Lehidabek be-, lehimana mi-: the verb pulls its own preposition
In English "to catch a virus" and "to avoid smoking" need no preposition. Here each such verb has its own: lehidabek be- — to catch, literally "stick onto"; lehimana mi- — to keep oneself from. Learn the preposition together with the verb. For example: “הוא נדבק בוירוס בבית הספר.” — He caught a virus at school. A rule from the Hebrew course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
In English "to catch a virus" and "to avoid smoking" need no preposition. Here each such verb has its own: lehidabek be- — to catch, literally "stick onto"; lehimana mi- — to keep oneself from. Learn the preposition together with the verb.
At the pharmacy and at the doctor's you hear this all the time. Nidbakti bevirus — I caught a virus; sovel mikeavim — he suffers from pain. Mix up the preposition and the phrase falls apart, though every word is in place.
The preposition belongs to the verb, not to the meaning, so English is no guide. Lehitakesh al — to insist on — takes al; lidrosh mi- — to demand from — takes mi-.
Table
| verb | preposition | example | translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| להידבק — to catch | בְּ | נדבק בוירוס | caught a virus |
| להימנע — to avoid | מִן | להימנע מעישון | to avoid smoking |
| לסבול — to endure | מִן | סובל מכאבים | endures pains |
| להתעניין — to be interested | בְּ | מתעניין במדע | is interested in science |
| לדרוש — to demand | מִן | דורש ממך תשובה | demands an answer from you |
| להתעקש — to insist | עַל | מתעקש על המחיר | insists on the price |
By example
- הוא נדבק בוירוס בבית הספר.ху нидбак бе-вирус бэ-бейт ха-сэфер.He caught a virus at school.
- אני ממנע מאוכל שומני בלילה.ани миманаэ ме-охель шумани ба-лайла.I avoid fatty food at night.
- המורה דורש מהתלמידים תשובה.ха-мора дошэш ме-ха-талмидим тшува.The teacher demands an answer from the pupils.
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
Which preposition follows lehidabek?
In English "to catch a virus" and "to avoid smoking" need no preposition. Here each such verb has its own: lehidabek be- — to catch, literally "stick onto"; lehimana mi- — to keep oneself from. Learn the preposition together with the verb.
Verbs with prepositions in Hebrew?
In English "to catch a virus" and "to avoid smoking" need no preposition. Here each such verb has its own: lehidabek be- — to catch, literally "stick onto"; lehimana mi- — to keep oneself from. Learn the preposition together with the verb.
The rules of lehimana mi in Hebrew?
In English "to catch a virus" and "to avoid smoking" need no preposition. Here each such verb has its own: lehidabek be- — to catch, literally "stick onto"; lehimana mi- — to keep oneself from. Learn the preposition together with the verb.
How to say depend on in Hebrew?
The preposition belongs to the verb, not to the meaning, so English is no guide. Lehitakesh al — to insist on — takes al; lidrosh mi- — to demand from — takes mi-.
What does it look like in a Hebrew example sentence?
“הוא נדבק בוירוס בבית הספר.” (ху нидбак бе-вирус бэ-бейт ха-сэфер.) — He caught a virus at school. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.