HEALTH QUESTIONS
HEALTH QUESTIONS
A. Griber
In this lesson, you will learn how to use the question word מַה (ma) in questions about health that people in Israel ask each other after greeting.
?מַה שְלוֹמךָ
(ma shlomha?)
“How are you (m.p.)?”
The word שְלוֹמךָ (shlomkhA) consists of the word שָלוֹם (shalom) and the singular object pronominal suffix ךָ (-хА; the letter “chaf sofIt” with the vowel “kamAtz”).”
The word שָלוֹם (shalom) also has the meaning of "health" when something is added to it (pronominal suffix or word).
?וּמַה שְלוֹמֵךְ
(u-ma shlomEh?)
“And how is your health (female)?”
The word שְלוֹמֵךְ (shlomEh) consists of the word שָלוֹם (shalom) and the pronominal suffix of the single object ךְ ֵ (-Eh; vowel “tserE”, letter “khaf-sofit” with vowel “shva”)”.
.תוֹדָה, שלוֹמִי טוֹב
(TodA, shlomI tov.)
"Thank you, my health is good."
The word תוֹדָה (todA) is “gratitude (words), gratitude; thank you, thank you” is a feminine singular noun.
The word שלוֹמִי (shlomI) consists of the word שָלוֹם (shalom) and the singular object pronominal suffix י ִ (-I; vowel "hirik" and the letter "yud").
?מַה שְלוֹמְכֶם
(ma shlomhem?)
“How are you (m.p.)?”
The word שְלוֹמְכֶם (shlomkhem) consists of the word שָלוֹם (shalom) and the singular object pronominal suffix כֶם (-hem; the letter “kaf” with the vowel “segol” and the letter “mem-sofit”), which corresponds to the personal pronoun of the 2nd person of the masculine gender plural אַתֶם (atem) - "you (m. R.)".
?מַה שְלוֹמְכֶן
(ma shlomhen?)
“How are you (female)?”
The word שְלוֹמְכֶן (shlomkhEn) consists of the word שָלוֹם (shalom) and the pronominal singular object suffix כֶן (-khEn; the letter “kaf” with the vowel “segol” and the letter “nun-sophit”), which corresponds to the personal pronoun of the 2nd person of the feminine plural אַתֶן (atEn) - "you (female)".
.שלוֹמֵנוּ טוֹב מְאוֹד
(shlom enu tov meod.)
"Our health is very good."
The word שלוֹמֵנוּ (shlomEnu) consists of the word שָלוֹם (shalom) and the pronominal singular object suffix נוּ ֵ (-Enu; vowel "tserE", the letter "nun" and the letter "vav" with the vowel "shurUk"), which corresponds to the personal pronoun 1- th person plural אֲנַחנוּ (anAkhnu) – “we”.
?מַה שלוֹם בַּעֲלֵךְ
(ma shlom baaleh?)
"How is your husband's health?"
The word בַּעֲלֵךְ (baalEh) – “your husband” consists of a singular masculine noun בַּעַל (baal) and a pronominal singular object suffix ךְ ֵ (-Eh; vowel “tserE”, letter “haf-sofit” with vowel “shva”).
The words שָלוֹם (shalom) and בַּעֲלֵךְ (baalEh) form a conjugate combination of nouns, in which the second word is attached to the first according to the principle of pronominal suffix. The emphasis shifts to the second word, and the word שָלוֹם (shalom) becomes שְלוֹם (slome).
.שלוֹמוֹ מְצוּיָן
(shlomO metsuan.)
"His health is excellent."
The word שלוֹמוֹ (shlomO) consists of the word שָלוֹם (shalom) and the singular object pronominal suffix וֹ (-О; the letter “vav” with the vowel “holAm”).
The word מְצוּיָן (metsuyan) - "excellent (beautiful)" - is a singular masculine adjective.
?מַה שְלוֹם אִישְתְךָ
(ma shlom ishteha?)
"How is your wife's health?"
The word אִישְתְךָ (ishtehA) – “your wife” consists of a singular feminine noun אִישָה (ishA) and a pronominal singular object suffix ךָ (-хА; the letter “haf sofIt” with the vowel “kamAtz”).
In the word אִישָה (ishA), in connection with the addition of a pronominal suffix, the letter “hey” is replaced by the letter “tav”, and the vowel “kamAtz” under the letter “shin” is replaced by the vowel “shva”.
