לך
lecha
In Hebrew, the phrase "to you" is expressed as לך (lecha).
The phrase is used to indicate that something is directed toward or belongs to the person being addressed.
Which one should you use?
Unlike English, the Hebrew word for "to you" changes based on the gender and number of the person being addressed. For example, while לך is used for a single male, the plural form לכם is used when addressing a group of people (masculine or mixed).
How does it change in a sentence?
The form לך is the masculine singular form used specifically when addressing a male.
How do you pronounce it?
lecha
Did you know?
- The phrase לך can be a 'homograph' in Hebrew. Depending on the vowels and context, it can mean 'to you' or it can be the imperative command meaning 'go'.
- Because the word לך is used to denote possession, saying 'it is to you' is a common way to say 'it is yours'. Instead of using a specific word for 'your', Hebrew often uses the preposition 'to' plus the pronoun.
- If you are speaking to a single female, the word sounds like 'lach', whereas to a single male it sounds like 'lecha'. This phonetic distinction is vital even when the written letters are the same.
Examples in context
- אתן לך את זה.I'll give that to you.This sentence is useful for showing how to express giving something to someone using לך.Tatoeba #5125506 by Ynhockey, translation #3905920 by CK
- מה זה אומר לך?What does that mean to you?This sentence is useful for asking about a person's understanding or opinion using לך.Tatoeba #3889714 by fekundulo, translation #3888525 by tylergillies
- זה יקרה גם לך.It'll happen to you, too.This sentence is useful for describing an event happening to someone using לך.Tatoeba #4683667 by fekundulo, translation #3133026 by CK
- 207 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Itay and Noa are talking about a gift.
- איתי Itayזה מתנה לך.Ze matana lecha.This is a gift for you.
- נועה Noaתודה! זה ממש נחמד.Toda! Ze mamash nehmad.Thanks! This is really nice.
- איתי Itayאני שמח שזה מגיע לך.Ani sameach sheze magia lach.I am happy that you deserve it.
- נועה Noaאני מאוד מעריכה את זה.Ani meod ma'aricha et ze.I really appreciate it.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry לך, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
