{"id":2931,"date":"2024-12-25T22:18:09","date_gmt":"2024-12-25T20:18:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thehebrewcafe.com\/main\/?p=2931"},"modified":"2025-01-10T18:40:32","modified_gmt":"2025-01-10T16:40:32","slug":"seow-session-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thehebrewcafe.com\/main\/2024\/12\/seow-session-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Seow \u2014 Session 1"},"content":{"rendered":"
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You should be aware that we have recently begun a new trek into Dr. C.L. Seow\u2019s A Grammar for Biblical Hebrew<\/em>, Rev. Ed. (Abingdon, 1995), which you can purchase here<\/a> on Amazon. If you don\u2019t have a copy of the textbook, it will be difficult for you to follow along and you will miss a lot of the material.<\/p>\n

In the first session, which you can view here<\/a> and is embedded below, Jonathan leads us through a generic introduction to the Hebrew aleph-bet<\/em>. At this stage, which is actually a pre-textbook lesson, it is important to begin to learn the names of the letters and their sounds. On the presentation, we divided the letters up into several groups to make memorization easier.<\/p>\n

Here I will simply present the letters in order. We tend to call it the \u201caleph-bet\u201d in Hebrew based on the names of the first two letters, but it is truly an abjad<\/em><\/a> because vowels are not represented directly.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The Names of the Letters<\/h3>\n

It\u2019s important to memorize the names of the letters in order. Here they are:<\/p>\n

\u00e1leph   bet   g\u00edmel   d\u00e1let   heh   vav   z\u00e1yin<\/em>
\nchet   tet   yod   kaf   l\u00e1med   mem   nun   s\u00e1mech<\/em>
\n\u00e1yin   peh   ts\u00e1di   kuf   resh   shin   tav<\/em><\/p>\n

Memorize the letters in order. I have posted a video on YouTube<\/a> that simply recites the name of the letters. It\u2019s important to go over the names of the letters until they make sense to you. If you would like a musical version that includes the sounds of the fricatives (bet – vet; kaf – khaf; peh – pheh<\/em>), check out Ms. Sarah\u2019s sing-along video<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It isn\u2019t enough<\/em> to be able to recite the English letters (a b c d e f g…<\/em>), but it is essential<\/em> to be able to recite the alphabet. The same is true in Hebrew. It is not enough that one is able to recite the names of the letters, but it\u2019s important to know how to give their names from beginning to end. Once you\u2019ve got the names, it makes putting the shapes of the letters in order much easier\u2014since you will be able to recognize where you are missing letters and can practice writing them from memory.<\/p>\n

Take the time now to make sure that you know the names of the letters in Hebrew.<\/p>\n

The Hebrew Aleph-Bet in Order<\/h3>\n

All comparisons below are to be compared to the standard non-accented English of newscasters and professional speakers in the United States.<\/p>\n

\u05d0<\/span> The letter \u05d0<\/span> (aleph) is generally presented as a silent letter, representing the glottal stop or the sound between the two elements of \u201cuh-oh!\u201d or the word \u201cwater\u201d in some British accents. It is also a seat for vowels that begin a word, since vowels cannot stand alone in Hebrew (because they were a later addition to the language).<\/p>\n

\u05d1<\/span> The letter \u05d1<\/span> (bet) represents two different consonant sounds, depending on whether is a stop (hard) or a fricative (soft). In its hard form, it is written with a dot in its center. This dot is called dagesh<\/em> (to be discussed later). Just remember that it makes it hard. Thus, \u05d1\u05bc<\/span> represents the sound b<\/em> (as in banana<\/em>). When soft (without the dagesh),<\/em> however, it is written as \u05d1<\/span> and represents the sound v<\/em> (as in very<\/em>).<\/p>\n

\u05d2<\/span> The letter \u05d2<\/span> (gimel) used to also represent two different sounds. Therefore, it has a hard representation (\u05d2\u05bc<\/span>) and a soft representation (\u05d2<\/span>). Today, both \u05d2\u05bc<\/span> and \u05d2<\/span> are pronounced the same, like the g<\/em> in get<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u05d3<\/span> The letter \u05d3<\/span> (dalet) is like gimel in that it was originally pronounced two different ways. The hard version (\u05d3\u05bc<\/span>) and the soft version (\u05d3<\/span>) are both pronounced like the d<\/em> in done<\/em> today.<\/p>\n

