Lesson 15: Prepositions with pronoun suffixes — "preposition + pronoun = one word"

Vocabulary: paradigms of le-, be-, im, et, al, mi-, mul, lifnei, acharei, shel; relational vocabulary

How to work with this lesson

  1. Read — get the main principle (5 minutes, no more).
  2. Run the paradigm aloud — every preposition through all 10 persons: ani → ata → at → hu → hi → anachnu → atem → aten → hem → hen. These are the "language scales".
  3. Write each paradigm by hand once — in a column. The eye will remember.
  4. Don't try to derive the form on the fly. This is a fixed table — memorize it like the multiplication table.

Knowing the rule = 5%. Training the reflex "to me → li, not le + ani" = 95%.


Part 1: The main thing to understand

In some languages "to me" is already one word, even though historically it equals "to + I". The English speaker doesn't say "to I", "to you", "to he" — you say me, you, him. These forms are fused and learned whole.

Hebrew does the same — but for nine common prepositions at once. Where English says "to me", Hebrew says li. Where "in you" — bekha. Where "with her" — ita. This is one word, not "preposition + pronoun".

You can't build it from two words every time. You can't say "le + ani" — that's wrong, and you won't be understood. You have to produce li directly.

The principle: the preposition in Hebrew takes a pronoun suffix (like a noun in L18 — sefer + i = sifri "my book"). The result is one phonetic unit: stem of the preposition + person ending.

The good news: the suffixes are the same for every preposition. If you've learned li / lekha / lakh / lo / la / lanu / lakhem / lakhen / lahem / lahen — you know which endings to glue onto be-, im, al, mul, lifnei, acharei and dozens of others. The complicated news: the preposition's stem changes before the suffix (le- → l-, be- → b-, im → it-/im-), and these changes have to be memorized separately for each preposition.

Hebrew splits "you-plural" and "they" by gender. So "to you (pl.)" is lakhem (m.) vs. lakhen (f.), and "to them" is lahem (m.) vs. lahen (f.). Always 10 forms, not 6.


Part 2: Universal suffix table (memorize ONCE)

Before we dig into specific prepositions, take a look at the skeleton — the person suffixes. They are the same for all prepositions and for noun possessives (L18). Learn them once — they pay off everywhere.

PersonSuffixLogic
1 sg (ani — I)-i"to me / me"
2 m sg (ata — you m.)-kha"to you m."
2 f sg (at — you f.)-kh / -akh"to you f."
3 m sg (hu — he)-o"to him"
3 f sg (hi — she)-a / -ah"to her"
1 pl (anachnu — we)-nu"to us"
2 m pl (atem — you m.)-khem"to you m."
2 f pl (aten — you f.)-khen"to you f."
3 m pl (hem — they m.)-hem / -am"to them m."
3 f pl (hen — they f.)-hen / -an"to them f."

Hint: masculine plural — -khem / -hem, feminine — -khen / -hen. It's a pair, like "-im / -ot" for nouns, only for pronouns.


Part 3: Paradigm of ל- (le-) — "to, for, whose"

The most common preposition. Used everywhere: give to, say to, go to, belong to.

PersonHebrewTranslitEnglish
aniלִיlito me / I have
ata (m.)לְךָlekhato you (m.)
at (f.)לָךְlakhto you (f.)
huלוֹloto him
hiלָהּlato her
anachnuלָנוּlanuto us
atem (m.)לָכֶםlakhemto you (m.)
aten (f.)לָכֶןlakhento you (f.)
hem (m.)לָהֶםlahemto them (m.)
hen (f.)לָהֶןlahento them (f.)

Examples:

  • אֲנִי נוֹתֵן לְךָ סֵפֶר. — Ani noten lekha sefer. — I'm giving you (m.) a book.
  • הִיא אָמְרָה לִי שָׁלוֹם. — Hi amra li shalom. — She said "hello" to me.
  • יֵשׁ לָהֶם בַּיִת גָּדוֹל. — Yesh lahem bayit gadol. — They (m.) have a big house. (literally: "there is to-them…")
  • לֹא אִכְפַּת לִי. — Lo ikhpat li. — I don't care. (literally: "not-there-is-importance to me")

Notice: possession in Hebrew is built with yesh + le- + suffix: "there is to me" = I have. Yesh li sefer = "I have a book". L10 mentioned this — now you have the full paradigm.

