בְּתוֹך
b'tokh
The English word "in" can be translated into Hebrew as בְּתוֹך (b'tokh) or the prefix בְּ־.
Meaning: contained by (prep)
Ways to say it
| Hebrew | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| בְּתוֹך | b'tokh |
| בְּ־ | b'- |
Both forms are used to express the concept of being contained by something. While בְּתוֹך is used to emphasize being physically or conceptually inside a specific space, the prefix בְּ־ is a general-purpose preposition used for locations or states.
Which one should you use?
בְּתוֹך emphasizes the state of being 'inside' a space, whereas the prefix בְּ־ is the more common and general way to express being 'in' a location or a particular state.
How does it change in a sentence?
The prefix בְּ־ is a versatile preposition that can mean "in", "at" or "with" depending on the context of the sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
b'tokh
Did you know?
- The prefix בְּ־ can be attached to a word to indicate a specific time or date, effectively replacing the English word 'on' as in 'on Monday'.
- The prefix בְּ־ is often used to indicate the instrument used to perform an action, making it function like the English word 'with' or 'by means of'.
- While בְּתוֹך means 'inside', the root ת-ו-ך also relates to the 'center' or 'middle' of something, such as the center of a city.
Examples in context
- אני עובד במשרד.I work in the office.
- הספר נמצא בתוך התיק.The book is in the bag.
- בְּתוֹךְ הקופסה יש מכתב.be'tokh ha'kufsa yesh mikhtav.Inside the box there is a letter.
Example conversation
Ido and Maya are looking for a lost key.
- עידו Idoמאיה, ראית את המפתח בְּתוֹך המגירה?Maya, ra-it et ha-mifte'akh be-tokh ha-megirah?Maya, did you see the key inside the drawer?
- מאיה Mayaלא, הוא לא שם.Lo, hu lo sham.No, it is not there.
- עידו Idoאולי הוא בְּתוֹך התיק שלי?Ulai hu be-tokh ha-tik sheli?Maybe it is inside my bag?
- מאיה Mayaכן, הנה הוא!Ken, hine hu!Yes, here it is!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “in” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