\u05d4<\/span> The letter \u05d4<\/span> (heh) is similar to the letter h<\/em> in English hello<\/em>. As a mater lectionis<\/abbr>, it often represents the vowels -a<\/em>, -e<\/em>, or -o<\/em> at the end of a word. When it is pronounced as a consonant, it is sometimes very faint and cannot be heard (it becomes somewhat silent and might sound like \u05d0<\/span> above). This is one of the three matres lectionis<\/em> in Hebrew. The difference between \u05d4<\/span> as a vowel and as a consonant will soon be pointed out in a subsequent lesson.<\/p>\n

\u05d5<\/span> The letter \u05d5<\/span> (vav) is another of the three matres lectionis<\/em>. As a consonant, at some point in history it was like the Arabic waw<\/em>, but from the period of late biblical Hebrew (lbh<\/span>) it has been pronounced like the v<\/em> in very<\/em>. Grammars traditionally write it with w<\/em>, but it should be noted that (1) they are attempting to represent historical developments in the language without regard to pronunciation necessarily and (2) the German grammarians gave us the transcription systems, and in the German language w<\/em> sounds like English v<\/em>. As a mater lectionis<\/em>, it represents either o<\/em> (\u05d5\u05b9<\/span>) or u<\/em> (\u05d5\u05bc<\/span>). Again, you will soon learn when it is a mater lectionis<\/em> and when it should be read as a consonant (like v<\/em>).<\/p>\n

\u05d6<\/span> The letter \u05d6<\/span> (zayin) represents the same sound that we pronounce with z<\/em> in English, as in the word zap<\/em>. It\u2019s one of the clearest one-to-one sound representations between English and Hebrew.<\/p>\n

\u05d7<\/span> The letter \u05d7<\/span> is one of the two hardest sounds for English speakers to reproduce. Israelis tend to pronounce it like \u05db<\/span>, which we will see below, such that it sounds like the ch<\/em> in the Scottish word loch<\/em><\/a>. Technically, it has its own sound, which we can discuss in our lessons. For now, just learn it as if it sounds like \u05db<\/span>. Listen to Ruben\u2019s explanation here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u05d8<\/span> The letter \u05d8<\/span> (tet) is like \u05d6<\/span> in that it has a single sound that is easily represented in English. It sounds like the t<\/em> in the word tiger<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u05d9<\/span> The letter \u05d9<\/span> (yod) is the third of the matres lectionis<\/em>. We have now encountered all three of them: \u05d4<\/span>\u200e, \u05d5<\/span>, and now \u05d9<\/span>. As a consonant, \u05d9<\/span> represents the sound of the y<\/em> in yellow<\/em>. As a mater lectionis<\/em>, it generally represents either i<\/em> (the i<\/em> in unique<\/em>) or e<\/em> (the long e<\/em> in they<\/em> or the short e<\/em> in bed<\/em>). We will cover the situations for each in future lessons.<\/p>\n

\u05db<\/span> The letter \u05db<\/span> (kaf) represents two different sounds, like \u05d1<\/span>. When it is hard, \u05db\u05bc<\/span> represents the k<\/em> in kite<\/em>; and when soft, \u05db<\/span> represents the ch<\/em> in the Scottish loch<\/em> discussed above (see Ruben\u2019s video). This sound is generally difficult for English speakers, but it is an important sound in Hebrew. When it falls at the end of a word, \u05db takes on a \u201cfinal\u201d or \u201csofit\u201d form: \u05da<\/span>. If it has no vowel, it will appear as \u05da\u05b0<\/span> but it often appears with the a<\/em> vowel as \u05da\u05b8<\/span>.<\/p>\n

