Ki, im, kshe-, aval: because, if, when, but
Four words sew short phrases into connected speech. Ki answers why: ani ba ki ani rotze — I am coming because I want to. A comma may stand before it, as in English. For example: “אני שמח כי הכל בסדר.” — I am glad because everything is fine. A rule from the Hebrew course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Four words sew short phrases into connected speech. Ki answers why: ani ba ki ani rotze — I am coming because I want to. A comma may stand before it, as in English.
Im — if: im yesh zman, bo — if there is time, come. After im the future gives way to the present, as in English if-clauses: not "if he will come" but "if he comes".
Kshe- — when: a prefix on the next word, like she-, only about time. kshe-ani ba habaita — when I come home. Mind this: the word kshe does not live alone, it is always glued.
And aval — but: a word you know from the base course. It does not subordinate phrases, it sets them against each other: yakar, aval tov — expensive, but good.
Table
| conjunction | meaning | example |
|---|---|---|
| כי | because | ani ba ki ani rotze |
| אם | if | im yesh zman, bo |
| כש- | when | kshe-haimun, ani ba |
| אבל | but | yakar, aval tov |
| מ- | than (in comparison) | yoter tov mi-zeh |
By example
- אני שמח כי הכל בסדר.ани самэах ки ха-коль бэсэдер.I am glad because everything is fine.
- אם יש חניה, אני בא.им йеш хания, ани ба.If there is parking, I am coming.
- כשהמשלוח כאן, אני מתקשר.кше-ха-мишлоах кан, ани миткашер.When the parcel is here, I will call.
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
Ki, im, kshe-, aval: how does it work in Hebrew?
Four words sew short phrases into connected speech. Ki answers why: ani ba ki ani rotze — I am coming because I want to. A comma may stand before it, as in English.
What does it look like in a Hebrew example sentence?
“אני שמח כי הכל בסדר.” (ани самэах ки ха-коль бэсэдер.) — I am glad because everything is fine. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.