Trap: lo = "to him" (preposition + suffix). לֹא lo = "no / not" (negation). They are written differently (לוֹ vs. לֹא) but sound the same. Tell them apart by context.


Part 4: Paradigm of ב- (be-) — "in, on, by"

The preposition of location and instrument: "in Tel Aviv", "by car", "on the phone".

PersonHebrewTranslitEnglish
aniבִּיbiin me
ata (m.)בְּךָbekhain you (m.)
at (f.)בָּךְbakhin you (f.)
huבּוֹboin him / in it
hiבָּהּbain her / in it
anachnuבָּנוּbanuin us
atem (m.)בָּכֶםbakhemin you (m.)
aten (f.)בָּכֶןbakhenin you (f.)
hem (m.)בָּהֶםbahemin them (m.)
hen (f.)בָּהֶןbahenin them (f.)

Examples:

  • אֲנִי מַאֲמִין בְּךָ. — Ani ma'amin bekha. — I believe in you (m.).
  • יֵשׁ בּוֹ מַשֶּׁהוּ מְיֻחָד. — Yesh bo mashehu meyukhad. — There's something special in him.
  • הִיא הִתְבּוֹנְנָה בָּהֶם. — Hi hitbonena bahem. — She looked at them (m.). (verb hitbonen + be-)

Notice the symmetry with le-: the stem changes (l- → la-, b- → ba-) in the plural and 3 f., but the suffixes are the same. Once you've learned le-, the be- form is 80% guessable.


Part 5: Paradigm of עִם (im) — "with (together)"

"I'm with you", "he's with friends", "we're with you". This is togetherness, not instrument. (For instrument — be-: "to write with a pen" = likhtov be-eit.)

The preposition im has a quirk: in inflected forms the stem becomes it- (historically a different preposition stem). Memorize as is.

PersonHebrewTranslitEnglish
aniאִתִּיitiwith me
ata (m.)אִתְּךָitkhawith you (m.)
at (f.)אִתָּךְitakhwith you (f.)
huאִתּוֹitowith him
hiאִתָּהּitawith her
anachnuאִתָּנוּitanuwith us
atem (m.)אִתְּכֶםitkhemwith you (m.)
aten (f.)אִתְּכֶןitkhenwith you (f.)
hem (m.)אִתָּםitamwith them (m.)
hen (f.)אִתָּןitanwith them (f.)

Examples:

  • אַתָּה בָּא אִתִּי? — Ata ba iti? — Are you (m.) coming with me?
  • דִּבַּרְתִּי אִתָּהּ אֶתְמוֹל. — Dibarti ita etmol. — I spoke with her yesterday.
  • הֵם גָּרִים אִתָּנוּ. — Hem garim itanu. — They (m.) live with us.

Parallel form: in colloquial speech you often hear iti / itkha etc. with the stem it-. In writing / formal you may meet immi / immkha — same idea. We're learning the colloquial it- as the main form.

Don't confuse: im (עִם, "with") vs. im (אִם, "if" — for conditionals, L33). Different words, different letters (ayin vs. alef), same sound.


Part 6: Paradigm of אֵת / אֶת (et) — for a direct-object pronoun

Remember L11? Before a definite direct object Hebrew requires the particle et: ani ohev et ha-yeled "I love the boy". A pronoun ("him", "her", "them") is by definition definite, so it must go via et + suffix. These are exactly the forms oto, otah, otam etc. — "him, her, them" as a direct object.

PersonHebrewTranslitEnglish
aniאוֹתִיotime (acc.)
ata (m.)אוֹתְךָotkhayou (m.)
at (f.)אוֹתָךְotakhyou (f.)
huאוֹתוֹotohim
hiאוֹתָהּotaher
anachnuאוֹתָנוּotanuus
atem (m.)אֶתְכֶםetkhemyou (m.)
aten (f.)אֶתְכֶןetkhenyou (f.)
hem (m.)אוֹתָםotamthem (m.)
hen (f.)אוֹתָןotanthem (f.)

Remember the "double" stem: for 1, 3 p. and "us" — ot- (with the Hebrew "o"). For 2 pl. — et- (etkhem, etkhen). It's a historical quirk; that's how children learn it in school.

Examples:

  • אֲנִי אוֹהֵב אוֹתָךְ. — Ani ohev otakh. — I love you (f.). (m. speaker)
  • רָאִיתִי אוֹתוֹ בַּחֲנוּת. — Ra'iti oto ba-khanut. — I saw him at the shop.
  • הֵם מַזְמִינִים אוֹתָנוּ. — Hem mazminim otanu. — They (m.) are inviting us.
  • הִיא לֹא מַכִּירָה אֶתְכֶם. — Hi lo makira etkhem. — She doesn't know you (m.).

