עליי / עליך / עליו

On Me and About You

Level 2

עליי, עליך, עליו and עליה are personal forms of על. Their meaning depends on the physical or verbal relationship in the sentence.

How It Works

The Personal Forms

Learn עליי, עליך, עלייך, עליו, עליה, עלינו, עליכם, עליכן, עליהם and עליהן. In ordinary full spelling, עליך is masculine singular and עלייך is feminine singular. The suffix identifies the person being referred to.

Keep the Verb Relationship

לחשוב על means think about. לשמור על can mean look after or protect. A natural English translation therefore need not contain on even though the Hebrew uses על.

Whole Forms and Context

Use עליו rather than על הוא in an ordinary personal phrase. The same עליו can refer to a male person or a masculine object. Some meanings, such as an obligation in עליי ללכת, need the whole construction rather than a word-for-word spatial interpretation.

Examples (4)

  1. אני חושב עליו.

    I am thinking about him.

    The verb uses על for the topic of thought.

  2. אני חושבת עלייך.

    I am thinking about you.

    עלייך addresses one female person.

  3. הם שומרים עלינו.

    They are looking after us.

    עלינו identifies the protected group.

  4. הספר עליי.

    The book is on me.

    Here על has a physical meaning.

Common Mistakes

  • Using an independent pronoun instead of the personal על form.

    אני חושב על הוא.
    אני חושב עליו.

    Use עליו for about him in this ordinary phrase.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

עליי / עליך / עליוLevel 2On Me and About You

Learn This First

Keep the על-relationship while learning its actual personal forms.