Conjunctions מִלּוֹת חִבּוּר
The smallest glue words (וְ, אוֹ, אֲבָל, גַּם, אֶלָּא) do most of the joining work in Israeli sentences. They stay in front of the clause or phrase they add, and וְ is written attached to the next word.
Attach וְ to the following word; use אֲבָל for contrast, אוֹ for choice, גַּם for addition, and אֶלָּא after a negation for “but rather.”
וְ is a prefix, not a free word: קָפֶה וְתה, אֲנִי בָּא וְהוּא הוֹלֵךְ. Before bet, vav, mem, or pe it is often pronounced u: וּבַבַּיִת. אוֹ sits between alternatives. אֲבָל is the everyday “but”; אַךְ and אוּלָם belong to a more written register.
| Hebrew | Transliteration | English | |
|---|---|---|---|
| אֲנִי רוֹצֶה קָפֶה וְעוּגָה | ani rotzeh kafeh ve'ugah | I want coffee and cake | |
| תֵּה אוֹ קָפֶה? | teh o kafeh? | Tea or coffee? | |
| אֲנִי רוֹצֶה, אֲבָל אֵין לִי זְמַן | ani rotzeh, aval ein li zman | I want to, but I have no time |
| Word | Job | Example |
|---|---|---|
| וְ | and | לֶחֶם וְגְבִינָה |
| אוֹ | or | הַיּוֹם אוֹ מָחָר |
| אֲבָל | but | קָר, אֲבָל יָצָאתִי |
| גַּם | also / too | גַּם אֲנִי |
| אֶלָּא | but rather | לֹא יָרוֹק אֶלָּא כָּחֹל |
גַּם אֲנִי means “me too”; גַּם... גַּם... means “both... and...”: גַּם קָפֶה גַּם תֵּה. אוֹ... אוֹ... is “either... or...”. After a negative, אֶלָּא replaces “but” when you correct the first choice: זֶה לֹא יָרוֹק אֶלָּא כָּחֹל. אֲבָל would sound like a mere contrast, not a correction.
| Hebrew | Transliteration | English | |
|---|---|---|---|
| גַּם דָּנִי גַּם נוֹעָה בָּאִים | gam dani gam noah baim | Both Dani and Noah are coming | |
| אוֹ הַיּוֹם אוֹ מָחָר | o hayom o makhar | Either today or tomorrow | |
| לֹא בַּשִּׁמּוּשׁ אֶלָּא בַּמִּטָּה | lo bashimush ela bamitah | Not in the bathroom but in the bed (as a correction) |
כְּשֶׁ, לִפְנֵי שֶׁ, אַחֲרֵי שֶׁ, and עַד שֶׁ attach a whole clause. They are written as two pieces when שֶׁ is separate, and they keep ordinary word order after them. These are still conjunctions, not prepositions; the preposition twins לִפְנֵי and אַחֲרֵי take a noun, not a tense.
| Hebrew | Transliteration | English | |
|---|---|---|---|
| כְּשֶׁיֵּשׁ זְמַן, אֲנִי קוֹרֵא | kshe yesh zman, ani kore | When there is time, I read | |
| לִפְנֵי שֶׁאַתָּה הוֹלֵךְ, תִּסְגֹּר אֶת הַדֶּלֶת | lifnei she'atah holekh, tisgor et hadelat | Before you go, close the door |
Exceptions
Vav is not always “and”
A vav prefix can also mark a result or a weak “so” in speech: וּבְכֵן, וְאָז. In biblical narrative a vav-consecutive tense exists; modern Israeli Hebrew does not use that system. For learners, treat ordinary וְ as “and” unless the sentence is clearly sequential “and then.”
Aval versus ela
Use אֲבָל after a positive or as a general contrast. Use אֶלָּא after לֹא / אֵין when the second part replaces the first. לֹא בָּא אֲבָל הִתְקַשֵּׁר is contrast; לֹא בָּא אֶלָּא הִתְקַשֵּׁר claims the calling is the real event instead of coming.
Common mistakes
קָפֶה וְ תֵּה as two words → קָפֶה וְתֵה
וְ is a prefix and is written on the next word.
לֹא יָרוֹק אֲבָל כָּחֹל → לֹא יָרוֹק אֶלָּא כָּחֹל
Correction after a negator takes אֶלָּא, not אֲבָל.
גַּם אֲנִי גַּם as a trailing “too” copy of English “also I also” → גַּם אֲנִי
One גַּם before the added item is enough for “too.”
Go on to
Because and so
Cause and result are split by what follows the linker: כִּי and מִפְּנֵי שֶׁ take a clause, בִּגְלַל takes a noun, and לָכֵן or spoken אָז introduce the result. Purpose uses כְּדֵי plus an infinitive, which is not a cause.
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