בני
bni
The Hebrew phrase for "my son" is בני (bni).
בני is used to refer to a male child of the speaker.
What does it mean word for word?
The word combines בן, meaning "son", with the first-person possessive suffix י, meaning "my".
Which one should you use?
To say "my daughter" instead of "my son", you use the feminine form בתי.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase בני remains the same whether it is the subject or the object of the sentence, though it may require the direct object marker את in certain grammatical constructions.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is bni.
Did you know?
- The grammatical structure of בני allows it to be used in phrases like בני אדם, which literally means 'sons of humans' but translates simply to 'people'.
- The root of בני (B-N) is also found in the Hebrew word for 'built', בניין, linking the concept of a son to the idea of building a lineage.
- If someone calls you בני in a heated argument, they are likely being patronizing or condescending rather than affectionate.
Examples in context
- צור קשר עם בני.Contact my son.This sentence shows how to use בני when directing someone to contact him.Tatoeba #6077604 by fekundulo, translation #2245226 by CK
- אני אוהב את בני.I love my son.This sentence demonstrates using בני as the object of the verb "love".Tatoeba #1857278 by MrShoval, translation #1855063 by Spamster
- בני בא לחדר שלי.My son came to my room.This sentence shows בני acting as the subject of the sentence.Tatoeba #4807459 by fekundulo, translation #274374 by CK
- בְּנִי לוֹמֵד בַּאוּנִיבֶרְסִיטָהMy son is studying at university
- 41 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their children at a park.
- דניאל Danielבני אוהב לשחק בכדור.Bni ohev lesakhek ba'kadur.My son loves to play with a ball.
- רוטם Rotemהוא נראה שמח מאוד.Hu nir'eh same'akh me'od.He looks very happy.
- דניאל Danielכן, בני נהנה מאוד בחוץ.Ken, bni ne'ne meh'od bakhutz.Yes, my son is enjoying himself a lot outside.
- רוטם Rotemזה ממש יפה לראות.Ze mamash yafe lir'ot.That is really lovely to see.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
