What does "also" mean in Hebrew?
The everyday Hebrew word for "also," "too" and "as well" is גם (gam). It is a short adverb of three sounds and two letters, and it never changes: no gender, no number, no endings. When someone says "I want coffee," the answer "me too" is simply גם אני (gam ani), literally "also I."
The one thing a learner must get right is where גם goes. English moves "also" and "too" around freely and often puts "too" at the end: "I want coffee too." Hebrew puts גם directly before the word or phrase it adds:
- גם אני רוצה קפה (gam ani rotse kafe) — "I want coffee too" (I, like the others) - אני רוצה גם קפה (ani rotse gam kafe) — "I want coffee too" (coffee, as well as something else)
The two English sentences are the same; the two Hebrew sentences are not. Hebrew shows by the position of גם what is being added.
גם also builds several common pairs and phrases:
- גם… וגם… (gam… ve-gam…) — "both… and…": גם ארוך וגם משעמם, "both long and boring" - גם… לא — "not… either": גם אני לא, "me neither," literally "also I not" - לא רק… אלא גם… (lo rak… ela gam…) — "not only… but also…" - גם אם (gam im) — "even if" - גם כן (gam ken) — "also, as well," a little more emphatic or formal than גם alone
The word is very old. It appears hundreds of times in the Bible, already with the same meaning and the same position: גַּם־אַתָּה שְׁתֵה, "you drink too" (Genesis 24:44). Its origin is uncertain; some dictionaries connect it with a root meaning "much, abundance."
A note on spelling. גם is written with ג (gimel) and a final mem, ם. The ג is always a hard g, as in English go. With "and" in front, it is וגם (ve-gam), "and also," one of the commonest ways to add the last item to a list.
- גם (gam) = "also, too, as well"; it never changes its form - גם stands directly before the word it adds, never at the end of the sentence - גם אני = "me too"; גם אני לא = "me neither" - גם… וגם… = "both… and…"; גם וגם alone = "both" - לא רק… אלא גם… = "not only… but also…" - גם אם = "even if"; גם כן = "also" (more emphatic) - English "too" meaning "excessively" is not גם but מדי (midai) - Stress: GAM; ve-GAM
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54.1a גם also אני I
54.1b gam (GAM) also ani (a-NEE) I
54.2a גם also היא she באה comes
54.2b gam (GAM) also hi (HEE) she ba'a (ba-A) come-PRES.F.SG
54.3a גם also אתה you רוצה want קפה coffee
54.3b gam (GAM) also ata (a-TA) you-M.SG rotse (ro-TSE) want-PRES.M.SG kafe (ka-FE) coffee-M.SG
54.4a גם also זה this לא not
54.4b gam (GAM) also ze (ZE) this-M.SG lo (LO) not
54.5a גם also וגם and-also
54.5b gam (GAM) also ve-gam (ve-GAM) and-also
54.6a היא she מדברת speaks עברית Hebrew וגם and-also ערבית Arabic
54.6b hi (HEE) she medaberet (me-da-BE-ret) speak-PRES.F.SG ivrit (iv-REET) Hebrew-F.SG ve-gam (ve-GAM) and-also aravit (a-ra-VEET) Arabic-F.SG
54.7a גם also אני I לא not הבנתי understood מה what הוא he אמר said
54.7b gam (GAM) also ani (a-NEE) I lo (LO) not hevanti (he-VAN-tee) understood-PAST.1SG ma (MA) what hu (HOO) he amar (a-MAR) said-PAST.3M.SG
54.8a אנחנו we צריכים need לקנות to-buy גם also חלב milk
54.8b anakhnu (a-NAKH-nu) we tsrikhim (tsri-KHEEM) need-PRES.M.PL liknot (lik-NOT) to-buy-INF gam (GAM) also khalav (kha-LAV) milk-M.SG
54.9a הסרט the-film היה was גם also ארוך long וגם and-also משעמם boring
54.9b ha-seret (ha-SE-ret) the-film-M.SG haya (ha-YA) was-PAST.3M.SG gam (GAM) also arokh (a-ROKH) long-M.SG ve-gam (ve-GAM) and-also mesha'amem (me-sha-a-MEM) boring-M.SG
54.10a גם also אם if ירד will-fall גשם rain נצא we-will-go-out לטיול to-trip
54.10b gam (GAM) also im (IM) if yered (ye-RED) fall-FUT.3M.SG geshem (GE-shem) rain-M.SG netse (ne-TSE) go-out-FUT.1PL le-tiyul (le-tee-YOOL) to-trip-M.SG
