אני
ani
The phrase i am in Hebrew is expressed as אני (ani).
אני is used to identify oneself or state a quality about oneself.
How does it change in a sentence?
The Hebrew word for 'I' is used for both 'I am' and 'I' without a separate verb for 'to be' in the present tense.
How do you pronounce it?
ani
Did you know?
- The word אני is part of a linguistic group that includes the Arabic word أنا (ana), showing how closely related these Middle Eastern languages are.
- The word אני is gender-neutral, meaning it is used identically by men and women, even though most adjectives following it must change to match the speaker's gender.
- In ancient Biblical Hebrew, the word for 'I' was אנכי ('anokhi'), which was often used for poetic emphasis or to declare a divine identity.
Examples in context
- אני כבר לא ילד.I am no longer a child.This sentence shows how to use אני to state a change in status.Tatoeba #1747194 by MrShoval, translation #255774 by CK
- אני לא הבת שלך.I am not your daughter.This sentence shows how to use אני to state a negative identity.Tatoeba #2088259 by fekundulo, translation #2906751 by Hybrid
- אני כל כך חולה.I am so sick.This sentence shows how to use אני to describe a physical state.Tatoeba #2164728 by fekundulo, translation #2163129 by Source_VOA
- 911 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Noa and Itai are meeting for the first time at a party.
- נועה Noaאני נועה, נעים להכיר.Ani Noa, na'im lehakir.I am Noa, nice to meet you.
- איתי Itayנעים מאוד, אני איתי.Na'im me'od, ani Itay.Very nice, I am Itai.
- נועה Noaאתה סטודנט?Ata student?Are you a student?
- איתי Itayכן, אני סטודנט לעיצוב.Ken, ani student le'itzuv.Yes, I am a design student.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
