אח
ákh/ʔaːχ/ → /ʔaːħ/
The Hebrew word for "brother" is אח (ákh).
אח is a noun used to refer to a male sibling.
Meaning: male sibling (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of אח is אחים (brothers). Adding the first-person possessive suffix -i to אח creates the word for "my brother", אחי. Adding the third-person masculine possessive suffix -av (often pronounced -av or -ah depending on context/dialect) to אח creates the word for "his brother", אחיה.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is ákh (/ʔaːχ/ → /ʔaːħ/).
Did you know?
- In modern Israel, אחי ('my brother') is frequently used as a slang term to address a male stranger, similar to how 'dude' or 'bro' is used in English.
- The plural אחים ('brothers') is used as a collective term to refer to a group of both brothers and sisters when the group is mixed.
- The word אח ('brother') originates from the Proto-Semitic root *ʔaḫw-.
Examples in context
- יש לי אח אחד.I have one brother.This sentence is useful for stating the number of brothers you have using אח.Tatoeba #1499509 by Eldad, translation #256071 by CK
- אח הוא כמו כתף.A brother is like a shoulder.Tatoeba #2062495 by fekundulo, translation #2062323 by marcelostockle
- לסאמי אח בן שש.Sami has a six-year old brother.This sentence is useful for describing a brother's age using אח.Tatoeba #10756190 by fekundulo, translation #7189697 by OsoHombre
- אָחִי הַיָּקָרMy dear brother
- 258 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Itay and Agur are talking about their families.
- איתי Itayיש לך אח?Yesh lakh ach?Do you have a brother?
- עגור Adiכן, יש לי אח גדול.Ken, yesh li ach gadol.Yes, I have an older brother.
- איתי Itayאיפה הוא גר?Eifo hu gar?Where does he live?
- עגור Adiהוא גר בתל אביב.Hu gar beTel Aviv.He lives in Tel Aviv.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry אח, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries אח, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
