Biglal, ki, lachen: cause and effect
Cause is sorted by size here. Biglal takes a noun after it: biglalhapekak — because of the traffic jam. For a whole sentence there is ki — because: ani sameach, ki hakol beseder. The bookish mifnei works in both roles but is almost never heard in speech. For example: “אני מאחר בגלל הפקק.” — I am late because of the traffic jam. A rule from the Hebrew course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Cause is sorted by size here. Biglal takes a noun after it: biglalhapekak — because of the traffic jam. For a whole sentence there is ki — because: ani sameach, ki hakol beseder. The bookish mifnei works in both roles but is almost never heard in speech.
The consequence is introduced by lachen — therefore, and most often together with the conjunction ve-: yesh geshem, velachen anachnu babait. The comma stands before velachen, not after: it belongs to the second half of the phrase.
The pair closes the circle: lama? — why — asks about the cause, lachen answers with the effect. You have been asking lama for a long time; now it has a paired answer.
Table
| meaning | Hebrew | How it reads | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| cause + noun | בגלל | biglal | biglalhapekak — because of the jam |
| cause + phrase | כי | ki | ki hakol beseder — because all is fine |
| cause, bookish | מפני | mifnei | mifnei hageshem — because of the rain |
| effect | לכן | lachen | velachen anachnu babait — so we are home |
| question | למה | lama | lama ata meacher? — why are you late? |
By example
- אני מאחר בגלל הפקק.ани меахэр бэ-глаль ха-пэкэк.I am late because of the traffic jam.
- אני שמח כי הכל בסדר.ани самэах ки ха-коль бэсэдер.I am glad because everything is fine.
- יש גשם, ולכן אנחנו בבית.йеш гешем, ве-лахэн анахну ба-баит.It is raining, so we are at home.
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
How to say because of in Hebrew?
Cause is sorted by size here. Biglal takes a noun after it: biglalhapekak — because of the traffic jam. For a whole sentence there is ki — because: ani sameach, ki hakol beseder. The bookish mifnei works in both roles but is almost never heard in speech.
Difference between ki and mifnei?
Cause is sorted by size here. Biglal takes a noun after it: biglalhapekak — because of the traffic jam. For a whole sentence there is ki — because: ani sameach, ki hakol beseder. The bookish mifnei works in both roles but is almost never heard in speech.
How to say therefore in Hebrew?
Cause is sorted by size here. Biglal takes a noun after it: biglalhapekak — because of the traffic jam. For a whole sentence there is ki — because: ani sameach, ki hakol beseder. The bookish mifnei works in both roles but is almost never heard in speech.
Biglal or mifnei in Hebrew?
Cause is sorted by size here. Biglal takes a noun after it: biglalhapekak — because of the traffic jam. For a whole sentence there is ki — because: ani sameach, ki hakol beseder. The bookish mifnei works in both roles but is almost never heard in speech.
What does it look like in a Hebrew example sentence?
“אני מאחר בגלל הפקק.” (ани меахэр бэ-глаль ха-пэкэк.) — I am late because of the traffic jam. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.