Nominal Sentences, yesh / ein & the Object Marker אֵת
Verbless clauses (“the king is in the house”), existence words, and the little word אֵת before definite objects.
One of the most common sentence types in Biblical Hebrew has no verb at all. A nominal sentence simply puts two nouns (or a noun and an adjective) side by side with an implied "is." This article also covers יֵשׁ / אַיִן (there is / there is not) and the object marker אֵת.
Verbless "is" sentences
In the present tense, Hebrew often drops the verb "to be":
| Hebrew | Pronunciation | Literal | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים | yehwah elohim | YHWH God | YHWH is God. |
| הַמֶּלֶךְ טוֹב | ha-mmelekh tov | the king good | The king is good. |
| אַתָּה הַכֹּהֵן | ʾattāh ha-kkohēn | you the priest | You are the priest. |
| הָאָרֶץ יְבֵשָׁה | hā-ʾārets yevēshāh | the land dry | The land is dry. |
💡 Tip: Think of an invisible "is" between the two parts. If the sentence makes sense as "X = Y," you have a nominal sentence.
Negation of nominal sentences
To say "is not," use לֹא (lōʾ) before the predicate:
| Hebrew | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| הַמֶּלֶךְ לֹא טוֹב | ha-mmelekh lōʾ tov | The king is not good. |
| אַתָּה לֹא הַכֹּהֵן | ʾattāh lōʾ ha-kkohēn | You are not the priest. |
יֵשׁ and אַיִן — there is / there is not
| Word | Meaning | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| יֵשׁ | there is / there are | יֵשׁ אֱלֹהִים | There is a God / God exists. |
| אַיִן | there is not / there are not | אַיִן צַדִּיק | There is no righteous person. |
Possession: "I have"
To express possession, use יֵשׁ / אַיִן + לְ + pronoun suffix:
| Hebrew | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| יֵשׁ לִי | yēsh lî | I have (there is to me) |
| יֵשׁ לְךָ | yēsh lĕkhā | you have (m.) |
| יֵשׁ לָהּ | yēsh lāh | she has |
| אַיִן לָנוּ | ʾayin lānû | we do not have |
💡 Memory trick: Hebrew has no verb "to have." Instead it says "there is to me" = "I have."
The object marker אֵת
When a definite direct object follows a verb, Biblical Hebrew often marks it with אֵת (ʾēth) before the object:
| Hebrew | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| אָהַבְתִּי אֵת יְהוָה | ʾāhavtî ʾēth yehwah | I love YHWH. |
| רָאָה אֵת הָאָרֶץ | rāʾāh ʾēth hā-ʾārets | He saw the land. |
| שָׁמַרְתָּ אֵת־הַמִּצְוָה | shāmartā ʾēth-ha-mmitswāh | You kept the commandment. |
💡 Rule: אֵת marks a definite direct object. Indefinite objects usually do not need it.
אֵת with suffixes
אֵת can also take pronominal suffixes to mean "me / you / him / her" as the object:
| Suffix | Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| me | אֹתִי (ʾōthî) | me |
| you (m. sg.) | אֹתְךָ (ʾothĕkhā) | you |
| him | אֹתוֹ (ʾōthô) | him |
| her | אֹתָהּ (ʾothāh) | her |
| us | אֹתָנוּ (ʾothānû) | us |
| them (m.) | אֹתָם (ʾothām) | them |
| them (f.) | אֹתָן (ʾothān) | them |
✅ Key takeaways
- Nominal sentences have no verb; "is" is implied.
- Negate with לֹא before the predicate.
- יֵשׁ = there is; אַיִן = there is not.
- "I have" = יֵשׁ לִי (there is to me).
- אֵת marks a definite direct object and can take suffixes.
✏️ Practice
- Translate: הַדָּבָר טוֹב.
- Say "You (f.) are the queen" in Hebrew.
- How do you say "We have" in Hebrew?
- When do you use אֵת before an object?
- Translate: רָאִיתִי אֵת הָאִישׁ.
Answers
- "The word is good."
- אַתְּ הַמַּלְכָּה (ʾatt ha-malkāh).
- יֵשׁ לָנוּ (yēsh lānû).
- Before a definite direct object.
- "I saw the man."