ABSTRACT
In the basic modern Hebrew sentence, the subject comes before its predicate, e.g.
Subject + verb
Subject + adjective
Subject + adverb
Examples:
¬ Ž¯ ¦ Ž±Õ¢ Yoram floats ¢ Š© ŽÞ †¯ « ¦ Ž±Õ¢ Yoram’s uptight ¦ ŽÚ ¦Ž±Õ¢ Yoram’s there
a The pattern ¬‹¢¢ Ž« ¦ Ž±Õ¢ ‘Yoram is tired’
For sentences of the type ‘Yoram is tired, the falafel is cold’, i.e. noun + ‘be’ + adjective, Hebrew commonly omits the verb:
± ° ¥ Œ ¥ The falafel [is] cold ¦¢ Š± ° Œ¥ ‹™ Ž ¦¢ Š¥ Œ ¥ These falafels [are] cold
Alternatively – especially after a longish subject like Œ¥ ‹™ Ž ¦¢ Š¥ Œ ¥ ¥ Žç ‘all these falafels’ – Hebrew often inserts the ‘particles of being’ ™â ,™¢ Š, ¦ ‹,¨ ‹ . Which one is chosen depends on whether the subject is masculine
or feminine, singular or plural:
Masc. sing. ¬¢‹¢ Ž« ™â â© Ž¥ ŒÚ ¦Ž±Õ¢ Our Yoram is tired ¦ ‹ Œ¥ ‹™ Ž ¦¢ Š¥ Œ ¥
sentence: basic word order
Fem. sing. Ž¥ ŒÚ Ž± ŽÛ Ž¢‹¢ˆ« ™¢ Š â© Our Sara is tired
Fem. pl. ³Õ± ° ¨ ‹ Œ¥ ‹™ Ž ³Õ¯¢ Šì These pizzas are cold
b The pattern ¥ ‹³ †Þ ¦ Ž±Õ¢-š¢ ŠšÒ ‘Yoram’s in Tel Aviv’
The same is true for sentences like ‘the cats are in the closet, Shmulik is over there, the letter’s from Grandma’ (i.e. sentences with an adverbial as their predicate). Either there is no word for ‘be’:
¨Õ±Ò ŽÞ ¦¢ Š¥â³ The cats [are] in the closet
Ž§ ŽÚ °¢ Š¥™â§ †Ú Shmulik [is] over there
™ Žñ †š ª Š§ š Žñ †¤ Š§ The letter[‘s] from Grandma
or one uses one of the particles of being ™â ,™¢ Š ,¦ ‹ ,¨ ‹ .
