את

Aramaic

Etymology 1

Pronoun

אַתְּ • (ʾatt) m sg (plural אַתּוּן (ʾattūn), feminine אַתִּי (ʾattī) or אַתְּ (ʾatt), feminine plural אַתֵּין (ʾattēn))

Alternative form of אַנְתְּ (ʾant)

Etymology 2

Pronoun

אַתְּ • (ʾatt) f sg

feminine singular of אַתְּ (ʾatt)

Hebrew

Etymology 1

Related to Phoenician 𐤀𐤉𐤕 (ʾyt), Punic 𐤀𐤕 (ʾt), and Aramaic ית.

Pronunciation

(Biblical Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʔitʰ/
(Tiberian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈʔeːθ/, [ˈʔeː.eθ], /ʔɛθ-/, [ʔɛθ-]
(Yemenite Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈʔeθ/, [ˈʔeːθ], /ʔaθ-/, [ʔæθ-]
(Persian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /(ʔ)et/
(Iraqi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʔeθ/
(Sephardi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /(ʔ)et/
(Italian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ed/
(Ashkenazi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ejs/, /ɛs-/
(Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /(ʔ)et/
Audio (Israel): (file)

Preposition

אֵת, אֶת־ • (et, et-)

Used to introduce a semantically definite direct object.
- Tanach, Genesis 1:1, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:
  בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית בָּרָ֣א אֱלֹהִ֑ים אֵ֥ת הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְאֵ֥ת הָאָֽרֶץ:
  bereshít bará elohím et hashamáyim ve'ét ha'árets.
  In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
- Tanach, Deuteronomy 6:5, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:
  וְאָ֣הַבְתָּ֔ אֵ֖ת יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ בְּכָל־לְבָֽבְךָ֥ וּבְכָל־נַפְשְׁךָ֖ וּבְכָל־מְאֹדֶֽךָ:
  veahávta et adonáy elohékha b'khól levav'khá uv'khól nafshekhá uv'khól me'odékha
  And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
- 1994, The Lion King, spoken by Scar (Eli Gorenstein):
  אני הרגתי את מופסה!
  Aní harágti et Mufása!
  I killed Mufasa!
- 2019 October 31, Naomi Niddam, Local Call‎^[1]:
  את ספרו החשוב הראשון פירסם בישראל בשנות ה-70, ובחר לכתוב אותו בערבית ספרותית
  Et sifró hakhashúv harishón pirsém b'yisraél bishnót hashiv'ím, uvakhár likhtóv otó be'aravít sifrutít.
  He published his first important book in Israel in the 70s, and chose to write it in Literary Arabic.

Usage notes

In the event of a semantically indefinite direct object, את is not used; instead, the direct object is unmarked. In general, את is used when the direct object is a proper noun, a personal pronoun (in which case it is incorporated into the form of את), a noun phrase beginning with ה־ (ha-, “the”), or a noun phrase headed by a noun compound ending in one of these.

Inflection

Inflection table (direct object marker)

Personal-pronoun- including forms	Singular		Plural
Non-personal-pronoun-including form				אֵת (et)
Personal-pronoun- including forms	Masculine	Feminine	Masculine	Feminine
First person	אוֹתִי (otí)		אוֹתָנוּ (otánu)
Second person	אוֹתְךָ (otkhá)	אוֹתָךְ (otákh)	אֶתְכֶם (etkhém), אוֹתְכֶם (otkhém)¹	אֶתְכֶן (etkhén), אוֹתְכֶן (otkhén)¹
Third person	אוֹתוֹ (otó)	אוֹתׇהּ (otáh)	אוֹתָם (otám)	אוֹתָן (otán)
Notes	1. The forms etkhém and etkhén are considered more correct, but the forms otkhém and otkhén are also common in everyday usage.

Etymology 2

Cognate with Akkadian 𒀉𒋾 (itti, “with”).

Pronunciation

(Biblical Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʔitʰ/
(Tiberian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈʔeːθ/, [ˈʔeː.eθ], /ʔɛθ-/, [ʔɛθ-]
(Yemenite Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈʔeθ/, [ˈʔeːθ], /ʔaθ-/, [ʔæθ-]
(Persian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /(ʔ)et/
(Iraqi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʔeθ/
(Sephardi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /(ʔ)et/
(Ashkenazi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ejs/, /ɛs-/
(Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /(ʔ)et/
Audio (Israel): (file)

Preposition

אֵת, אֶת־ • (et, et-) [pattern: קֵטֶל]

