Key Rule: Add הַ (ha-) before the noun to make it definite. The next letter usually gets a dagesh (dot): סֵפֶר → הַסֵּפֶר (ha-SE-fer, the book).
| # | Indefinite | Transliteration | Definite | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | יֶלֶד | YE-led | הַיֶּלֶד | ha-YE-led | a boy → the boy |
| 2 | סֵפֶר | SE-fer | הַסֵּפֶר | ha-SE-fer | a book → the book |
| 3 | יַלְדָּה | yal-DA | הַיַּלְדָּה | ha-yal-DA | a girl → the girl |
| 4 | מוֹרֶה | mo-RE | הַמּוֹרֶה | ha-mo-RE | a teacher → the teacher |
| 5 | כֶּלֶב | KE-lev | הַכֶּלֶב | ha-KE-lev | a dog → the dog |
Circle the correct answer for each question.
1.How do you say 'the book' in Hebrew?
סֵפֶר | הַסֵּפֶר | סֵפֶר הַ | אֶת סֵפֶר
2.What is special about הַ before guttural letters?
It disappears | Its vowel changes | It becomes לַ | Nothing changes
3.How do you say 'the big boy'?
הַיֶּלֶד גָּדוֹל | יֶלֶד הַגָּדוֹל | הַיֶּלֶד הַגָּדוֹל | גָּדוֹל הַיֶּלֶד
4.הַיֶּלֶד גָּדוֹל (without הַ on the adjective) means:
the big boy | a big boy | the boy is big | big boys
Answers
1. הַסֵּפֶר
2. Its vowel changes
3. הַיֶּלֶד הַגָּדוֹל
4. the boy is big