Throughout the world, more than 4.6 million people speak Hebrew. It is primarily spoken in Israel, where, along with Arabic, it is one of the two official languages.
Because Israel is a nation of immigrants, Hebrew is a second language for many of its
speakers. Many Israeli Arabs also learn to speak Hebrew as a second language.
Hebrew belongs to the Semitic language group, which also
includes Arabic. There are two main branches of Hebrew, called Ashkenasic and Sephardic. They
differ mainly in their pronunciation of certain letters. Ashkenasic Hebrew was spoken by
the Jews in Central Europe, while Sephardic Hebrew was spoken by those of the
Mediterranean basin. Sephardic pronunciation is used in Israel.
Hebrew has made an amazing return from near-extinction.
From the ninth century to the nineteenth century, the Hebrew language was not spoken extensively. Mostly, it was used in Jewish religious observance and by scholars studying the Old Testament.
However, it underwent a renaissance when the Zionist movement-- begun in the nineteenth
century to work for the establishment of a State of Israel-- decided that Hebrew should be
Israel's official language. Hebrew was recognized as an official language of Jewish
Palestine in 1922 and had established itself as a modern language by the time Israel was
officially established in 1948. Modern Hebrew, adapted to meet modern needs, is somewhat
different from the ancient language of the Bible from which it is descended.
Few English words come from modern Hebrew vocabulary, but many words
come from the Hebrew of the Bible, including amen, hallelujah, and hosanna.
In addition, many common names are of Biblical origin, including Adam, Daniel, David,
Deborah, Dinah, Joseph, Miriam, and Rebecca. Some words that we think of as
Yiddish actually come from Hebrew vocabulary, including maven, chutzpah, and schlemiel.
The exotic appearance of the Hebrew alphabet will
prevent most English speakers who are learning Hebrew from imagining false relationships between written Hebrew words and
English look-alikes. However, as you are learning to speak Hebrew, confusion can arise. The Hebrew vocabulary word mi
(pronounced like the English word "me") means who; the word hu
(pronounced "who") means he; and the word hi (pronounced
"he") means she.
Strictly speaking, Hebrew has no formal mode of
address. However, using the feminine plural pronouns in the second and third person is
generally viewed as formal. In informal usage, the masculine pronouns replace them.
As you learn Hebrew, you will notice that in the present tense, Hebrew verbs conjugate
differently from those of many languages, because the conjugations are by gender and
number. For example, the conjugation for the masculine first person singular is the same
as for the masculine second and third person singular, but different than the conjugation
for the feminine first person singular.
In addition to being written from right to left, Hebrew can
pose difficulties for English speakers because it is generally written without
representing the vowel sounds. When the Hebrew vowels are written out, the vowel sounds are represented
by dots and lines beneath the consonants.
Of the 22 Hebrew consonants, five take a different form
when they occur at the end of a word. The Hebrew alphabet does not have capital letters.
Hebrew letters are also used for numbers, just as in the Roman numeral system. The number
18 is considered to be lucky because the letters that make it up form the word khay,
which means life.
An all-purpose greeting in Hebrew is shalom, used
for both hello and good-bye. It means peace.
Regular practice is necessary to learn to speak Hebrew well. That's why good Hebrew software programs and other Hebrew learning products can be so useful. It's easier than ever to learn Hebrew and to begin to speak Hebrew with the language
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