Hebrew

Adverb

גַּם • ‎(gam)

1. Also, too, additionally; used to connect details in a list.

   לטיול יצאו רותי, דני וגם אני.‎ ― latiyúl yatz'ú rúti, dáni, v'gám aní. ― (literally) To the trip went out Ruthy, Danny, and also me. — (idiomatically) Ruthy, Danny, and I went out for the trip.

2. Also, additionally, in addition, further, besides, on top of that.

   אין לי חשק לצאת הערב, יורד גשם וגם אני מאוד עייף.‎ ― ein li khéshek latzét ha'érev, yoréd géshem v'gám aní m'ód ayéf. ― I don't want to go out tonight, it's raining and also I'm very tired.

3. Even (though, if); despite the fact that.

   אבא תמיד מקריא לי סיפור לפני השינה, גם כשהוא מאוד עסוק.‎

   ába tamíd makrí li sipúr lifnéi hasheiná, gam k'shehú m'ód asúk.

   Dad always reads me a story at bed-time (lit. “before the sleep”), even when he's very busy.

   • Psalms 23:4, with translation of the King James Version:

     גַּם כִּי־אֵלֵךְ בְּגֵיא צַלְמָוֶת לֹא־אִירָא רָע כִּי־אַתָּה עִמָּדִי שִׁבְטְךָ וּמִשְׁעַנְתֶּךָ הֵמָּה יְנַחֲמֻנִי׃‎

     gam ki elékh b'géi tsalmávet lo-irá ra ki-atá imadí shivt'khá umish'antékha hemá y'nakhamúni.

     Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

   • 1994, Yoram Taharlev (יורם טהרלב, lyricist), Dana International (singer), “ישנן בנות” (yeshnán banót, “Some Girls”, song), in Dana International, “אומפטמפה” (Umpatampa, album):

     […] \ עם מי שאין לי בטחון \ אנ'לא יוצאת גם לירקון.‎

     […] / im mi she'éin li bitakhón / anló yotsét gam layarkón.

     […] / with someone I don't have security with / I don't even go to Hayarkon.

Usage notes

• Unlike English also and too, which tend to be used only in affirmative contexts (with neither, either or nor being used to express negation), Hebrew גם is quite commonly paired with לא ‎(lo, “no, not”). For example, one reply to "זה לא בריא" ‎(ze lo barí, “This isn’t healthy”) might be, "גם זה לא" (gam ze lo, literally “Also this isn’t”, that is, “This isn’t, either”).

Derived terms

• גם כן ‎(gam ken)

References

Anagrams

• מ״ג