Learning Biblical Hebrew: Alphabet

[LamorakDesGalis]

Learning the alphabet is a critical first step in learning Biblical Hebrew. Its as simple as this: if you can't distinguish between the letters, then you simply cannot read or pronounce the words! Fortunately there are some similarities between the English and Hebrew alphabets that help to bridge the gap a bit. "Mem" is one of those - it has an "m" sound and it kind of, sort of looks roughly like an M.

Here is the alphabet:
Aleph א
Bet בּ ב The dot in the middle of a consonant is called a dagesh. The meaning of which will be covered in a later lesson.
Gimel גּ ג another dagesh
Dalet דּ דanother dagesh
He ה
Waw ו
Zayin ז
Het ח
Tet ט
Yod י
Kaph כּ כ and ך is kaph final letter. Final letters occur at the end of a word.
Lamed ל
Mem מ and ם is Mem final letter
Nun נ and ן is Nun final letter
Samek ס
Ayin ע
Pe פּ פ and ף is Pe final letter
Sade צ and ץ is Sade final letter
Qoph ק
Res ר
Sinשׂ notice a small dot above to the left
S(h)in שׁ notice a small dot above to the right
Taw תּ ת

You may notice the dots within the letters. Later we will see that there will be dots above and below the letters that matter also, which are basically vowels.

There are letters that look very similar, such as a Bet ב and a Kaph כ. Spend some time comparing the similar ones, as that is going to help you distinguish these letters in the future. Next lesson we will go over the sounds for most letters.

 

[Tishri1]

subscribing and copying to my student notebook

 

[Tishri1]

subscribing and copying to my student notebook

ok I think I got it right but who wants to check my work
http://www.christianforums.com/t7422269/#post53668863:thumbsup:

 

[LiturgyInDMinor]

*subscribing*

 

[dorig59]

I've always wanted to learn, thank you for providing this class for us.

 

[Aino]

Subscribing. Great that you're doing this!

 

[Criada]

Subscribing.

 

[LamorakDesGalis]

Welcome new subscribers! Its great to see more people interested in learning Hebrew!

This thread is the first lesson...and all the lessons will be listed and updated in this sticky thread. So that would be the one to subscribe to if you haven't already to see any new updates.

Feel free to ask questions...


LDG

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

subscribe

 

[Mahammad]

How can I subscribe? Can I do it? I'm interested into Hebrew but I'm not a Christian.

 

[Tishri1]

you just did, posting in each lessons thread automatically subscribes you to the thread but dont stop there make your own thread to use as a student notebook to copy lessons in for extra practice look at mine(listed in the directory) and see what I mean

 

[dorig59]

What does this statement mean:

Kaph כּ כ and ך is kaph final letter. Final letters occur at the end of a word.

What does it mean that the final letters occur at the end of a word. And how is the "ph" pronounced, or is that for another lesson?

 

[BRISH]

Have thought about learning it off and on over the years.

Thank you for providing this.

I'm definately subscribing.

 

[Zeena]

TY TY TY!!!

 

[Strong in Him]

Subscribing.

Only found this thread today - I think it's brilliant.
Thank you.

 

[Strong in Him]

Just a couple of questions (for now);
are sin and s(h)in different letters then, depending on where the dot is? And is the 'h' in s(h)in silent then?

It seems also that Kaph (final letter) and Res are identical. No doubt their position in the word tells us which is which.

 

[kenrapoza]

subscribing. Thanks!

 

[Just The Facts]

Hi

My experience with hebrew is such that I am a bit leary..........I have worked on learning before only to find that the doctrinal position of the teacher seem to alter the hebrew lesson.

In other word hebrew teachers with a christian faith seem to translate or interpret the original hebrew quite differently then a hebrew scholar of Jewish faith.

So if it is not to nosey are you Christian in faith and if so which sect of Christianity would you say you belong to........

 

[LamorakDesGalis]

Can I do it? I'm interested into Hebrew but I'm not a Christian.

Sure, anyone is more than welcome to join.


LDG

 

[LamorakDesGalis]

What does this statement mean:

Kaph כּ כ and ך is kaph final letter. Final letters occur at the end of a word.

What does it mean that the final letters occur at the end of a word. And how is the "ph" pronounced, or is that for another lesson?

Hi Dori,

The "ph" in kaph is pronounced like an f - in fact many grammars spell it as "kaf" instead of "kaph."

Kaph is one of five "final letters" in Hebrew. Here is an example, the word "melek" which means king:

מֶלֶךְ

Ignore the little dots for now, they will be covered in the next lesson on vowels. Hebrew reads from right to left, so we have a mem מֶ, a lamed
לֶ and a kaph ךְ . The kaph is the final consonant for this word, so it takes the final form. Here is another word "cohen" which means priest:

כֹּהֵן
The word begins with a kaph כֹּ, then a he הֵ, then a final nun ן. So the kaph takes its regular form since it wasn't the last letter. The nun however, is in the final place, so it takes the nun final form.


LDG