54.11a אחי my-brother גר lives בחיפה in-Haifa וגם and-also ההורים the-parents שלי my גרים live שם there
54.11b akhi (a-KHEE) brother-M.SG+my gar (GAR) live-PRES.M.SG be-Kheifa (be-KHEI-fa) in-Haifa ve-gam (ve-GAM) and-also ha-horim (ha-ho-REEM) the-parents-M.PL sheli (she-LEE) my garim (ga-REEM) live-PRES.M.PL sham (SHAM) there
54.12a לא not רק only הילדים the-children אלא but גם also המבוגרים the-adults נהנו enjoyed מההצגה from-the-show
54.12b lo (LO) not rak (RAK) only ha-yeladim (ha-ye-la-DEEM) the-children-M.PL ela (e-LA) but-rather gam (GAM) also ha-mevugarim (ha-me-vu-ga-REEM) the-adults-M.PL nehenu (ne-HE-nu) enjoyed-PAST.3PL me-ha-hatsaga (me-ha-ha-tsa-GA) from-the-show-F.SG
54.13a אין there-is-not לי to-me זמן time וגם and-also ככה thus אני I לא not אוהב like מסיבות parties
54.13b ein (EIN) there-is-not li (LEE) to-me zman (ZMAN) time-M.SG ve-gam (ve-GAM) and-also kakha (KA-kha) thus ani (a-NEE) I lo (LO) not ohev (o-HEV) like-PRES.M.SG mesibot (me-see-BOT) party-F.PL
54.14a כשהגענו when-we-arrived לתחנה to-the-station גם also האוטובוס the-bus האחרון the-last כבר already יצא left
54.14b kshe-higanu (kshe-hi-GA-nu) when-arrived-PAST.1PL la-takhana (la-ta-kha-NA) to-the-station-F.SG gam (GAM) also ha-otobus (ha-O-to-boos) the-bus-M.SG ha-akharon (ha-a-kha-RON) the-last-M.SG kvar (KVAR) already yatsa (ya-TSA) left-PAST.3M.SG
54.15a היא she שלחה sent הודעה message לכל to-all החברים the-friends שלה her וגם and-also לי to-me היא she שלחה sent אחת one
54.15b hi (HEE) she shalkha (shal-KHA) sent-PAST.3F.SG hoda'a (ho-da-A) message-F.SG le-khol (le-KHOL) to-all ha-khaverim (ha-kha-ve-REEM) the-friends-M.PL shela (she-LA) her ve-gam (ve-GAM) and-also li (LEE) to-me hi (HEE) she shalkha (shal-KHA) sent-PAST.3F.SG akhat (a-KHAT) one-F
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54.1 גם אני — gam ani — "Me too."
54.2 גם היא באה — gam hi ba'a — "She's coming too."
54.3 גם אתה רוצה קפה? — gam ata rotse kafe? — "Do you want coffee too?" (to a man)
54.4 גם זה לא — gam ze lo — "Not this one either."
54.5 גם וגם — gam ve-gam — "Both." (as an answer: "this one or that one?" — "both")
54.6 היא מדברת עברית וגם ערבית — hi medaberet ivrit ve-gam aravit — "She speaks Hebrew and Arabic too."
54.7 גם אני לא הבנתי מה הוא אמר — gam ani lo hevanti ma hu amar — "I didn't understand what he said either."
54.8 אנחנו צריכים לקנות גם חלב — anakhnu tsrikhim liknot gam khalav — "We need to buy milk too."
54.9 הסרט היה גם ארוך וגם משעמם — ha-seret haya gam arokh ve-gam mesha'amem — "The film was both long and boring."
54.10 גם אם ירד גשם, נצא לטיול — gam im yered geshem, netse le-tiyul — "Even if it rains, we'll go on the trip."
54.11 אחי גר בחיפה, וגם ההורים שלי גרים שם — akhi gar be-Kheifa, ve-gam ha-horim sheli garim sham — "My brother lives in Haifa, and my parents live there too."
54.12 לא רק הילדים, אלא גם המבוגרים נהנו מההצגה — lo rak ha-yeladim, ela gam ha-mevugarim nehenu me-ha-hatsaga — "Not only the children but the adults too enjoyed the show."
54.13 אין לי זמן, וגם ככה אני לא אוהב מסיבות — ein li zman, ve-gam kakha ani lo ohev mesibot — "I haven't got time, and anyway I don't like parties."
54.14 כשהגענו לתחנה, גם האוטובוס האחרון כבר יצא — kshe-higanu la-takhana, gam ha-otobus ha-akharon kvar yatsa — "When we got to the station, even the last bus had already left."
54.15 היא שלחה הודעה לכל החברים שלה, וגם לי היא שלחה אחת — hi shalkha hoda'a le-khol ha-khaverim shela, ve-gam li hi shalkha akhat — "She sent a message to all her friends, and she sent me one too."
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54.1 גם אני
54.2 גם היא באה
54.3 גם אתה רוצה קפה?
