של
shel
In Hebrew, the phrase for "of" is של (shel).
The word של is used as a possessive genitive to indicate that something belongs to someone or something. It functions to link two nouns together to show possession.
Meaning: possessive genitive: belonging to (prep)
Which one should you use?
In English, the preposition "of" precedes the noun it modifies. In Hebrew, של is used to link two nouns to show that the first belongs to the second, effectively acting like "belonging to".
How does it change in a sentence?
The word של is invariant, meaning it does not change based on the gender or number of the nouns it connects. However, when expressing possession, you can add pronominal suffixes directly to של instead of using a separate possessive pronoun.
How do you pronounce it?
shel
Did you know?
Examples in context
- זה סוג של לחם.This is a kind of bread.This sentence shows how to use של to mean "of" in the context of "a kind of".Tatoeba #1873426 by MrShoval, translation #55848 by CK
- זה לא העסק שלך.None of your business.This sentence demonstrates the use of של in the phrase "of your business".Tatoeba #1714394 by MrShoval, translation #324771 by CK
- זו לא דאגה שלי.It's no concern of mine.This sentence illustrates how to use של to mean "of mine".Tatoeba #1849569 by MrShoval, translation #449181 by CM
- ספר שליMy book
- רכב של האישThe man's car
- 3176 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Noam and Agar are looking for a book in the living room.
- נועם Noamאיפה הספר של עגור?Eifo ha-sefer shel Agar?Where is Agar's book?
- עגור Adiהוא על השולחן של נועם.Hu al ha-shulchan shel Noam.It is on Noam's table.
- נועם Noamזה לא הספר של עגור.Ze lo ha-sefer shel Agar.This is not Agar's book.
- עגור Adiאולי זה הספר של אבא.Ulai ze ha-sefer shel abba.Maybe it is father's book.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry של, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries של, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
