9: Prepositions and Vav Conjunction

Question 1

What are the two kinds of prepositions?

Answer 1

1. Independent
2. Inseparable

Question 2

What are the Independent prepositions?

Answer 2

1. Independent words, like english prepositions
   
   • The prepositions עַל and אֶל are almost always written with a marqueef (עַל־)

Question 3

What are Inseparable prepositions?

Answer 3

1. Words that are joined to the word they govern (as a prefix)

Question 4

What are the three Inseparable prepositions?

Answer 4

1. There are three inseparable prepositions:
   
   • בְּ = in, at, with
   • כְּ = like, as, according to
   • לְ = to, for

Question 5

What is the first characteristic of the Inseparable prepositions?

Answer 5

• Its regular vowel is a sheva

Question 6

What is the second characteristic of the Inseparable prepositions?

Answer 6

• If a word begins with a sheva, the vowel will be chireq

Question 7

What is the third characteristic of the Inseparable prepositions?

Answer 7

• If a word begins with chatef-patach, chatef-segol or chatef-qamets, the vowel will be the corresponding short vowel.

Question 8

What is the fourth characteristic of the Inseparable prepositions?

Answer 8

• Sometimes, if a word begins with chatef-segol under an א, the vowel under the א will drop and the vowel under the preposition will be tsere.

Question 9

What is the fifth characteristic of the Inseparable prepositions?

Answer 9

• When an inseparable preposition is added to a definite noun, the ה of the definite article is replaced by the consonantal element of the preposition.

Question 10

What if I want to combine inseparable prepositions with the definite article?

Answer 10

1. Substitute the Hey of the definite article with the desired inseparable preposition
2. Leave the other two elements of the definite article.
   
   • patach
   • strong dagesh

Question 11

What if I want to combine the definite article with an inseparable preposition but the next word begins with a guttural?

Answer 11

• you follow the same procedure of the definite article with gutturals but substitute the Hey with the desired preposition

Question 12

What are two characteristics of the preposition מִן?

Answer 12

• It is independent with definite nouns.
  
  • Joined with a maqqef (־)
  • מִן־הָזֶבַח “from the sacrifice”
• It is inseparable with indefinite nouns.

Question 13

What are the characteristics of מִן when it is inseparable?

Answer 13

1. The נ is assimilated to the following consonant, this is indicated by the strong dagesh
   
   • מִןזֶבַח > מִזזֶבַח > מִזֶּבַח “from a sacrifice”
2. Before indefinite nouns that begin with gutturals or resh, the נ is dropped and not indicated by strong dagesh
   
   • The expected chireq is lengthened to tsere to compensate for not doubling the following consonant.
   • מֵאָב = “from a father”

Question 14

Summary of מִן preposition

Answer 14

1. מִן־ (with definite nouns)
2. ּ מִן (with indefinite nouns)
3. מֵ (with indefinite + guttural nouns)

Question 15

What are the two kinds of conjunctions in Hebrew?

Answer 15

1. Coordinating (vav ו)
2. Subordinating

Question 16

What is the first characteristic of the vav conjunction?

Answer 16

• The vav conjunction is inseparable and usually written with a sheva.
  
  • וְלֵב = and a heart

Question 17

What is the second characteristic of the vav conjunction?

Answer 17

• Before a word beginning with מ , ב or פ, the form is וּ
  
  • mnemonic BUMP
  • וּבַיִת = and a house
  • This will also happen in words beginning with vocal shevas

Question 18

What is the third characteristic of the vav conjunction?

Answer 18

• Before a word beginning with chatef-patach, chatef-segol, or chatef-qamets, the vowel is the corresponding short vowel.

Question 19

How can the vav conjunction be used?

Answer 19

1. Vav can be used to join two subjects.
   
   • הָלְכוּ שָׁאִישׁ וְהָאִשָּׁה = The man and the woman walked.
2. Vav can be used to join two direct objects.
   
   • שָׁלַח אֶת־הַנָּבִיא וְאֶת־הסכֹּהֵן = He sent the prophet and the priest
3. Vav can be used to join verbs.

Question 20

גָּדוֹל

Answer 20

large, great

Question 21

חַי

Answer 21

alive, living

Question 22

חָכָם

Answer 22

wise, skillfull

Question 23

טָהוֹר

Answer 23

clean, pure

Question 24

טוֹב

Answer 24

good, pleasing

Question 25

טָמֵא

Answer 25

unclean, impure

Question 26

יָשָׁר

Answer 26

straight, right

Question 27

קָדוֹשׁ

Answer 27

holy, sacred

Question 28

רַב

Answer 28

much, great, many

Question 29

רָשָׁע

Answer 29

guilty, wicked