54.4 גם זה לא
54.5 גם וגם
54.6 היא מדברת עברית וגם ערבית
54.7 גם אני לא הבנתי מה הוא אמר
54.8 אנחנו צריכים לקנות גם חלב
54.9 הסרט היה גם ארוך וגם משעמם
54.10 גם אם ירד גשם, נצא לטיול
54.11 אחי גר בחיפה, וגם ההורים שלי גרים שם
54.12 לא רק הילדים, אלא גם המבוגרים נהנו מההצגה
54.13 אין לי זמן, וגם ככה אני לא אוהב מסיבות
54.14 כשהגענו לתחנה, גם האוטובוס האחרון כבר יצא
54.15 היא שלחה הודעה לכל החברים שלה, וגם לי היא שלחה אחת
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1. What kind of word it is. גם is an adverb (תואר הפועל, to'ar ha-po'al) of addition. It has one form only. It does not agree with anything and takes no endings: גם אני, גם היא, גם הם, all with the same גם.
2. The position rule. גם stands immediately before the word or phrase that is being added. Move גם and you change what is added:
- גם אני רוצה קפה — "I too want coffee": someone else wants coffee, and so do I (54.1, 54.3) - אני רוצה גם קפה — "I want coffee as well": I want something else, and coffee in addition (54.8) - אני גם רוצה קפה — "I also want coffee": the wanting is added to some other thing I do or feel
גם does not go at the end of a sentence the way English "too" does. אני רוצה קפה גם is not Hebrew.
3. גם with the pronouns. The short replies "me too," "you too" and so on are גם + the pronoun, or גם + ל־ with a pronoun ending:
- גם אני (gam ani) — me too (54.1) - גם אתה / גם את (gam ata / gam at) — you too, to a man / to a woman - גם הוא / גם היא (gam hu / gam hi) — him too / her too (54.2) - גם אנחנו (gam anakhnu) — us too - גם אתם (gam atem) — you too, plural - גם הם (gam hem) — them too - גם לי (gam li) — for me too, to me too (54.15) - גם לך / גם לכם (gam lekha, gam lakh / gam lakhem) — to you too: the reply to a greeting or a wish (Section E)
4. וגם: "and also." With the prefix ו־ ("and"), וגם (ve-gam) adds a last item to a list, or a new clause to a sentence: עברית וגם ערבית (54.6); וגם ההורים שלי גרים שם (54.11). The ו־ is always read ve- before גם.
5. גם… וגם…: "both… and…". Two items, each with its own גם: גם ארוך וגם משעמם (54.9). Asked to choose between two things, an Israeli who wants both answers גם וגם (54.5).
6. גם with the negative: "not… either." English changes "too" to "either" in a negative sentence. Hebrew keeps גם and adds לא:
- גם אני לא (gam ani lo) — "me neither" - גם זה לא (54.4) — "not this one either" - גם אני לא הבנתי (54.7) — "I didn't understand either" - וגם לא (ve-gam lo) — "nor": הוא לא אכל וגם לא שתה (hu lo akhal ve-gam lo shata), "he didn't eat, nor did he drink"
7. לא רק… אלא גם…: "not only… but also…". The word after לא רק ("not only") is answered by אלא גם ("but also"): לא רק הילדים, אלא גם המבוגרים (54.12). In speech אלא is often replaced by אבל (aval), "but."
8. "Even." Sometimes גם is close to English "even," when the thing added is the last thing one would expect: גם האוטובוס האחרון כבר יצא (54.14), "even the last bus had already left." The word for a strong "even" is אפילו (afilu): אפילו ילד יודע את זה (afilu yeled yode'a et ze), "even a child knows that."
9. Fixed phrases with גם.
- גם אם (gam im) + clause — "even if": גם אם ירד גשם, נצא לטיול (54.10) - גם כש־ (gam kshe-) + clause — "even when": גם כשאני עייף, אני קורא (gam kshe-ani ayef, ani kore), "even when I'm tired, I read" - גם כן (gam ken) — "also, as well," a little more emphatic or formal than גם: הוא בא גם כן (hu ba gam ken), "he came as well." Use גם or גם כן, not both in one phrase. - גם ככה / גם כך (gam kakha / gam kakh) — "anyway, in any case": וגם ככה אני לא אוהב מסיבות (54.13). גם ככה is everyday speech; גם כך is more formal.
10. Fronting with גם. A phrase marked by גם is often moved to the front of the sentence for emphasis: וגם לי היא שלחה אחת (54.15), literally "and also to me she sent one." The same order is found in the Bible (Section F).
11. A formal relative: אף. In written and formal Hebrew, אף (af) can mean "also": אף הוא (af hu), "he too." In everyday speech אף is used mainly in the negative, as in אף פעם לא, "never" (Lesson 53, 53.11). For "also," use גם.
