Asking Questions in Hebrew
Forming questions in Hebrew is straightforward. Unlike English, you don't need to rearrange words to make a question. You can simply raise your intonation, or add a question word at the beginning of the sentence.
How It Works
Yes/No questions: Keep the sentence the same, raise your voice at the end. Or add הַאִם (ha'im) at the beginning (formal). Information questions use question words: מִי (mi - who?), מָה (ma - what?), אֵיפֹה (eifo - where?), מָתַי (matai - when?), לָמָּה / מַדּוּעַ (lama / madua - why?), אֵיךְ (eich - how?), כַּמָּה (kama - how much/many?), אֵיזֶה (eize - which?).
Example Sentences
Common Mistakes
1. Trying to invert subject and verb like in English - Hebrew doesn't do this. 'Do you speak Hebrew?' is literally 'You speak Hebrew?' with rising intonation. 2. Confusing מִי (who) with מָה (what) - they sound different: mi vs. ma. 3. Using לָמָּה (lama - why) when you mean כֵּיצַד (keitsad - how). In spoken Hebrew, אֵיךְ (eich) is much more common for 'how.'
Study Tip
The question words to master first are: מָה (ma - what), אֵיפֹה (eifo - where), כַּמָּה (kama - how much/many), and מָתַי (matai - when). These four question words cover the vast majority of questions you'll need in daily life in Israel.