Hebrew

Determiner

זֶה • ‎(ze) m

1. (archaic or formal) This.

   איך קוראים לילד הזה?‎

   eikh korím layéled hazé?

   What's this boy's name? (literally, How [they] call to-the-boy the-this?)

   • Passover Haggadah,

     הָרַחֲמָן הוּא יִשְׁלַח לָנוּ בְּרָכָה מְרֻבָּה בַּבַּיִת הַזֶּה, וְעַל שֻׁלְחָן זֶה שֶׁאָכַלְנוּ עָלָיו.‎

     harakhaman hu yishlakh lanu b'rakha m'ruba babayit haze, v'al shulkhan ze she'akhalnu alav.

     The Merciful One will send to us a manifold blessing in this house, and on this table upon which we have eaten.

Pronoun

זֶה • ‎(ze) m

1. This, this one.

   זה בחולצה הכחולה.‎

   ze bakhultsá hak'khulá.

   The one (male) in the blue shirt.

   זה שאין לנקוב בשמו.‎

   ze she'éin linkóv be'shemó.

   He-who-must-not-be-named.

Usage notes

• זה, although translated "this", is often used in circumstances where English speakers would use that. For example, a boy swinging a stick might be told הזהר עם זה, whereas in English he'd be told "be careful with that".
• Colloquially, זה is often used as a gender-neutral form of "it".

See also

• זוֹ ‎(zo)