- גם at the end. "I want coffee too" is גם אני רוצה קפה or אני רוצה גם קפה, depending on the meaning; never אני רוצה קפה גם. - The wrong word for "too much." English "too" has two meanings. "Also" is גם; "excessively" is מדי (midai): יקר מדי, "too expensive." The flat in Lesson 53 was יקרה מדי, not יקרה גם. - "Me neither." Do not translate "either." "Me neither" is גם אני לא, literally "also I not." - Choosing the position by English. Decide first what is being added, then put גם in front of exactly that: גם אחי בא ("my brother came too") is not אחי בא גם. - Doubling. גם and גם כן mean the same; use one, not both.
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גם is one of the most frequent words in Hebrew, in speech and writing alike, and it is neutral in every register. גם כן is slightly more careful; אף, in the sense "also," belongs to formal prose and the news.
When someone wishes you well, the natural reply is גם לך (gam lekha, to a man; gam lakh, to a woman), "to you too," or to a group, גם לכם (gam lakhem). It answers שבת שלום (shabat shalom), חג שמח (khag same'akh, "happy holiday") and יום טוב (yom tov, "have a good day") alike. A learner who knows only this phrase can return every greeting in the week.
In a café or at a market stall, "this or that?" is often answered גם וגם, "both." It is a cheerful way of refusing to choose.
The Talmud (Ta'anit 21a) tells of a sage, Nahum of Gamzu (נחום איש גם זו), whose name was explained by his habit of saying, whatever happened to him, גם זו לטובה (gam zo le-tova), "this too is for the good." The words are still a common Hebrew saying, used when something goes wrong in the hope that good will come of it. The זו in it is an older feminine of זה ("this").
- גם אני (gam ani) — "me too" - גם אני לא (gam ani lo) — "me neither" - גם לך! (gam lekha / gam lakh) — "you too!", "the same to you!" - גם וגם (gam ve-gam) — "both" - גם ככה (gam kakha) — "anyway" - גם זו לטובה (gam zo le-tova) — "this too is for the good"
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The citation is from the Book of Genesis, 24:46. Abraham's servant has gone to Aram to find a wife for Isaac, and he has asked God for a sign: the right young woman will not only give him water to drink but will offer, unasked, to water his camels too. Here, in the house of Rebekah's family, he tells how it happened. The verse turns on גם, used twice. The text follows the Masoretic text as printed by Mechon Mamre, checked against the Miqra according to the Masorah edition on Sefaria; the cantillation marks are omitted.
F.1a וַתְּמַהֵר and-she-hurried וַתּוֹרֶד and-she-lowered כַּדָּהּ her-jar מֵעָלֶיהָ from-upon-her
F.1b va-tmaher (vat-ma-HER) and-hurried-3F.SG va-tored (va-TO-red) and-lowered-3F.SG kadah (ka-DAH) jar-F.SG+her me-aleha (me-a-LE-ha) from-upon-her
F.2a וַתֹּאמֶר and-she-said שְׁתֵה drink
F.2b va-tomer (va-TO-mer) and-said-3F.SG shte (SHTE) drink-IMP.M.SG
F.3a וְגַם and-also גְּמַלֶּיךָ your-camels אַשְׁקֶה I-will-water
F.3b ve-gam (ve-GAM) and-also gemalekha (ge-ma-LE-kha) camel-M.PL+your-M.SG ashke (ash-KE) water-FUT.1SG
F.4a וָאֵשְׁתְּ and-I-drank
F.4b va-esht (va-ESHT) and-drank-1SG
F.5a וְגַם and-also הַגְּמַלִּים the-camels הִשְׁקָתָה she-watered
F.5b ve-gam (ve-GAM) and-also ha-gemalim (ha-ge-ma-LEEM) the-camel-M.PL hishkata (hish-KA-ta) watered-PAST.3F.SG
וַתְּמַהֵר, וַתּוֹרֶד כַּדָּהּ מֵעָלֶיהָ, וַתֹּאמֶר שְׁתֵה, וְגַם־גְּמַלֶּיךָ אַשְׁקֶה; וָאֵשְׁתְּ, וְגַם הַגְּמַלִּים הִשְׁקָתָה.
va-tmaher, va-tored kadah me-aleha, va-tomer shte, ve-gam gemalekha ashke; va-esht, ve-gam ha-gemalim hishkata.
"And she hurried, and let her jar down from her shoulder, and said, 'Drink, and I will water your camels too.' So I drank, and she watered the camels too."
— Genesis 24:46 (translation: Latinum Institute, kept close to the Hebrew)
וַתְּמַהֵר, וַתּוֹרֶד כַּדָּהּ מֵעָלֶיהָ, וַתֹּאמֶר שְׁתֵה, וְגַם־גְּמַלֶּיךָ אַשְׁקֶה; וָאֵשְׁתְּ, וְגַם הַגְּמַלִּים הִשְׁקָתָה.