Main idea: "I saw him" is ra'iti oto (literally "saw-I him"). You can't say ra'iti et hu — the language's algorithm is: et + pronoun suffix, period.

Contrast: et / im — two different words. et is "the direct-object particle", not the preposition "with". "With Dani" = im Dani. "Dani (acc.)" = et Dani.


Part 7: Paradigm of עַל (al) — "on, about"

"On the table", "about the movie", "about you". The stem in the inflected form is al- with lengthening: alai, alekha, alav etc. Memorize as an exception to the "regular" suffixes — they're a bit different here.

PersonHebrewTranslitEnglish
aniעָלַיalaion me / about me
ata (m.)עָלֶיךָalekhaon you (m.) / about you
at (f.)עָלַיִךְalayikhon you (f.) / about you
huעָלָיוalavon him / about him
hiעָלֶיהָalehaon her / about her
anachnuעָלֵינוּaleinuon us / about us
atem (m.)עֲלֵיכֶםaleikhemon you (m.)
aten (f.)עֲלֵיכֶןaleikhenon you (f.)
hem (m.)עֲלֵיהֶםaleihemon them (m.)
hen (f.)עֲלֵיהֶןaleihenon them (f.)

Notice the characteristic -ei- in the stem in the plural and in some forms. This is the same "lengthened" paradigm that shows up in lifnei, acharei below. Memorize al as a "hard" example — after it, the others feel easier.

Examples:

  • הַסֵּפֶר עַל הַשֻּׁלְחָן. — Ha-sefer al ha-shulkhan. — The book is on the table. (al with a noun — no suffix)
  • דִּבַּרְנוּ עָלֶיךָ. — Dibarnu alekha. — We talked about you (m.).
  • מָה דַעְתְּךָ עָלָיו? — Ma da'atkha alav? — What's your opinion of him? (literally: what is your opinion about him)
  • אַל תִּכְעַס עָלַי. — Al tikh'as alai. — Don't be angry with me.

Part 8: Paradigm of מִן / מ- (mi-, me-) — "from, out of"

"From home", "from mom", "more than me". The stem in the inflected form is mimme- (historically min + strengthening): mimmeni, mimmekha etc.

PersonHebrewTranslitEnglish
aniמִמֶּנִּיmimmenifrom me / out of me
ata (m.)מִמְּךָmimmekhafrom you (m.)
at (f.)מִמֵּךְmimmekhfrom you (f.)
huמִמֶּנּוּmimmenufrom him
hiמִמֶּנָּהmimmenafrom her
anachnuמֵאִתָּנוּme-itanufrom us
atem (m.)מִכֶּםmikemfrom you (m.)
aten (f.)מִכֶּןmikenfrom you (f.)
hem (m.)מֵהֶםmehemfrom them (m.)
hen (f.)מֵהֶןmehenfrom them (f.)

Examples:

  • קִבַּלְתִּי מַתָּנָה מִמְּךָ. — Kibalti matana mimmekha. — I got a gift from you (m.).
  • הִיא גְּדוֹלָה מִמֶּנִּי. — Hi gdola mimmeni. — She is bigger than me. (comparison via mi- + suffix — L19)
  • הֵם בָּאוּ מֵהֶם. — Hem ba'u mehem. — They came from them.

Homonymy trap: mimmenu = "from him" AND "from us" (identical form!). Distinguished by context and by the pointing in writing: "from him" = מִמֶּנּוּ (with dagesh in nun), "from us" in formal speech = מִמֶּנּוּ or mei-itanu. Colloquially they more often say me-itanu to avoid the ambiguity.


Part 9: Paradigm of מוּל (mul) — "opposite, in front of"

"Opposite me", "in front of the house". A simple paradigm with the "regular" suffixes.

PersonHebrewTranslitEnglish
aniמוּלִיmuliopposite me
ata (m.)מוּלְךָmulkhaopposite you (m.)
at (f.)מוּלֵךְmulekhopposite you (f.)
huמוּלוֹmuloopposite him
hiמוּלָהּmulaopposite her
anachnuמוּלֵנוּmulenuopposite us
atem (m.)מוּלְכֶםmulkhemopposite you (m.)
aten (f.)מוּלְכֶןmulkhenopposite you (f.)
hem (m.)מוּלָםmulamopposite them (m.)
hen (f.)מוּלָןmulanopposite them (f.)

