Hebrew possessives use the word שֶׁל (shel, meaning "of / belonging to") plus a suffix. They come AFTER the noun, like an adjective. This is very logical and consistent once you learn the suffixes.
Formula: [Noun + definite article] + שֶׁלִּי / שֶׁלְּךָ / etc. Example: הַסֵּפֶר שֶׁלִּי (hasefer sheli) = "the book mine" = "my book"
Possessive Forms
| Hebrew | Transliteration | English | Used for |
|---|---|---|---|
| שֶׁלִּי | sheli | mine / my | Any speaker |
| שֶׁלְּךָ | shelcha | yours | Speaking to a man |
| שֶׁלָּךְ | shelach | yours | Speaking to a woman |
| שֶׁלּוֹ | shelo | his | About a man / masculine noun |
| שֶׁלָּהּ | shela | hers | About a woman / feminine noun |
| שֶׁלָּנוּ | shelanu | ours | |
| שֶׁלָּכֶם | shelachem | yours (plural m) | Speaking to a group (m / mixed) |
| שֶׁלָּכֶן | shelachen | yours (plural f) | Speaking to an all-female group |
| שֶׁלָּהֶם | shelahem | theirs (m / mixed) | |
| שֶׁלָּהֶן | shelahen | theirs (f) |
Examples
| Hebrew | Transliteration | English |
|---|---|---|
| הַמְּכוֹנִית שֶׁלִּי | hamechonit sheli | my car |
| הַבַּיִת שֶׁלְּךָ | habayit shelcha | your house (m) |
| הַכֶּלֶב שֶׁלּוֹ | hakelev shelo | his dog |
| הַתִּיק שֶׁלָּהּ | hatik shela | her bag |
| הָעִיר שֶׁלָּנוּ | ha'ir shelanu | our city |
| זֶה שֶׁלִּי | ze sheli | This is mine |
| זֶה שֶׁלְּךָ? | Ze shelcha? | Is this yours? (m) |