Unit I — Eight basic prefixes attached to Hebrew words · Unit II — Plural suffixes (ִים / וֹת)
What is a prefix? A Hebrew prefix is a single letter (or sometimes two) attached directly to the beginning of a word. Unlike English prepositions, Hebrew prefixes have no space — they fuse with the word!Example: לְ + סֵפֶר = לְסֵפֶר (to a book)
בְּ
Bet
in, with, by
1בְּבַיִת=in the house(base: house)
2בְּסֵפֶר=in a book(base: book)
3בְּבֵית הַסֵּפֶר=in school(base: school)
📌 Usually becomes בַּ before ה, and gets a dagesh in the next letter when it is a ה-definite article.
וְ
Vav
and
1וְאִמָּא=and Mommy(base: Mommy)
2וְאַבָּא=and Daddy(base: Daddy)
3וָיֶלֶד=and a boy(base: boy)
📌 Becomes וּ before labial letters (ב, ו, מ, פ) or before a word starting with a Shva.
כְּ
Kaf
like, as
1כְּאַרְיֵה=like a lion(base: lion)
2כְּמֶלֶךְ=like a king(base: king)
3כַּיֶּלֶד=like the boy(base: the boy)
📌 Becomes כַּ before ה-definite article (the ה is dropped and a dagesh added).
לְ
Lamed
to, for
1לְבַיִת=to/for the house(base: house)
2לְמוֹרֶה=to the teacher(base: teacher)
3לַיֶּלֶד=to the boy(base: the boy)
📌 Becomes לַ before ה-definite article (like כְּ).
מִ
Mem
from, of
1מִבַּיִת=from the house(base: house)
2מִירוּשָׁלַיִם=from Jerusalem(base: Jerusalem)
3מֵהָאָרֶץ=from the land(base: the land)
📌 Becomes מֵ before ה-definite article words.
שֶׁ
Shin
that, who, which
1שֶׁהוּא=that he(base: he)
2שֶׁיֵּשׁ=that there is(base: there is)
3שֶׁכָּתַב=who wrote(base: wrote)
📌 Used as a relative pronoun/conjunction. Gets a dagesh in the next letter before certain letters.
הַ
Hey
the (definite article)
1הַסֵּפֶר=the book(base: book)
2הַיֶּלֶד=the boy(base: boy)
3הָאָרֶץ=the land(base: land)
📌 הַ before most letters (with dagesh). הָ before guttural letters (א, ה, ח, ע, ר). הֶ before ח or ע with certain vowels.
אֶת
Et / Al / Im
את = (direct object marker) | עַל = on/about | עִם = with
1אֶת הַסֵּפֶר=the book (obj.)(base: the book)
2עַל הַשֻּׁלְחָן=on the table(base: the table)
3עִם חֲבֵרִים=with friends(base: friends)
📌 אֶת marks the definite direct object (no English equivalent). עַל and עִם are prepositions used independently.