The verse is built in two halves, and each half ends with וְגַם. In the first, Rebekah promises; in the second, she does it. What she says and what she does are told in the same words: "and also… your camels… I will water," "and also the camels she watered."
Grammar notes:
- וְגַם (ve-gam). "And also," exactly as in Modern Hebrew וגם (Section D, rule 4). The word and its meaning have not changed since biblical times. - The position of גם. In both halves גם stands directly before what it adds, the camels, just as the modern rule requires (Section D, rule 2). The servant drank; the camels drank too. - Fronting. In וְגַם הַגְּמַלִּים הִשְׁקָתָה the object comes before the verb: "and also the camels she watered." Modern Hebrew uses the same order for emphasis: וגם לי היא שלחה אחת (54.15). - אַשְׁקֶה (ashke) and הִשְׁקָתָה (hishkata). Two forms of the verb להשקות (lehashkot), "to give to drink, to water," still used today, for animals and for plants. אשקה is the future, "I will water," spelt the same in Modern Hebrew. הִשְׁקָתָה is the past, "she watered"; Modern Hebrew writes השקתה and says hishkta. The longer biblical vowel comes from the pause at the end of the verse. - שְׁתֵה (shte). "Drink!", the imperative of שתה ("drink"), the same in Modern Hebrew. - וַתְּמַהֵר, וַתּוֹרֶד, וַתֹּאמֶר, וָאֵשְׁתְּ. The biblical narrative tense, a form with וַ־ that tells events in order: "and she hurried, and she lowered, and she said… and I drank." Modern Hebrew uses the ordinary past instead: מיהרה, הורידה, אמרה, שתיתי. - כַּדָּהּ (kadah). כַּד, "jar," with the ending ־ָהּ, "her." The dot in the final ה (mappiq) shows that the h is pronounced, as in חֲשָׁבָהּ in Lesson 53. Modern Hebrew would say הכד שלה (ha-kad shela).
The whole sign rests on one word. In Genesis 24:14 the servant prays that the right young woman will say שְׁתֵה, וְגַם־גְּמַלֶּיךָ אַשְׁקֶה, "drink, and I will water your camels too." Anyone might give a stranger a drink; the "also" is what he is waiting for, and he had ten camels to water. In verse 19 Rebekah says it, in her own words: גַּם לִגְמַלֶּיךָ אֶשְׁאָב, "I will draw water for your camels too." When she is asked whether there is room in her father's house, she answers with גם three times (24:25): גַּם־תֶּבֶן גַּם־מִסְפּוֹא רַב עִמָּנוּ, גַּם־מָקוֹם לָלוּן, "we have both straw and fodder in plenty, and room to spend the night too." The servant tells the story again in verses 44 and 46, and the word comes back each time. For a learner, the chapter is a lesson in גם by itself: the word that turns what is asked into more than was asked.
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54.16a ביום on-day שישי sixth נועה Noa הולכת goes לשוק to-the-market וגם and-also אחיה her-brother הקטן the-little בא comes איתה with-her
54.16b be-yom (be-YOM) on-day-CONSTR shishi (shi-SHEE) sixth-M.SG No'a (no-A) Noa holekhet (ho-LE-khet) go-PRES.F.SG la-shuk (la-SHOOK) to-the-market-M.SG ve-gam (ve-GAM) and-also akhiha (a-khee-HA) brother-M.SG+her ha-katan (ha-ka-TAN) the-little-M.SG ba (BA) come-PRES.M.SG ita (ee-TA) with-her
54.17a אמא Mum נתנה gave להם to-them רשימה list וגם and-also כסף money
54.17b ima (EE-ma) Mum natna (nat-NA) gave-PAST.3F.SG lahem (la-HEM) to-them-M.PL reshima (re-shee-MA) list-F.SG ve-gam (ve-GAM) and-also kesef (KE-sef) money-M.SG
54.18a הם they קונים buy עגבניות tomatoes מלפפונים cucumbers וגם and-also בצל onion
