Zeh, zot, ele: this, this (f), these
There are three main demonstratives: zeh — this (m), zot — this (f) and ele — these. On their own they stand apart: zeh tov — this is good; ma zeh? — what is this? For example: “הטלפון הזה שלי.” — This phone is mine. A rule from the Hebrew course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
There are three main demonstratives: zeh — this (m), zot — this (f) and ele — these. On their own they stand apart: zeh tov — this is good; ma zeh? — what is this?
When the demonstrative goes with a noun, the picture changes: it stands after the noun, and the article goes before both. hatelefon hazeh — this phone; hasifria hazot — this library; hayeladim ele — these children. The double article is not an accident but the mark of the pair: two ha- tie the noun and its pointer together.
The demonstrative agrees with the noun in gender and number: kartis zeh, tmuna zot, sfarim ele. Take the gender from the noun — sefer is masculine, tmuna feminine.
There is also a "that very" form — oto, ota: hakartis oto — that very ticket. In live speech it is rarer than zeh, and the three basic forms are enough here.
Table
| thing | masculine | feminine | plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| phone | הטלפון הזה | — | — |
| table | השולחן הזה | — | — |
| photograph | — | התמונה הזאת | — |
| book | הספר הזה | — | — |
| door | — | הדלת הזאת | — |
| children | — | — | הילדים האלה |
| things | — | — | הדברים האלה |
| this (in general) | זה | זאת | אלה |
By example
- הטלפון הזה שלי.ха-телефон хазэ шели.This phone is mine.
- אני רוצה את התמונה הזאת.ани роце эт ха-тмуна хазот.I want this photograph.
- הדברים האלה בתיק.ха-дварим ха-элэ ба-тик.These things are in the bag.
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
Zeh, zot, ele: how does it work in Hebrew?
There are three main demonstratives: zeh — this (m), zot — this (f) and ele — these. On their own they stand apart: zeh tov — this is good; ma zeh? — what is this?
What does it look like in a Hebrew example sentence?
“הטלפון הזה שלי.” (ха-телефон хазэ шели.) — This phone is mine. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.