimkha | מִשְׁפַּחְתְּךָ mishpakhtekha | חֲבֵרֶיךָ khaverekha |
| your (f.) | שְׁמֵךְ shmekh | מִשְׁפַּחְתֵּךְ mishpakhtekh | חֲבֵרַיִךְ khaverayikh |
| his | שְׁמוֹ shmo | מִשְׁפַּחְתּוֹ mishpakhto | חֲבֵרָיו khaverav |
| her | שְׁמָהּ shma | מִשְׁפַּחְתָּהּ mishpakhta | חֲבֵרֶיהָ khavereha |
| our | שְׁמֵנוּ shmenu | מִשְׁפַּחְתֵּנוּ mishpakhtenu | חֲבֵרֵינוּ khavereinu |
| their | שְׁמָם shmam | מִשְׁפַּחְתָּם mishpakhtam | חַבְרֵיהֶם khavreihem |
The endings are those of prepositions (Prepositions with endings). A feminine noun in ־ָה keeps the ת of its joined form (Joined nouns): מִשְׁפָּחָה becomes מִשְׁפַּחְתִּי. A plural in ־ִים takes the second set of endings, the ones listed there on עַל: חֲבֵרָיו "his friends", like עָלָיו.
Where you'll meet them
- Family: אִשְׁתִּי ishti "my wife", בַּעֲלִי ba'ali "my husband", בְּנִי bni "my son", בִּתִּי biti "my daughter".
- Introductions and forms: שְׁמִי דָּנָה "my name is Dana", a little formal.
- Set phrases: לְדַעְתִּי leda'ati "in my opinion", בְּעַצְמִי be'atsmi "myself", לְבַדִּי levadi "alone", כֻּלָּם kulam "everyone, all of them", כֻּלָּנוּ kulanu "all of us".
- Writing, the news and formal speech.
- leda'ati ze ra'ayon tovIn my opinion it's a good idea.
- asiti et ze be'atsmiI did it myself.
- kulam kvar kanEveryone's already here.
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 Objects and prepositions cards.
What does the ending ־ִי (-i) on a noun mean, as in שְׁמִי (shmi)?
'My': שְׁמִי is 'my name'.
How do you say 'his name' with an ending on שֵׁם (shem)?
שְׁמוֹ (shmo).
What does בַּעֲלִי (ba'ali) mean?
'My husband'.
What does a feminine noun in ־ָה, like מִשְׁפָּחָה (family), keep before an ending?
The ת of its joined form: מִשְׁפַּחְתִּי (mishpakhti), 'my family'.
How do you say 'my friends' with an ending on חֲבֵרִים?
חֲבֵרַי (khaverai).
What does לְדַעְתִּי (leda'ati) mean?
'In my opinion'.
How do you say 'myself', as in 'I did it myself'?
בְּעַצְמִי (be'atsmi).
What does כֻּלָּם (kulam) mean?
'Everyone', 'all of them'.