A profession from a thing: -ai, me- and short old words
The most generous way to name a trade is the ending -ai: take a thing and turn it into a person. Mechonit — a car — gives mechonai (מכונאי), a mechanic; chashmal — electricity — gives chashmalai. A woman takes -it: chakla’it, mechonait. For example: “מי המכונאי החדש במוסך?” — Who is the new mechanic at the garage? A rule from the Hebrew course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
The most generous way to name a trade is the ending -ai: take a thing and turn it into a person. Mechonit — a car — gives mechonai (מכונאי (мехонай)), a mechanic; chashmal — electricity — gives chashmalai. A woman takes -it: chakla’it, mechonait.
From a verb, the present form names the person: the one who translates is metargem. The one who receives is mekabel.
Old trades have short names: nagar — a carpenter, chayat — a tailor, ofe — a baker, sofer — a writer. They are simply memorized.
Asked ma hamiktzoa shelach? — what is your profession — answer with no linking verb: ani chaklai — I am a farmer; ani chakla’it — I am a farmer (f). The word matches the speaker's gender.
Table
| from what | a man | a woman | translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| שדה — a field | חקלאי | חקלאית | a farmer |
| מכונית — a car | מכונאי | מכונאית | a mechanic |
| חשמל — electricity | חשמלאי | חשמלאית | an electrician |
| לתרגם — to translate | מתרגם | מתרגמת | a translator |
| להזכיר — to remind | מזכיר | מזכירה | a secretary |
| לצלם — to photograph | צלם | צלמת | a photographer |
| לנגן — to play music | מנגן | מנגנת | a musician |
| לכבות — to extinguish | כבאי | כבאית | a firefighter |
By example
- מי המכונאי החדש במוסך?ми ха-мехонай ха-хадаш бе-мосах?Who is the new mechanic at the garage?
- אני חקלאית, הוא מכונאי.ани хаклаит, ху мехонай.I am a farmer (f), and he is a mechanic.
- המזכירה עונה, המתורגמן מדבר.ха-мазкира она, ха-мэтургеман медабэр.The secretary answers, the translator speaks.
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 name a profession in Hebrew?
The most generous way to name a trade is the ending -ai: take a thing and turn it into a person. Mechonit — a car — gives mechonai (מכונאי), a mechanic; chashmal — electricity — gives chashmalai. A woman takes -it: chakla’it, mechonait.
The profession suffix in Hebrew?
Asked ma hamiktzoa shelach? — what is your profession — answer with no linking verb: ani chaklai — I am a farmer; ani chakla’it — I am a farmer (f). The word matches the speaker's gender.
Feminine professions in Hebrew?
Asked ma hamiktzoa shelach? — what is your profession — answer with no linking verb: ani chaklai — I am a farmer; ani chakla’it — I am a farmer (f). The word matches the speaker's gender.
How to say what I do for work in Hebrew?
The most generous way to name a trade is the ending -ai: take a thing and turn it into a person. Mechonit — a car — gives mechonai (מכונאי), a mechanic; chashmal — electricity — gives chashmalai. A woman takes -it: chakla’it, mechonait.
What does it look like in a Hebrew example sentence?
“מי המכונאי החדש במוסך?” (ми ха-мехонай ха-хадаш бе-мосах?) — Who is the new mechanic at the garage? A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.