The verb « to have » in Hebrew

The verb « to have » in Hebrew does not exist

So how do you translate the verb “to have” into Hebrew?

There are many ways to express having something.

The verb « to have » in the present tense

We replace the verb « to have » by using the notions of there is or there is not.

there is = yèsh, יֵש

there is not = èyin, אֵין

To these two formulas, we add the personal pronouns.

« to have»
יֵשׁ לִי	yesh li	I have
יֵשׁ לְךָ	yesh lékha	you have
יֵשׁ לָךְ	yesh lakh	you have (feminine)
יֵשׁ לוֹ	yesh lo	he has
יֵשׁ לָה	yesh lah	she has
יֵשׁ לָנוּ	yesh lanou	we have
יֵשׁ לָכֶם	yesh lakhèm	you have(masculine)
יֵשׁ לָכֶן	yesh lakhèn	you have (fem)
יֵשׁ לָהֶם	yesh lahèm	they have
יֵשׁ לָהֶן	yesh lahèn	they have

not « to have»
אֵין לִי	éyin li	I don't have
אֵין לְךָ	éyin lékha	you don't have(masc)
אֵין לָךְ	éyin lakh	you don't have(fem)
אֵין לוֹ	éyin lo	he doesn't have
אֵין לָה	éyin lah	she doesn't have
אֵין לָנוּ	éyin lanou	we don't have
אֵין לָכֶם	éyin lakhèm	you don't have(masc)
אֵין לָכֶן	éyin lakhèn	you don't have(fem)
אֵין לָהֶם	éyin lahèm	they don't have
אֵין לָהֶן	éyin lahèn	they don't have

The word יש (yèsh) agrees in gender and number as follows:

יֵשׁ (yèsh): masculine singular
יֵשְׁנָה (yèshnah): feminine singular.
יֵשְׁנָם (yèshnam): masculine plural.
יֵשְׁנָן (yèshnan): feminine plural.

The verb « to have» in the past tense

To express the verb « to have » in the past tense, we use the verb "to be" at the same time.

« הָיָה / hayah » au Masculine
« הָיְיתָה / haytah » au Feminine

associated with personal pronouns.

Attention ! Here, the verb "to be" agrees with the possessed object..

if the noun of this object is masculine, the verb "to be" will be conjugated in the masculine,
if the noun of the object is feminine, the verb "to be" will be conjugated in the feminine.

« הָיָה לִי בֵּית / hayah li bayit / I had a house »

(house is masculine in Hebrew)

« הָיְתָה לִי מְכוֹנִית / haytah li mékhonit / I had a car »

(car is feminine in Hebrew)

The verb « to have » in the future tense

To express the verb « to have » in the future, we use the verb "to be" at the same time.

« יִהְיֶה / yihyé » masculine
« תִּהְיֶה / tihyé » in feminine