54.18b hem (HEM) they-M konim (ko-NEEM) buy-PRES.M.PL agvaniyot (ag-va-nee-YOT) tomato-F.PL melafefonim (me-la-fe-fo-NEEM) cucumber-M.PL ve-gam (ve-GAM) and-also batsal (ba-TSAL) onion-M.SG
54.19a ליד near הדוכן the-stall של of הפירות the-fruit אחיה her-brother אומר says גם also אני I רוצה want לבחור to-choose
54.19b leyad (le-YAD) near ha-dukhan (ha-du-KHAN) the-stall-M.SG shel (SHEL) of ha-perot (ha-pe-ROT) the-fruit-M.PL akhiha (a-khee-HA) brother-M.SG+her omer (o-MER) say-PRES.M.SG gam (GAM) also ani (a-NEE) I rotse (ro-TSE) want-PRES.M.SG livkhor (liv-KHOR) to-choose-INF
54.20a נועה Noa נותנת gives לו to-him שקית bag והוא and-he בוחר chooses גם also תפוחים apples וגם and-also אגסים pears
54.20b No'a (no-A) Noa notenet (no-TE-net) give-PRES.F.SG lo (LO) to-him sakit (sa-KEET) bag-F.SG ve-hu (ve-HOO) and-he bokher (bo-KHER) choose-PRES.M.SG gam (GAM) also tapukhim (ta-poo-KHEEM) apple-M.PL ve-gam (ve-GAM) and-also agasim (a-ga-SEEM) pear-M.PL
54.21a המוכר the-seller צוחק laughs ונותן and-gives לו to-him גם also תמר date אחד one במתנה as-a-gift
54.21b ha-mokher (ha-mo-KHER) the-seller-M.SG tsokhek (tso-KHEK) laugh-PRES.M.SG ve-noten (ve-no-TEN) and-give-PRES.M.SG lo (LO) to-him gam (GAM) also tamar (ta-MAR) date-M.SG ekhad (e-KHAD) one-M be-matana (be-ma-ta-NA) in-gift-F.SG
54.22a בדוכן at-the-stall הבא the-next אין there-is-not לחם bread וגם and-also חלות challahs כבר already אין there-is-not
54.22b ba-dukhan (ba-du-KHAN) at-the-stall-M.SG ha-ba (ha-BA) the-next-M.SG ein (EIN) there-is-not lekhem (LE-khem) bread-M.SG ve-gam (ve-GAM) and-also khalot (kha-LOT) challah-F.PL kvar (KVAR) already ein (EIN) there-is-not
54.23a גם also בדוכן at-the-stall השני the-second נגמר ran-out הלחם the-bread שואלת asks נועה Noa
54.23b gam (GAM) also ba-dukhan (ba-du-KHAN) at-the-stall-M.SG ha-sheni (ha-she-NEE) the-second-M.SG nigmar (nig-MAR) ran-out-PAST.3M.SG ha-lekhem (ha-LE-khem) the-bread-M.SG sho'elet (sho-E-let) ask-PRES.F.SG No'a (no-A) Noa
54.24a אישה woman זקנה old עונה answers לא no שם there יש there-is גם also לחם bread וגם and-also חלות challahs
54.24b isha (ee-SHA) woman-F.SG zkena (zke-NA) old-F.SG ona (o-NA) answer-PRES.F.SG lo (LO) no sham (SHAM) there yesh (YESH) there-is gam (GAM) also lekhem (LE-khem) bread-M.SG ve-gam (ve-GAM) and-also khalot (kha-LOT) challah-F.PL
54.25a הם they רצים run לשם to-there וגם and-also מספיקים manage לקנות to-buy את ACC החלה the-challah האחרונה the-last
54.25b hem (HEM) they-M ratsim (ra-TSEEM) run-PRES.M.PL le-sham (le-SHAM) to-there ve-gam (ve-GAM) and-also maspikim (mas-pee-KEEM) manage-PRES.M.PL liknot (lik-NOT) to-buy-INF et (ET) ACC ha-khala (ha-kha-LA) the-challah-F.SG ha-akharona (ha-a-kha-ro-NA) the-last-F.SG
54.26a בדרך on-the-way הביתה home מתחיל starts לרדת to-fall גשם rain וגם and-also הרוח the-wind חזקה strong
54.26b ba-derekh (ba-DE-rekh) on-the-way-F.SG ha-bayta (ha-BAI-ta) home-DIR matkhil (mat-KHEEL) begin-PRES.M.SG laredet (la-RE-det) to-fall-INF geshem (GE-shem) rain-M.SG ve-gam (ve-GAM) and-also ha-ru'akh (ha-ROO-akh) the-wind-F.SG khazaka (kha-za-KA) strong-F.SG
54.27a אחיה her-brother אומר says אני I רטוב wet וגם and-also עייף tired
54.27b akhiha (a-khee-HA) brother-M.SG+her omer (o-MER) say-PRES.M.SG ani (a-NEE) I ratuv (ra-TOOV) wet-M.SG ve-gam (ve-GAM) and-also ayef (a-YEF) tired-M.SG
54.28a נועה Noa עונה answers גם also אני I אבל but אנחנו we כמעט almost בבית at-home
