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Definition 2024


ה-

ה־

See also: ־ה, ה, ה׳, and Appendix:Variations of "h"

Aramaic

Prefix

הָ־ (hā-)

  1. this
    הָשַׁתָּא (hāšattā, this year)
    הָכָא (hāḵā, right here)

Hebrew

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

Article

הַ־ (ha-)

  1. (definite article) The.
  2. This: the current or adjacent; used especially with nouns denoting periods of time, and especially יוֹם (yom, day).
    היום (hayóm, today)
    הערב (ha'érev, tonight, this evening)
    הבוקר (habóker, this morning)
    הלילה (haláila, tonight; last night)
    הוא מגיע לכתה עוד מעט ― hu magía lakitá od m'at ― He's arriving at the classroom shortly.
Usage notes
  • In traditional grammar, Hebrew common nouns have three “states”: indefinite (corresponding to English “a(n)/some __”), definite (corresponding to English “the __”), and construct (corresponding to English “a(n)/some/the __ of”). Therefore, the definite article was traditionally considered to be an actual part of the definite noun. In modern colloquial use, the definite article is often taken as a clitic, attaching to a noun but not actually part of it. For example, the Hebrew term for school is בֵּית־סֵפֶר (beit séfer, house-of book); so in traditional grammar, “the school” is בֵּית־הַסֵּפֶר (beit-haséfer, house-of-the-book), but in modern colloquial speech, it is often הַבֵּית־סֵפֶר (habeit-séfer, the-house-of-book).
  • ה־ is used not only with nouns, but also with attributive adjectives; that is, attributive adjectives agree in definiteness with the nouns they modify. This agreement is strictly semantic; an attributive adjective takes ה־ if its noun is semantically definite, even if the noun does not itself have ה־, for example if it’s a proper noun.
  • When ה־ follows לְ־ (l'-, to, for), בְּ־ (b'-, in), or כְּ־ (k'-, like), the two merge, with the consonant being ל, ב, or כ and the vowel being that from the ה־.
  • In traditional grammar, the consonant after ה־ receives a dagésh khazák (gemination), unless it’s one of the letters that cannot take a dagésh (א, ה, ח, ע, ר), in which case the vowel in the ה־ changes:
    • If the consonant after the ה־ is א or ר, or if it’s ע and its syllable is stressed, then a kamáts is used instead of a patákh; so, הָ־ (ha-).
    • If the consonant after the ה־ is ע and its syllable is unstressed, then a segól is used instead of a patákh; so, הֶ־ (he-).
    • If the consonant after the ה־ is ה or ח, then a patákh is used as usual, unless the ה or ח has unstressed kamáts or khatáf kamáts, in which case a segól is used instead.

See also

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

Prefix

הֲ־ (ha-)

  1. (archaic or poetic) An interrogative particle.
    • Genesis 4:09, with translation of the King James Version:
      [] הֲשֹׁמֵר אָחִי אָנֹכִי׃hashomér akhí anókhiAm I my brother's keeper?
    • 1 Kings 21:19, with translation of the English Standard Version:
      הֲרָצַחְתָּוְגַם־יָרָשְׁתָּharatsakhtá ve'gám yarashtáHave you killed and also taken possession?
    • 1890 – 1931, Rachel the Poetess, זמר נגה 1
      הֲתִשְׁמַע קוֹלִי, רְחוֹקִי שֶׁלִּי,
      hatishmá kolí, rekhokí shelí,
      Do you year my voice, far one of mine,
    הֲשָׁמַעְתָּ?hashamá'ta?How you heard?
    הֲיָדַעְתָּ?hayadá'ta?Did you know?
    הֲתִשְׁמַע קוֹלִי?hatishmá kolí?Do you hear my voice?
Usage notes
  • Before a sh'va this prefix has a patach.

See also