מלך
melekh
The Hebrew word for king is מלך (melekh).
מלך refers to a male member of a royal family who is the supreme ruler of a nation. In slang, the word מלך can also be used to refer to a boss or a bigshot.
Meaning: a male of a royal family who is the supreme ruler of his nation (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The word מלך has two grammatical functions: it is the masculine singular noun for king, and it is also the third-person masculine singular past tense verb meaning 'he ruled' or 'he reigned'. The plural form of the noun is מלכים.
How do you pronounce it?
melekh
Did you know?
- The word מלך shares a common ancestor with the Arabic word 'malik', meaning they are linguistic cousins from the same ancient family.
- While מלך is the word for king, the word for 'queen' מלכה is formed simply by adding the feminine suffix ה to the root.
- The biblical concept of a 'king' in Hebrew often carries a double meaning of divine appointment and human fragility, as seen in the frequent warnings against trusting in a מלך over God.
Examples in context
- המלך מלך על האי.The king ruled over the island.This sentence shows the use of מלך as a verb meaning 'ruled'.Tatoeba #2035901 by fekundulo, translation #4296871 by AlanF_US
- הוא מאושר כמו מלך.He's as happy as a king.This sentence demonstrates using מלך in a simile to describe happiness.Tatoeba #4170797 by Eldad, translation #4490403 by Joseph
- האריה הוא מלך החיות.The lion is the king of beasts.This sentence uses מלך to describe a ruler of a group of animals.Tatoeba #502448 by zhekka, translation #29839 by CK
- Melech David (מֶלֶךְ דָּוִד)King David
- 24 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Agur and Itai are talking about a history book.
- עגור Adiמי היה המלך של המדינה הזאת?Mi haya ha-melekh shel ha-medina ha-zot?Who was the king of this country?
- איתי Itayהיה שם מלך חזק מאוד.Haya sham melekh hazak me'od.There was a very strong king there.
- עגור Adiאיך קראו למלך?Eikh kar'u la-melekh?What was the king's name?
- איתי Itayאני לא זוכר את השם שלו.Ani lo zokher et ha-shem shelo.I don't remember his name.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries מלך, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