54.28b No'a (no-A) Noa ona (o-NA) answer-PRES.F.SG gam (GAM) also ani (a-NEE) I aval (a-VAL) but anakhnu (a-NAKH-nu) we kim'at (kim-AT) almost ba-bayit (ba-BA-yit) in-the-house-M.SG
54.29a בבית at-home אמא Mum בודקת checks את ACC הרשימה the-list קניתם you-bought הכול everything וגם and-also חזרתם you-came-back מהר quickly
54.29b ba-bayit (ba-BA-yit) in-the-house-M.SG ima (EE-ma) Mum bodeket (bo-DE-ket) check-PRES.F.SG et (ET) ACC ha-reshima (ha-re-shee-MA) the-list-F.SG kanitem (ka-NEE-tem) bought-PAST.2M.PL ha-kol (ha-KOL) the-all ve-gam (ve-GAM) and-also khazartem (kha-ZAR-tem) returned-PAST.2M.PL maher (ma-HER) quickly
54.30a אחיה her-brother מוציא takes-out את ACC התמר the-date מהכיס from-the-pocket ואומר and-says וגם and-also הבאתי I-brought לך to-you מתנה gift
54.30b akhiha (a-khee-HA) brother-M.SG+her motsi (mo-TSEE) take-out-PRES.M.SG et (ET) ACC ha-tamar (ha-ta-MAR) the-date-M.SG me-ha-kis (me-ha-KEES) from-the-pocket-M.SG ve-omer (ve-o-MER) and-say-PRES.M.SG ve-gam (ve-GAM) and-also heveti (he-VE-tee) brought-PAST.1SG lakh (LAKH) to-you-F.SG matana (ma-ta-NA) gift-F.SG
54.16 ביום שישי נועה הולכת לשוק, וגם אחיה הקטן בא איתה — be-yom shishi No'a holekhet la-shuk, ve-gam akhiha ha-katan ba ita — "On Friday Noa goes to the market, and her little brother comes with her too."
54.17 אמא נתנה להם רשימה, וגם כסף — ima natna lahem reshima, ve-gam kesef — "Mum gave them a list, and money too."
54.18 הם קונים עגבניות, מלפפונים וגם בצל — hem konim agvaniyot, melafefonim ve-gam batsal — "They buy tomatoes, cucumbers and onions as well."
54.19 ליד הדוכן של הפירות אחיה אומר: "גם אני רוצה לבחור" — leyad ha-dukhan shel ha-perot akhiha omer: "gam ani rotse livkhor" — "By the fruit stall her brother says: 'I want to choose too.'"
54.20 נועה נותנת לו שקית, והוא בוחר גם תפוחים וגם אגסים — No'a notenet lo sakit, ve-hu bokher gam tapukhim ve-gam agasim — "Noa gives him a bag, and he picks both apples and pears."
54.21 המוכר צוחק ונותן לו גם תמר אחד במתנה — ha-mokher tsokhek ve-noten lo gam tamar ekhad be-matana — "The stallholder laughs and gives him a date as well, for free."
54.22 בדוכן הבא אין לחם, וגם חלות כבר אין — ba-dukhan ha-ba ein lekhem, ve-gam khalot kvar ein — "At the next stall there's no bread, and no challahs left either."
54.23 "גם בדוכן השני נגמר הלחם?" שואלת נועה — "gam ba-dukhan ha-sheni nigmar ha-lekhem?" sho'elet No'a — "'Has the bread run out at the other stall too?' Noa asks."
54.24 אישה זקנה עונה: "לא, שם יש גם לחם וגם חלות" — isha zkena ona: "lo, sham yesh gam lekhem ve-gam khalot" — "An old woman answers: 'No, they have both bread and challahs there.'"
54.25 הם רצים לשם, וגם מספיקים לקנות את החלה האחרונה — hem ratsim le-sham, ve-gam maspikim liknot et ha-khala ha-akharona — "They run there, and they manage to buy the last challah too."
54.26 בדרך הביתה מתחיל לרדת גשם, וגם הרוח חזקה — ba-derekh ha-bayta matkhil laredet geshem, ve-gam ha-ru'akh khazaka — "On the way home it starts to rain, and the wind is strong too."
54.27 אחיה אומר: "אני רטוב, וגם עייף" — akhiha omer: "ani ratuv, ve-gam ayef" — "Her brother says: 'I'm wet, and tired too.'"
54.28 נועה עונה: "גם אני, אבל אנחנו כמעט בבית" — No'a ona: "gam ani, aval anakhnu kim'at ba-bayit" — "Noa answers: 'Me too, but we're nearly home.'"
54.29 בבית אמא בודקת את הרשימה: "קניתם הכול, וגם חזרתם מהר!" — ba-bayit ima bodeket et ha-reshima: "kanitem ha-kol, ve-gam khazartem maher!" — "At home Mum checks the list: 'You bought everything, and you were quick about it too!'"
