שם
sham
The English phrase 'there' is translated into Hebrew as שם (sham).
שם is an adverb used to indicate in or at that place (position).
Meaning: in or at that place (position) (adv)
Which one should you use?
שם refers to a distant location and is the direct counterpart to the Hebrew word פה (here). It is distinct from the Hebrew word יש, which can also be translated as 'there is' in English.
How do you pronounce it?
sham
Did you know?
- The word 'there' in Hebrew is spelled exactly like the Hebrew word for 'name'.
- In many Semitic languages, the concept of 'naming' something is fundamentally tied to 'placing' or 'positioning' it.
- While שם means 'there' in modern Hebrew, its closest linguistic relatives in Arabic and Aramaic often use different roots to distinguish between 'name' and 'location'.
Examples in context
- מה יש לך שם?What do you have there?This sentence demonstrates how to ask about an object located at a specific place using שם.Tatoeba #4670553 by fekundulo, translation #2645657 by CK
- איש לא חי שם.Nobody lives there.This sentence shows how to use שם to describe a place where no one resides.Tatoeba #2094102 by fekundulo, translation #2093045 by CK
- טום היה גם שם.Tom was also there.This sentence illustrates the use of שם to indicate that someone was present at a location.Tatoeba #1644866 by MrShoval, translation #36989 by CK
- בוא נלך לשם, יש שם פארק יפה.Let's go there, there is a beautiful park.
- 761 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Agur and Itay are looking at a map of a park.
- עגור Adiהאם יש מסעדה שם?Ha'im yesh mis'ada sham?Is there a restaurant there?
- איתי Itayכן, יש בית קפה קטן שם.Ken, yesh beit kafe katan sham.Yes, there is a small coffee shop there.
- עגור Adiאנחנו נלך לשם עכשיו.Anachnu nelekh lasham achshav.We will go there now.
- איתי Itayזה רעיון מצוין, עגור.Ze ra'ayon metzuyan, Agur.That is a great idea, Agur.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries שם, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
