אתה יהודי?
ata yehudi?
In Hebrew, the phrase 'are you jewish' is expressed as אתה יהודי? (ata yehudi?)
This phrase is used to ask if someone is a member of the Jewish people or faith. The core word יהודי (yehudi) functions as both the noun 'a Jew' and the adjective 'Jewish'.
How does it change in a sentence?
Both the pronoun and the word for Jewish change with the person you ask. To a man, say אתה יהודי? (ata yehudi?). To a woman, say את יהודייה? (at yehudiya?). To a group of men or a mixed group, say אתם יהודים? (atem yehudim?). To a group of women, say אתן יהודיות? (aten yehudiyot?).
How do you pronounce it?
ata yehudi?
Did you know?
- Depending on the context, asking אתה יהודי? in modern Israel may be a question about a person's eligibility for citizenship under the Law of Return rather than their faith.
- The word for 'you' in אתה יהודי? is a cognate of the Arabic word أَنْتَ. This highlights the deep shared roots between Hebrew and Arabic as sister languages in the Semitic family.
- If you were to ask a woman this question, you would change the pronoun to את (at) to say את יהודייה? (at yehudiya?).
Examples in context
- אתה יהודי?Are you Jewish?This sentence is useful for asking 'Are you Jewish?' using the form אתה יהודי?Tatoeba #11845699 by shekitten, translation #10622736 by shekitten
Example conversation
Two people are meeting at a community center.
- מאיה Mayaסליחה, אתה יהודי?slicha, ata yehudi?Excuse me, are you Jewish?
- איתי Itayכן, אני יהודי.ken, ani yehudi.Yes, I am Jewish.
- מאיה Mayaנעים מאוד, אני מאיה.na'im me'od, ani maya.Nice to meet you, I am Maya.
- איתי Itayנעים מאוד, אני איתי.na'im me'od, ani itai.Nice to meet you, I am Itai.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries אתה, יהודי, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
