להיות
lihyot
The English verb "be" is translated into Hebrew as להיות (lihyot).
להיות is used to declare that a subject and an object are identical or equivalent.
Meaning: used to declare the subject and object identical or equivalent (verb)
How does it change in a sentence?
The infinitive form להיות is used after other verbs to express the intention or necessity of being something. For different tenses, you will use different forms: the third-person masculine singular past tense is היה (was/became) and the third-person masculine singular future tense is יהיה (will be).
How do you pronounce it?
lihyot
Did you know?
- Unlike English, the present tense of the verb 'to be' is almost always omitted in Hebrew. If you want to say 'the boy is tall', you simply say 'the boy tall' without any verb at all.
- In the Bible, the name of God is often interpreted as being derived from the verb 'to be' or 'to exist', signifying an eternal, unchanging presence.
- To emphasize that a person is physically present in a location, Hebrew speakers often use נמצא, which literally means 'found'.
Examples in context
- איך זה להיות אל?What is it like to be a god?This sentence shows how to use להיות to ask about a state of being.Tatoeba #5456502 by fekundulo, translation #2552159 by AlanF_US
- כך זה צריך להיות.That's how it should be.This sentence shows the use of להיות to describe how something should be.Tatoeba #2161011 by MrShoval, translation #2160866 by Hybrid
- תום רצה להיות שם.Tom wanted to be there.This sentence shows how להיות follows another verb to express a desire.Tatoeba #4794404 by fekundulo, translation #2645744 by CK
- 1366 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing their future career goals.
- עידו Idoמה אתה רוצה להיות?Ma ata rotze lihyot?What do you want to be?
- עגור Adiאני רוצה להיות רופאה.Ani rotza lihyot rofa'a.I want to be a doctor.
- עידו Idoזה נשמע כמו תפקיד קשה.Ze nishma kmo tafkid kashe.That sounds like a difficult role.
- עגור Adiכן, אבל זה חשוב להיות עוזרים לאחרים.Ken, aval ze chashuv lihyot ozrim le'acherim.Yes, but it is important to be helpful to others.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
