. PERSONAL PRONOUNS 1st PERSON


A. Griber


In this lesson, you will learn about 1st person singular and plural personal pronouns.


Pronouns, in their essence, replace names (that is, they are used "instead of a name").


Point your finger at yourself and say the word "ani".

This word corresponds to the Russian personal pronoun "I" and indicates the one who speaks about himself ("the speaker" or "the author of the speech act").


In Hebrew, the word "anI" refers to the common gender, that is, it can indicate both a masculine person and a feminine person. In this case, this person will always be animated and in the singular. The same thing happens with the word "I" in Russian.


In Hebrew grammar, the word "anI" is included in the category of personal pronouns and refers to the 1st person singular, like the word "ya" in Russian.


And now let's correctly pronounce all the sounds of the word "ani".


The Hebrew vowel "a" is pronounced in the same way as the similar vowel sound of the Russian language UNDER ACCENT. In unstressed syllables, this sound in Russian is pronounced differently. In Hebrew, the sound "a" is pronounced the same, both under stress and in an unstressed syllable.


The Hebrew consonant "n", unlike the Russian language, is pronounced when the tip of the tongue touches the palate next to the upper teeth. Remember also that this sound never softens before the vowel sound [and].


The Hebrew vowel "i" is pronounced as a cross between the Russian sounds "i" - "s". When pronouncing this sound, care should be taken that the body of the tongue does not rise to the upper palate, but lies freely below. Only after the soft consonant sound "th" the Hebrew vowel sound "and" is pronounced in the same way as the Russian sound "and", that is, with the tongue raised to the upper palate.


Now let's write this word in Hebrew:


אֲנִי (anI) - "I".


The first letter of this word is the letter א (Aleph) - the 1st letter of the Hebrew alphabet. It also has a numerical value - "1".


In Hebrew, each letter also has a numerical value. Therefore, the names of the letters are used when designating: numbers with letters, dates of the Jewish calendar, days of the week, classes at school, floors in a multi-storey building, and in a number of other cases.


And one more note. I want to inform you that all Hebrew letters are proper nouns and are feminine.


In modern speech, the letter א (Aleph) is not pronounced. However, in careful speech, it denotes a special guttural sound, which is pronounced as a break in the voice, a push, a guttural explosion. When a sound is produced, the vocal cords close tightly, and then suddenly open with a push of air. In this case, the vocal cords do not vibrate, and there is no vocal tone. This pronunciation of the letter א (Aleph) is characteristic only before a vowel sound, defining its more abrupt and solid beginning. Something similar sounds at the end of the Russian word "no", when, instead of the letter "t", there is a sharp, abrupt pronunciation: "not ...".


In the middle of a word, after a consonant sound, pronouncing the letter א (Aleph) is similar to pronouncing a solid sign in Russian speech.


At the end of the word, the sound of the letter א (Aleph) is expressed in a sharp break in the air stream.


Sometimes the letter א (Aleph) is used to denote the sound "a".


Under the letter א (Aleph) there is a horizontal line and a colon, which are called “hatAf-patAh” vowels and denote the sound “a”. Such a vowel never gets stressed.


Vowels are the main means in Hebrew for designating vowel sounds.


The next letter in this word is the letter נ (called "nun"), the 14th letter of the Hebrew alphabet, which is pronounced like the sound "n". This letter has a numerical value - 50 (fifty). At the end of the word, this letter has a different style - ן and is called "nun sofIt - nun final."


Under the letter נ (nun) there is a dot, which is called the vowel "hirik" and is pronounced like the sound "and".


The last letter in this word is the letter י (yod or yod), the 10th letter of the Hebrew alphabet. It has a numerical value - 10 (ten).


This letter can be pronounced both as a consonant sound "y", and as a vowel sound "and". In some cases, this letter is written but not pronounced.


In this word, the combination of a dot under the letter נ (nun) with the letter י (yud) is a vowel, which is called “khirik malE - hirik full” and is pronounced like the sound “and”.


If at least one more person is next to you, so to speak, shoulder to shoulder, then pointing your finger at such a community of “I and others”, you can use the word “anAkhnu”. This word corresponds to the Russian personal pronoun "we" and indicates those who speak about themselves ("speaking" or "authors of the speech act").


In Hebrew, the word "anAkhnu", like the word "anI", also refers to the common gender, that is, it can indicate both masculine and feminine persons. In this case, these persons will always be animated and in the plural. The same thing happens with the word "we" in Russian.


How to pronounce the sounds "a" and "n" you already know.


The fourth Hebrew consonant "x" in this word can have a double pronunciation. Its first pronunciation is similar to the pronunciation of the consonant sound "x" in Russian. But its second pronunciation resembles the Russian sound "x", but it is formed not in the palatal part of the oral cavity, but deep in the larynx. The forceful pushing of air produces a characteristic rubbing sound with resonance in the pharyngeal cavity (similar to expectoration).


In this word, the sound "x" has a second pronunciation.


The sixth vowel sound “u” in this word is pronounced in the same way as the similar vowel sound of the Russian language UNDER THE ACCENT. In unstressed syllables, this sound in Russian is pronounced differently. In Hebrew, the sound "y" is pronounced the same way, both under stress and in an unstressed syllable.


And now let's analyze the spelling of the word אֲנַחְנוּ (anAkhnu) - "we".


The first letter of this word א (Aleph) with its vowel "hatAf-patAh" is already known to you.


Under the second letter of this word - the letter נ ((nun) there is a horizontal line, which is called the vowel "patAh" and is pronounced like the sound "a". Thus, the sound "a" can already be indicated by two vowels: "patAh" and "hatAf- patah."


The third letter of this word is ח (hat) - the 8th letter of the Hebrew alphabet is pronounced as the sound "x". This letter has a numerical value - 8 (eight).


Under the letter ח (hat) there is a colon, which is called the vowel "seam". Most often, this vowel is not pronounced, as in this word. However, in some cases, the vowel "seam" is pronounced as the sound "e". We'll talk more about this in the future.


The last letter of the word ו (vav), the 6th letter of the Hebrew alphabet, can be pronounced both as the consonant sound "v", and as the vowel sound "o", and as the vowel sound "y". This letter has a numerical value - 6 (six).


The letter ו (vav) with a dot in the middle of the letter –וּ is a vocalization called “shurUk” and is pronounced like the sound “y”.


In literary speech, the pronoun אָנוּ (Anu) is used in the meaning of "we".


Under the letter א (Alef) there is a vowel, which in its outlines is similar to the Russian printed letter “t” - אָ. This vowel is called "kamatz" and is pronounced like the sound "a".


Thus, to designate the sound "a" in Hebrew, three vowels are used: "kamAtz", "patAH" and "hatAf-patAch".