Inside the word אִישְתְךָ (ishtekhA) under the letters “shin” and “tav” there is the vowel “shva”.
If in the middle of a word two vowels of “shva” occur in a row, then the second vowel of “shva” will be pronounced as an unstressed vowel sound “e” in order to avoid pronunciation of a difficult-to-pronounce combination of three consonants.
.שלוֹמָה לא רַע
(Shloma lo ra.)
"Her health is not bad."
The word שלוֹמָה (shlomA) consists of the word שָלוֹם (shalom) and the singular object pronominal suffix ה ַ (-А; vowel "kamAtz" and the letter "hey").
The word רַע (ra) is “bad, bad; evil (carrying evil); harmful (harmful); bad, bad (about a fainting state) ”is a masculine singular adjective.
?מַה שלוֹם הַיְלָדִים
(ma shlom ha-yeladim?)
"How is the children's health?"
The phrase שלוֹם הַיְלָדִים (slom ha-yeladim) is a conjugate combination of the nouns שָלוֹם (shalom) and יְלָדִים (yeladim).
In a conjugated combination, the definite article always comes before the second word of the combination, but it applies to both words.
.שלוֹמָם בְּסֵדֶר
(Shlomam be-seder.)
“Their health (m.r.) is fine.”
The word שלוֹמָם (shlomAm) consists of the word שָלוֹם (shalom) and the pronominal singular object suffix ם ָ (-Am; vowel "kamAtz" and the letter "mem-sofit"), which corresponds to the 3rd person personal pronoun masculine plural הֵם ( hem) - "they (m. R.)".
The word בְּסֵדֶר (be-sEder) consists of the preposition בְּ (be-) - “in (inside, in the environment, when indicating time); on (somewhere); under (under conditions), under” and singular masculine noun סֵדֶר (seder) – “order (correct state or position)”.
The preposition בְּ (be-) consists of one letter, so it is written together with the word following it. All prepositions that consist of one letter have this property.
In transcription, such prepositions are separated by a dash from the words following them.
?מַה שְלוֹם הַבָּנוֹת
(ma shlom habanot?)
"How are your daughters?"
.שלומָן בְּסֵדֶר גָמוּר
(shlomAn be-seder gamur.)
"Their health (f. R.) is in perfect order."
The word שלוֹמָן (shlomAn) consists of the word שָלוֹם (shalom) and the pronominal singular object suffix ן ָ (-An; vowel "kamAtz" and the letter "nun-sophit"), which corresponds to the personal pronoun of the 3rd person feminine plural הֵן ( heng) - "they (female)".
The word גָמוּר (gamur) — “complete, complete, complete, absolute, perfect” — is a singular masculine adjective.
?מַה מַצָב בּרִיאוּתךָ
(ma matzav bryutha?)
“How is your health (m.p.)?”
The word מַצָב (matzAv) — “position, condition (status)” — is a masculine singular noun.
The word בּרִיאוּתךָ (briutkhA) consists of a singular feminine noun בּרִיאוּת (briut) – “health; health care” and the pronominal suffix of the singular object ךָ (-хА; the letter “khaf sofit” with the vowel “kamAtz”).
The phrase מַצָב בּרִיאוּתךָ (matzav briutkha) is a conjugate combination of nouns.
?מַה מַצָב בּרִיאוּתֵךְ
(ma matzav briutEh?)
“How is your health (female)?”
The word בּרִיאוּתֵךְ (briutEh) consists of a singular feminine noun בּרִיאוּת (briut) and a pronominal singular object suffix ךְ ֵ (-Eh; vowel “tserE”, letter “haf-sofit” with vowel “shva”).
.מַצָב בּרִיאוּתִי עֶשֶׂר
(Matzav BriutI Eser.)
"My health is excellent."
The word עֶשֶׂר (Eser) - "10 (ten)" - is a feminine number. It is used as the highest score on a ten-point system.
So, in this lesson, you learned how to use the question word מַה (ma) in questions about health, and also learned:
- what personal pronouns the corresponding pronominal suffixes refer to;
- how to pronounce the vowel "seam" inside the word, being under the adjacent letters;
- where the definite article is placed in the conjugated combination of nouns;
- how to write a preposition that consists of one letter.