HSC Modern Hebrew Continuers flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Definite direct object marker

The particle את precedes a definite direct object, as in קראתי את הספר ('I read the book'). It is omitted when the object is indefinite: קראתי ספר.

Seven verb patterns (בנינים)

Hebrew verbs fall into seven patterns built on a three-letter root: פעל, נפעל, פיעל, פועל, הפעיל, הופעל, התפעל. The pattern signals voice and intensity of meaning.

Present tense as participle

Hebrew present tense uses a participle that agrees in gender and number but not person: אני לומד, את לומדת, הם לומדים. It also serves as an adjective and noun.

Modal expressions of obligation

Obligation and permission use impersonal patterns: צריך ל־ ('must'), אסור ל־ ('forbidden to'), מותר ל־ ('permitted to'), כדאי ל־ ('worthwhile to'), followed by an infinitive.

Construct chain (סמיכות)

Two or more nouns placed together express possession or a compound: בית ספר ('school'), ספרי ילדים ('children's books'). Only the final element takes the definite article.

Hebrew final letter forms

Five Hebrew consonants change shape at the end of a word: כ becomes ך, מ becomes ם, נ becomes ן, פ becomes ף, צ becomes ץ. The sound does not change.

Hebrew alphabet direction

Hebrew is written and read from right to left using 22 consonants. Vowel points (ניקוד) appear above and below letters in pointed texts but are normally absent in modern prose.

Academy of the Hebrew Language

האקדמיה ללשון העברית is the official body that coins Hebrew terms, often to replace loanwords, and publishes rulings on grammar, spelling and pronunciation.

Definite article ה־

The prefix ה־ marks a noun as definite and is repeated on attributive adjectives: הילד החכם ('the clever boy'). In pointed text it doubles the following consonant.

Job application vocabulary

Key terms include קורות חיים ('CV'), משרה ('position'), ראיון עבודה ('job interview'), מעסיק ('employer'), עובד ('employee'), שכר ('salary'), and משרה חלקית ('part-time position').

Formal application opening

Formal Hebrew applications use infinitives and polite formulas: ברצוני להגיש מועמדות ('I wish to apply'), אשמח לקבל ('I would be glad to receive'), followed by details.

Preposition ל־ with suffixes

The preposition ל־ ('to, for') fuses with pronoun suffixes: לי, לך, לו, לה, לנו, לכם, להם. It marks indirect objects and possession with יש/אין.

Passive verb patterns at work

Formal workplace texts use נפעל, הופעל and פועל: מונה ('was appointed'), הועסק ('was employed'), נדרש ('is required'). These raise register and impersonal tone.

Numbers with gendered nouns

Hebrew numerals agree with the noun's gender: שלושה ימים ('three days', masculine) versus שלוש שעות ('three hours', feminine). The noun follows the numeral.

Tradition and change vocabulary

Core terms: מסורת ('tradition'), מנהג ('custom'), שינוי ('change'), זהות ('identity'), לשמר ('to preserve'), לאמץ ('to adopt'), להסתגל ל־ ('to adapt to').

Shabbat customs vocabulary

Shabbat texts mention הדלקת נרות ('candle lighting'), קידוש ('blessing over wine'), תפילה ('prayer') and הבדלה ('separation ceremony') marking the close of the day.

Contrast connectors for change

Essays on change use בעבר... כיום ('in the past... today'), לעומת זאת ('in contrast'), בעוד ש־ ('whereas') and מצד אחד... מצד שני ('on the one hand... on the other').

Jewish festival names

Festivals named in texts include ראש השנה (New Year), יום כיפור (Day of Atonement), פסח (Passover), חנוכה, פורים, שבועות and סוכות. Each has distinctive customs.

Future tense prefixes

Future verbs take person prefixes on the root: אלמד ('I will learn'), תלמדי ('you f will learn'), נלמד ('we will learn'). Gender appears in the second and third person.

Hebrew question words

Listen for מה (what), מי (who), איפה (where), מתי (when), למה (why), איך (how) and כמה (how much/many). These signal the type of answer expected.

Spoken discourse markers

Markers organise speech: קודם כל ('first of all'), אחר כך ('afterwards'), לעומת זאת ('in contrast'), לסיכום ('in summary'), לדוגמה ('for example'). They signal structure.

Negation words in speech

Negation uses לא ('no, not'), אין ('there is not'), אף אחד ('nobody'), לעולם לא ('never') and בלי ('without'). Distinguish these from affirmatives כן and יש.

Listening note structure

Record speaker, topic, main claim and supporting detail separately. HSC listening items typically test main idea, specific detail and inference from tone.

Root families in reading

Words sharing a root cluster around one meaning field: כתב, כתיבה, מכתב, כתוב all relate to writing. Identifying the root speeds up unknown vocabulary.

Text type recognition

Layout and opening formulas identify text type: מכתב opens with לכבוד or שלום; מודעה uses imperatives and short lines; כתבה has a headline and byline.

Pronominal suffixes

Suffixes attach to nouns, prepositions and verbs to mark possession or object: ספרי ('my book'), עליו ('on him'), אמרתי לו ('I said to him').

Sequence connectors

Reading comprehension relies on sequence words: תחילה ('at first'), לאחר מכן ('afterwards'), בסופו של דבר ('in the end'), כתוצאה מכך ('as a result').

Formal letter structure

A formal Hebrew letter opens with לכבוד plus the recipient's name, continues with an opening, body paragraphs and a closing such as בברכה or בכבוד רב before the signature.

Cohesion connectors in writing

Connectors link ideas in written Hebrew: עם זאת ('however'), בנוסף ('in addition'), לעומת זאת ('in contrast'), לכן ('therefore'), לדוגמה ('for example').

Adjective agreement rules

Adjectives agree with their noun in gender, number and definiteness: הספר החדש, הספרים החדשים, המחברת החדשה, המחברות החדשות.

Text types for writing

Common HSC text types: מכתב רשמי (formal letter), מכתב אישי (personal letter), חיבור (essay), דיווח (report), הודעה (notice) and סיפור (narrative).

Direct versus indirect speech

Direct speech is introduced by אמר/אמרה with a colon or quotation marks. Indirect speech drops the quote and shifts pronouns and tense to match the reporting clause.