Construct State 1 is the thirty-second skill in the language tree for Hebrew (assuming read left to right). It has six lessons and teaches how to form compound nouns in Hebrew.
Grammar Notes[]
The construct state in Hebrew allows you to take two nouns and use them to create a new noun. In Hebrew, this state is called סמיכות (smichut). The two nouns also have names, with the first (right) one being the נסמך (nismach) and the second (left) one being the סומך (somech).
The gender of a construct state noun is determined by the nismach. For example, בית ספר ("school") is masculine because בית is masculine.
Grammar and Spelling[]
If a feminine nismach ends in a ה, then it is replaced with a ת:
- עוגה = cake
- עוגת גבינה = cheesecake
When a construct state noun is definite - in other words, has "the" in front of it - the -ה is attached to the somech and not the nismach:
- עורך דין = lawyer
- עורך הדין = the lawyer
For plural constructs, the nismach is pluralized and not the somech. If the ending is masculine, it only gets a י- instead of a ים-:
- כוס קפה = cup of coffee
- כוסות קפה = cups of coffee
- עורך דין = lawyer
- עורכי דין = lawyers
Types of Constructs[]
There are two major uses for the construct state.
The first is to make a phrase that translates using "of". כוס קפה, for example, uses the nouns כוס ("cup") and קפה ("coffee") to make "cup of coffee".
The other is to make a compound noun that has a totally different meaning. בית ספר, from earlier, is an example of this, as "school" is literally "house of book".
Houses[]
בית or "house" is one of the most common nismachs. However, it is irregular in its pronunciation and its plural is also irregular:
- בָּיִת = house (bayit)
- בֵּית סֶפֶר = school (beyt sefer)
- בָּתֵּי סֵפֶר = schools (batey sefer)
Lessons[]
Lesson 1[]
- חדר אוכל = dining room
- חדר שינה = bedroom
- חדר אורחים = guest room
- מיץ תפוזים = orange juice
- בקבוק מים = water bottle or bottle of water
- בקבוק יין = bottle of wine
In the usage of these last two examples, the meaning could be "bottle of wine (or water)", with the focus on the contents or "wine bottle" where the focus is on the container (which could be empty). The translation depends on context.
Lesson 2[]
- עוגת שוקולת = chocolate cake
- עוגת גבינה = cheesecake
- ארוחת ערב = dinner
- ארוחת בוקר = breakfast
- ארוחת צהריים = lunch
- מכונת כביסה = washing machine
- יום ראשון = Sunday
Lesson 3[]
- בית קפה = cafe
- בית מלון = hotel
- בית ספר = school
- בית כנסת = synagogue
- בית חולים = hospital
- בית משפט = law court
Lesson 4[]
Practice with plural forms, definite and indefinite, masculine
- חדרי האורים = the guest rooms
- חדרי האוכל = the dining rooms
- חדרי שיבה = bedrooms
- בקבוקי מים = bottles of water
- בקבוקי יין = bottles of wine
References[]
Duolingo Lesson: www.duolingo.com/skill/he/Construct-state-1