אני / אתה / את
I and You
Use אני for I, אתה for one male addressee and את for one female addressee.
How It Works
Who Is Speaking?
Anyone can say אני, which sounds like ani. A man says אני עייף and a woman says אני עייפה. The adjective changes, while אני stays the same.
Who Are You Talking To?
Use אתה, which sounds like ata, for one man or boy. Use את, which sounds like at, for one woman or girl. The verb matches too: אתה גר כאן? and את גרה כאן? Neither question needs a word for do.
Keep the Pronoun in the Present
A present-tense form such as גר shows only gender and number, not who is speaking. That is why the present usually keeps the pronoun: אני גר, אתה גר. To talk to more than one person, Hebrew uses other pronouns.
Each person decides which forms are used for them, so follow the forms a person uses for themself. The word את also has a different job before a definite object, which another entry explains.
Examples (4)
- אני עייף.
I am tired. (a man speaking)
A male speaker uses the masculine adjective עייף.
- אני עייפה.
I am tired. (a woman speaking)
A female speaker uses the feminine adjective עייפה.
- אתה גר כאן?
Do you live here? (to a man)
This question talks to one male person, so it uses אתה and גר.
- את גרה כאן?
Do you live here? (to a woman)
This question talks to one female person, so it uses את and גרה.
Common Mistakes
Using masculine agreement with feminine singular את.
את גר כאן.את גרה כאן.The addressee is feminine singular, so the present form is גרה.
How It Connects
Related Patterns
- הוא / היא / הם / הןHe She and They
Third-person pronouns identify someone or something being discussed.
Level 1 - Four Present Forms
The present verb changes for gender and number, not for each person separately.
Level 2 - Present Sentences Without Is
A present adjective sentence normally has no word corresponding to am.
Level 1
Practice אני / אתה / את in Bubblegum
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