אי
i
The Hebrew word for island is אי.
אי refers to an area of land that is completely surrounded by water.
Meaning: area of land completely surrounded by water (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of אי is איים, which means islands.
How do you pronounce it?
i
Did you know?
- The word אי has a strange linguistic connection to the word for 'dog' in certain ancient Semitic roots.
- In modern Hebrew, אי is a homonym that can mean 'island' or be part of the question word for 'where' depending on the vowels used.
- The phrase אי בודד, which literally means 'lonely island', is a common Hebrew metaphor used to describe a person experiencing social isolation.
Examples in context
- זהו אי בים הקריבי.This is an island in the Caribbean Sea.This sentence illustrates the use of אי to identify an island in the Caribbean Sea.Tatoeba #2059540 by fekundulo, translation #681239 by Source_VOA
- לא היו עצים על אותו אי.There were no trees on the island.This sentence shows the use of אי when describing the absence of trees on an island.Tatoeba #5487736 by fekundulo, translation #5446766 by CK
- כסף הוא חסר ערך על אי בודד.Money is useless on a desert island.This sentence uses אי to describe a desert island where money has no value.Tatoeba #5535710 by fekundulo, translation #5297070 by mailohilohi
- בקיץ שעבר ביקרתי באי יפה.I visited a beautiful island last summer.
- מדינה זו היא אי שמוקף על ידי הים התיכון.This country is an island surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea.
- 17 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are planning a vacation together.
- עידו Idoאת רוצה לנסוע לאי קטן?At rotze linsu'a le'i katan?Do you want to travel to a small island?
- נועה Noaנשמע נהדר, איזה אי זה?Nishma nehedar, eize i ze?Sounds great, which island is it?
- עידו Idoזה אי ביוון עם חופים יפים.Ze i be'Yavan im chofim yafim.It's an island in Greece with beautiful beaches.
- נועה Noaאני בהחלט רוצה לבקר שם.Ani be'hechlet rotza levaker sham.I definitely want to visit there.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries אי, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