Example: הַבַּנְק נִמְצָא מוּלִי. — Ha-bank nimtsa muli. — The bank is opposite me.


Part 10: Paradigms of לִפְנֵי (lifnei) and אַחֲרֵי (acharei) — "before" and "after"

Temporal and spatial. Both end in -ei in the stem — this is the "construct" form (akin to smikhut, L20). So the suffixes come with the same lengthening seen with al.

lifnei — "before, in front of"

PersonHebrewTranslitEnglish
aniלְפָנַיlefanaiin front of me
ata (m.)לְפָנֶיךָlefanekhain front of you (m.)
at (f.)לְפָנַיִךְlefanayikhin front of you (f.)
huלְפָנָיוlefanavin front of him
hiלְפָנֶיהָlefanehain front of her
anachnuלְפָנֵינוּlefaneinuin front of us
atem (m.)לִפְנֵיכֶםlifneikhembefore you (m.)
aten (f.)לִפְנֵיכֶןlifneikhenbefore you (f.)
hem (m.)לִפְנֵיהֶםlifneihembefore them (m.)
hen (f.)לִפְנֵיהֶןlifneihenbefore them (f.)

acharei — "after, behind"

PersonHebrewTranslitEnglish
aniאַחֲרַיacharaiafter me / behind me
ata (m.)אַחֲרֶיךָacharekhaafter you (m.)
at (f.)אַחֲרַיִךְacharayikhafter you (f.)
huאַחֲרָיוacharavafter him
hiאַחֲרֶיהָacharehaafter her
anachnuאַחֲרֵינוּachareinuafter us
atem (m.)אַחֲרֵיכֶםachareikhemafter you (m.)
aten (f.)אַחֲרֵיכֶןachareikhenafter you (f.)
hem (m.)אַחֲרֵיהֶםachareihemafter them (m.)
hen (f.)אַחֲרֵיהֶןachareihenafter them (f.)

Examples:

  • בּוֹאִי אַחֲרַי! — Bo'i acharai! — Come after me! (command to a woman)
  • הוּא יָשַׁב לְפָנֶיהָ. — Hu yashav lefaneha. — He sat in front of her.
  • אַחֲרֵיכֶם, בְּבַקָּשָׁה. — Achareikhem, bevakasha. — After you (m.), please. (politeness in doorways)

Notice the structural parallel lifnei ↔ acharei: both series follow the same schema (-ai, -ekha, -ayikh, -av, -eha, -einu, -eikhem, -eikhen, -eihem, -eihen). Learn one — you almost know the other.


Part 11: Short review of שֶׁל (shel) — "of, belonging to"

This was already in L18 (possession), but we'll briefly review, because shel + suffix works on the same rules.

PersonHebrewTranslitEnglish
aniשֶׁלִּיshelimine
ata (m.)שֶׁלְּךָshelkhayours (m.)
at (f.)שֶׁלָּךְshelakhyours (f.)
huשֶׁלּוֹshelohis
hiשֶׁלָּהּshelahers
anachnuשֶׁלָּנוּshelanuours
atem (m.)שֶׁלָּכֶםshelakhemyours (m.)
aten (f.)שֶׁלָּכֶןshelakhenyours (f.)
hem (m.)שֶׁלָּהֶםshelahemtheirs (m.)
hen (f.)שֶׁלָּהֶןshelahentheirs (f.)

Notice: shel is le- with the addition of she- ("which"). Historically "which [belongs] to you". So the suffixes of shel and le- are the same: -i, -kha, -akh, -o, -a, -anu, -akhem, -akhen, -ahem, -ahen.

Example: הַסֵּפֶר שֶׁלִּי, לֹא שֶׁלְּךָ. — Ha-sefer sheli, lo shelkha. — The book is mine, not yours.


Next up: Lesson 16 — Binyan Nif'al (present and past). The passive or middle partner of Pa'al: nikhnas "enters" (literally "becomes-entered"), nish'ar "remains", nolad "is born", nifgash "meets". The sixth binyan on your map — after Pa'al, Pi'el, Hif'il, and the brief introduction in L7.

Lesson 15: Prepositions with pronoun suffixes — "preposition + pronoun = one word" · עברית · Glottos Matrix