זה

See also: Appendix:Variations of "ze"

Hebrew

Etymology

Related to Aramaic דִּי () and Arabic ذُو (ḏū). Compare also the definite form הזה (haze) and Arabic هٰذَا (hāḏā).

Determiner

זֶה (ze) m

  1. this
    • הָרַחֲמָן הוּא יִשְׁלַח לָנוּ בְּרָכָה מְרֻבָּה בַּבַּיִת הַזֶּה, וְעַל שֻׁלְחָן זֶה שֶׁאָכַלְנוּ עָלָיו.
      harakhaman hu yishlakh lanu b'rakha m'ruba babayit haze, v'al shulkhan ze she'akhalnu alav.
      The Merciful One will send to us a manifold blessing in this house, and on this table upon which we have eaten.

Usage notes

  • There are three ways to use this determiner:
    • הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה (this thing): most common overall, especially in Biblical Hebrew and Modern Hebrew
    • דָּבָר זֶה (this thing): common in Rabbinic Hebrew from Mishnaic to modern times, and in formal Modern Hebrew
    • זֶה הַדָּבָר (this thing): common in some forms of Medieval Hebrew

Pronoun

זֶה () m (plural אֵלֶּה or אֵלּוּ, feminine זֹאת or זוֹ)

  1. this, this one.
    זה בחולצה הכחולה.
    ze bakhultsá hak'khulá.
    The one (male) in the blue shirt.
    זה שאין לנקוב בשמו.
    ze she'éin linkóv be'shemó.
    He-who-must-not-be-named.

Usage notes

  • זה, although translated "this", is often used in circumstances where English speakers would use that. For example, a boy swinging a stick might be told הזהר עם זה, whereas in English he'd be told "be careful with that".
  • Colloquially, זה is often used as a gender-neutral form of "it".

See also

  • זוֹ (zo), feminine singular counterpart of זה
  • זֹאת (zot), feminine singular counterpart of זה
  • אֵלֶּה (éle), plural counterpart of זה
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