Prepositions in Hebrew

Overview

The concept of Prepositions (מילות יחס) is a beginner-level topic in Hebrew grammar. Common prepositions: ב- (in), ל- (to/for), מ- (from), על (on/about), עם (with), את (direct object marker). Take pronoun suffixes.

Understanding prepositions builds on your knowledge of Definite Article and is essential for constructing natural-sounding Hebrew sentences. This topic is classified at the A1 level of the CEFR framework, meaning it is expected of learners at the beginner stage.

Even at the early stages, getting comfortable with prepositions will give you the confidence to express yourself more clearly. Hebrew learners often find that once they grasp this concept, many other parts of the language start to fall into place.

How It Works

Key Principles

Common prepositions: ב- (in), ל- (to/for), מ- (from), על (on/about), עם (with), את (direct object marker). Take pronoun suffixes.

Core Forms

Hebrew	Meaning
בבית	in the house
לבית הספר	to school
מישראל	from Israel
אני רואה את הילד.	I see the child. (acc)

Common Prepositions

Preposition	Meaning	Example
ב- (be-)	in, at	בבית (in the house)
ל- (le-)	to, for	לבית הספר (to school)
מ-/מן (mi-/min)	from	מישראל (from Israel)
על (al)	on, about	על השולחן (on the table)
עם (im)	with	עם חברים (with friends)
את (et)	(direct object marker)	את הספר (the book, as object)

The Direct Object Marker את

The word את does not translate into English. It marks a definite direct object — it appears before a noun with הַ- or a proper name when that noun receives the action of the verb.

Examples in Context

Hebrew	English	Note
בבית	in the house	common usage
לבית הספר	to school	common usage
מישראל	from Israel	common usage
אני רואה את הילד.	I see the child. (acc)	common usage
על השולחן	on the table	location
עם חברים	with friends	accompaniment
בלי סוכר	without sugar	absence
בשביל מי?	for whom?	beneficiary

Common Mistakes

Using the wrong preposition

• Wrong: Translating English prepositions directly into Hebrew
• Right: Learn which Hebrew preposition each verb or expression requires
• Why: Preposition usage often differs between languages. Hebrew verbs may require different prepositions than their English equivalents.

Forgetting pronoun suffix changes

• Wrong: Using a separate pronoun after the preposition
• Right: Use the inflected form: איתי (with me), not עם אני
• Why: Many Hebrew prepositions merge with pronoun suffixes rather than standing as separate words.

Confusing ב- (in/at) and ל- (to/for)

• Wrong: אני הולך בבית הספר (I walk in the school, when meaning "to")
• Right: אני הולך לבית הספר (I go to school)
• Why: ב- indicates location (being somewhere), while ל- indicates direction (going somewhere).

Practice Tips

1. Practice the full paradigm (all persons) of each form until you can produce them from memory. Use flashcards with the person on one side and the correct form on the other.
2. Write short dialogues that require multiple forms. For example, create a conversation where different people talk about what they have, where they are, or what they want.

Related Concepts

• Definite Article — prerequisite concept
• Prepositions with Pronoun Suffixes — builds on this concept
• Expressing Location and Direction — builds on this concept