יש לי / אין לי

Saying What You Have

Level 1

יש לי means I have, and אין לי means I do not have. Other ל-forms name another possessor: יש לדנה ספר.

How It Works

Name the Possessor

יש לי ספר says I have a book. יש לה זמן says she has time. With a name, attach ל directly: יש לדנה כלב. A name-first order is also possible: לדנה יש כלב.

Negate the Possession

Replace יש with אין: אין לנו זמן. The possessor form stays the same. The words express possession, resources and experiences such as יש לי רעיון, I have an idea.

A Beginner Pattern

Start with an indefinite item and no direct-object marker: יש לי ספר. This is not built by copying English I have word for word. Definite possession constructions with את are heard in contemporary conversation; do not treat every such occurrence as an impossible Hebrew sentence. The simple existence pattern here gives a clear first model. Past and future possession use forms of היה.

Examples (4)

  1. יש לי ספר.

    I have a book.

    לי identifies the possessor.

  2. אין לנו זמן.

    We do not have time.

    אין replaces יש.

  3. יש לדנה כלב.

    Dana has a dog.

    ל attaches to the name.

  4. יש לך רעיון?

    Do you have an idea?

    Unpointed לך can refer to a male or female addressee.

Common Mistakes

  • Copying I have with אני before יש and no possessor form.

    אני יש ספר.
    יש לי ספר.

    לי supplies the person who has the book.

How It Connects

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

יש לי / אין ליLevel 1Saying What You Have

Learn This First

Extend existence and absence with a person introduced by a ל-form.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.