ההוא
hahumasculine
In Hebrew, 'that' is translated as ההוא (hahu). Wiktionary also lists ההיא (hahi).
Meaning: what is being indicated (det)
Ways to say it
| Hebrew | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ההוא | hahu | masculine |
| ההיא | hahi | feminine |
The phrase is used to indicate what is being indicated. It is related to the pronoun זה, which can mean 'that thing'.
What does it mean word for word?
The masculine form ההוא is composed of the definite article ה and the demonstrative הוא (meaning 'he' or 'that').
Which one should you use?
ההוא is used for masculine subjects, while ההיא is the feminine form. In terms of distance, ההוא refers to something 'that' (far from the speaker), whereas זה typically means 'this' (near the speaker), though זה can also mean 'that thing' in certain contexts.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine form of this demonstrative is ההיא.
How do you pronounce it?
hahu
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not confuse the demonstrative 'that' (pointing to a person or thing) with the conjunction 'that' (used to connect clauses), which is ש־.
Did you know?
- Because ההוא refers to something far from the speaker, using it to point at something close by might make you sound like you are trying to create emotional distance from the object.
- While ההוא typically means 'that', using it to describe a person can imply they are a known character or a specific, often notorious, individual.
- The demonstrative ההוא can be used to express a sense of distance not just in space, but in time, referring to a distant past event.
Examples in context
- תביט על ההוא שם.Look at that one there.This sentence shows how to use ההוא to point at something.Tatoeba #4668141 by fekundulo, translation #2891700 by CK
- ההוא היה די טוב.That was a pretty good one.This sentence uses ההוא to refer to a previously mentioned subject.Tatoeba #4746981 by fekundulo, translation #3168169 by CK
- ההוא יש לו ביצים!That one's got some guts!This sentence uses ההוא to describe a person's character.Tatoeba #6041279 by fekundulo, translation #1723526 by belgavox
- 280 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Rotem and Itay are looking at clothes in a store.
- רוטם Rotemאני רוצה את החולצה ההיא.Ani rotza et hachultza hahia.I want that shirt.
- איתי Itayאבל הסוודר ההוא נראה יותר יפה.Aval hasveder hahaoo nira yoter yafe.But that sweater looks nicer.
- רוטם Rotemההוא בא צבע משעמם.Hahaoo ba tzeva mash'amem.That one comes in a boring color.
- איתי Itayאת צודקת, בואי נחפש משהו אחר.At tzodeket, bo-i nechapes mashehu acher.You're right, let's look for something else.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “that” translations and entries ההוא, ההיא, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