54.30 אחיה מוציא את התמר מהכיס ואומר: "וגם הבאתי לך מתנה" — akhiha motsi et ha-tamar me-ha-kis ve-omer: "ve-gam heveti lakh matana" — "Her brother takes the date out of his pocket and says: 'And I brought you a present too.'"
54.16 ביום שישי נועה הולכת לשוק, וגם אחיה הקטן בא איתה
54.17 אמא נתנה להם רשימה, וגם כסף
54.18 הם קונים עגבניות, מלפפונים וגם בצל
54.19 ליד הדוכן של הפירות אחיה אומר: "גם אני רוצה לבחור"
54.20 נועה נותנת לו שקית, והוא בוחר גם תפוחים וגם אגסים
54.21 המוכר צוחק ונותן לו גם תמר אחד במתנה
54.22 בדוכן הבא אין לחם, וגם חלות כבר אין
54.23 "גם בדוכן השני נגמר הלחם?" שואלת נועה
54.24 אישה זקנה עונה: "לא, שם יש גם לחם וגם חלות"
54.25 הם רצים לשם, וגם מספיקים לקנות את החלה האחרונה
54.26 בדרך הביתה מתחיל לרדת גשם, וגם הרוח חזקה
54.27 אחיה אומר: "אני רטוב, וגם עייף"
54.28 נועה עונה: "גם אני, אבל אנחנו כמעט בבית"
54.29 בבית אמא בודקת את הרשימה: "קניתם הכול, וגם חזרתם מהר!"
54.30 אחיה מוציא את התמר מהכיס ואומר: "וגם הבאתי לך מתנה"
- The present for a story. The story is told in the present (הולכת, קונים, בוחר), as Hebrew stories often are. The past appears for what happened before (נתנה, 54.17) and in the characters' own words (קניתם, חזרתם, 54.29; הבאתי, 54.30). - וגם in lists. The last item in a list is often added with וגם rather than plain ו־: עגבניות, מלפפונים וגם בצל (54.18); רשימה, וגם כסף (54.17). - גם… וגם… (both… and…). גם תפוחים וגם אגסים (54.20); גם לחם וגם חלות (54.24). - Negative with גם. וגם חלות כבר אין (54.22): "and no challahs either," literally "and also challahs there are no longer." English needs "either"; Hebrew keeps גם. - גם אני (54.19, 54.28). "Me too," at the start of the sentence, before the word it adds. - Fronted גם. In 54.23 the phrase "also at the other stall" opens the question: גם בדוכן השני נגמר הלחם? - גם before the verb. וגם מספיקים לקנות (54.25) and וגם חזרתם מהר (54.29) add a second action to the first: "and they also manage," "and you also came back quickly." - הביתה (ha-bayta, 54.26). "Home(wards)": בית ("house") with the old ending ־ה of direction: "to the house." - הרוח חזקה (54.26). רוח, "wind," is feminine, so the adjective is חזקה, not חזק. - לך (lakh, 54.30). The boy is speaking to his mother, so "to you" is feminine: lakh, not lekha.
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- IPA: /ɡam/, one syllable: GAM - ג (gimel) = /ɡ/, always hard, as in English go, never as in gem. (With an apostrophe, ג׳, it spells the sound of j in loanwords, but not here.) - ם (final mem) = /m/. Mem has a special shape, ם, at the end of a word; inside a word it is מ. - וגם (ve-gam) /veˈɡam/ — ve-GAM: the stress stays on gam.
- גם אני (gam ani) /ɡam aˈni/ — gam a-NEE - גם וגם (gam ve-gam) /ɡam veˈɡam/ — gam ve-GAM - גם כן (gam ken) /ɡam ˈken/ — gam KEN - גם ככה (gam kakha) /ɡam ˈkaχa/ — gam KA-kha - גם אם (gam im) /ɡam ˈim/ — gam IM - גם זו לטובה (gam zo le-tova) /ɡam ˈzo letoˈva/ — gam ZO le-to-VA - מדי (midai) /miˈdaj/ — mi-DAI, "too (much)," not to be confused with גם
- ח (ḥet) in חלב, לחם, חלות, חזקה, and כ without a dot (khaf) in אחיה, ככה, דוכן: both /χ/, like the ch in Scottish loch. - ר (resh) in רוצה, ארוך, רשימה, רטוב: a uvular /ʁ/, made at the back of the throat, close to French r. - צ (tsadi) in רוצה, צוחק, מוציא: /ts/, as in English cats. - ע and א between vowels in נועה (No'a), משעמם (mesha'amem), הודעה (hoda'a), שואלת (sho'elet): a light break between the vowels, marked ' in the transliteration. - The final ־ָהּ in כַּדָּהּ (Section F): the dot in the final ה (mappiq) means the h is pronounced, kadah.
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Course Index: [latinum.substack.com/p/index](https://latinum.substack.com/p/index)