\u05dc<\/span> The letter \u05dc<\/span> (lamed) represents the l<\/em> in luxury<\/em>. It is the only letter of the alphabet that extends above the lines within which the letters are written. We will see later that there are four forms that descend below the bottom line (one is \u05db<\/span> above when at the end of a word), and we have already met \u05d9<\/span> that doesn\u2019t extend down to the bottom line but only takes up a quarter of the space of normal letters.<\/p>\n

\u05de<\/span> The letter \u05de<\/span> (mem) is another of the simple letters that represent just one sound. It sounds exactly like the m<\/em> in English. The only odd thing is it, like \u05db<\/span>, has a separate form when it appears at the end of a word. In that situation, it looks like \u05dd<\/span>. So far, we have encountered two of the five letters that have \u201cfinal forms.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u05e0<\/span> The letter \u05e0<\/span> (nun) also represents only one sound (the n<\/em> of English) and has two forms: the normal form that appears at the beginning of a word or with in (\u05e0<\/span>) and the final form that appears only at the end of a word (\u05df<\/span>).<\/p>\n

\u05e1<\/span> The letter \u05e1<\/span> (samech) simply represents the s<\/em> of English. It never becomes a z<\/em> sound as in the English phase<\/em>. It is always s<\/em> as in some<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u05e2<\/span> The letter \u05e2<\/span> (ayin) is normally taught to be the same as \u05d0<\/span>. That is, it is said to be a silent letter. This will be enough for you as you begin your study of Hebrew, but technically \u05e2<\/span> has a sound of its own. We can demonstrate it during online lessons if you\u2019re interested.<\/p>\n

\u05e4<\/span> The letter \u05e4<\/span> (peh) is very similar to \u05db, in that it represents two sounds and has two shapes! When it is hard, \u05e4\u05bc represents the sound of the p<\/em> in English port<\/em>. When it is soft, \u05e4<\/span> represents the ph<\/em> or f<\/em> sound in photo<\/em> or film<\/em>. At the end of a word, it takes on the form \u05e3<\/span>.<\/p>\n

\u05e6<\/span> The letter \u05e6<\/span> (tsadi) is often called \u201ctsadik\u201d (Hebrew for \u201crighteous\u201d) by Israeli speakers of Hebrew. It represents the double sound of ts<\/em>, just as in English the letter x<\/em> represents the sound of ks<\/em> together. This is the last of the five letters that have a final form, which is \u05e5<\/span>. No matter what position the letter is found in, both the sounds of t<\/em> and of s<\/em> must be pronounced: \u05e6\u05b4\u05d9\u05e6\u05b4\u05d9\u05ea<\/span> tsitsit<\/em> \u201cfringe, four-cornered religious undershirt with tassels,\u201d and \u05d1\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05e5<\/span> bots<\/em> \u201cmud,\u201d and \u05e6\u05d5\u05bc\u05e3<\/span> tsuf<\/em> \u201creeds.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u05e7<\/span> The letter \u05e7<\/span> (kuf) today sounds the same as hard \u05db\u05bc, that is, as a k<\/em> in English. Historically, it was produced further back in the throat and had a different sound. It is the same in all positions of a word.<\/p>\n

\u05e8<\/span> The letter \u05e8<\/span> (resh) is similar to the r<\/em> in Parisian French. Students may pronounce it like the r<\/em> in English, but they should eventually learn to pronounce it in the throat rather than in the sides of the mouth. Historically, it was tapped or trilled like the r<\/em> and rr<\/em> in Spanish.<\/p>\n

\u05e9<\/span> The letter \u05e9<\/span> (shin\/sin) represents either the s<\/em> in son<\/em> (marked as \u05e9\u05c2<\/span>) or the sh<\/em> in shun<\/em> (marked as \u05e9\u05c1<\/span>). It represents two sounds that merged into one letter, and they are distinguished in pointing by the placement of the dot on the top right or the top left.<\/p>\n

\u05ea<\/span> The letter \u05ea<\/span> (tav) has both a hard (\u05ea\u05bc<\/span>) and a soft (\u05ea<\/span>) form. Historically, they had different sounds (depending on the reading tradition), but today they both sound the same as \u05d8<\/span>\u2014like the t<\/em> in time<\/em>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n