(Biblical Hebrew) To, with.
- 2015 September 29, Ran Boker, “לונדון את קירשנבאום תשודר כמו בימי חייו של מוטי (“London et Kirschenbaum will be broadcasted like [the way it was] in the lifetime of Moti”)”, in ynet:
- Tanach, Genesis 39:2, with translation of the King James Version:
  וַיְהִי יְהוָה אֶת יוֹסֵף
  vayhí adonáy et yosef
  And the Lord was with Joseph

Usage notes

The inflected forms of the otherwise archaic sense “to” or “with” are still used, but now belong to the (suppletive) preposition עִם (im, “with”).
In modern sources, the separate use of אֵת as meaning 'with', is influenced more by Romance et. (see quote above)

Inflection

Inflection table (archaic sense “to” or “with”)

Personal-pronoun- including forms	Singular		Plural
Non-personal-pronoun-including form				עִם (im), אֵת, אֶת־ (et, et-)
Personal-pronoun- including forms	Masculine	Feminine	Masculine	Feminine
First person	איתי / אִתִּי (ití)		איתנו / אִתָּנוּ (itánu)
Second person	איתך / אִתְּךָ (itkhá)	איתך / אִתָּךְ (itákh)	איתכם / אִתְּכֶם (itkhém)	איתכן / אִתְּכֶן (itkhén)
Third person	איתו / אִתּוֹ (itó)	איתה / אִתָּהּ (itáh)	איתם / אִתָּם (itám)	איתן / אִתָּן (itán)

Etymology 3

From Proto-Semitic *ʔanti.

Pronunciation

(Biblical Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʔatʰtʰ/
(Tiberian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈʔatʰ/, [ˈʔaː.atʰ]
(Yemenite Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈʔatʰ/, [ˈʔæːtʰ]
(Persian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /(ʔ)æt/
(Iraqi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʔat/
(Sephardi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /(ʔ)at/
(Ashkenazi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /(ʔ)at/
(Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /(ʔ)at/

Pronoun

אַתְּ • (át) f (Biblical Hebrew pausal form אָתְּ)

You, thou: (the feminine singular second-person personal pronoun).

Usage notes

In Mishnaic sources, the second-person masculine singular is inflected exactly as the feminine singular should be.

Etymology 4

Noun

אֹת • (ot) m (plural אֹתֹת or אֹתוֹת)

(rare, Biblical Hebrew) defective spelling of אוֹת: sign.

Etymology 5

Pronunciation

(Tiberian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈʔeːθ/, [ˈʔeː.eθ]
(Yemenite Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈʔeθ/, [ˈʔeːθ]
(Persian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /(ʔ)et/
(Iraqi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʔeθ/
(Sephardi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /(ʔ)et/
(Ashkenazi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ejs/
(Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /(ʔ)et/

Noun

אֵת • (et) m (plural indefinite אִתִּים, singular construct אֵת־, plural construct אִתֵּי־)

shovel
spade

Usage notes

in addition to the pronunciation אִתִּים (itím) the plural is also pronounced אֵתִים (etím)

Anagrams

תא, ת״א

[perpronnote1-1] The form אנוכי / אָנֹכִי (anokhí) occurs many times in the Hebrew Bible, but is basically obsolete today.

[perpronnote2-2] In Modern Israeli Hebrew, the form אָנוּ (ánu, “we”) is the more formal, אֲנָחנוּ (anákhnu) the more colloquial.

[perpronnote3-3] 3.0 ^3.1 In colloquial Modern Israeli Hebrew, the nominally masculine forms אַתֶּם (atém) and הֵם (hem) are sometimes taken as gender-neutral and substituted for אַתֶּן (atén) and הֵן (hen), this is sometimes considered incorrect.

[PP 1]

[PP 2]

[PP 3]

		singular	plural
1st person		אֲנִי (aní), אנוכי / אָנֹכִי (anokhí)^{[PP 1]}	אֲנַחְנוּ (anákhnu), אָנוּ (ánu)^{[PP 2]}
2nd person	m	אַתָּה (atá)	אַתֶּם (atém)
2nd person	f	אַתְּ (at)	אַתֶּן (atén)
3rd person	m	הוּא (hu)	הֵם (hem)^{[PP 3]}
3rd person	f	הִיא (hi)	הֵן (hen)^{[PP 3]}
^ The form אנוכי / אָנֹכִי (anokhí) occurs many times in the Hebrew Bible, but is basically obsolete today. ^ In Modern Israeli Hebrew, the form אָנוּ (ánu, “we”) is the more formal, אֲנָחנוּ (anákhnu) the more colloquial. ↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 In colloquial Modern Israeli Hebrew, the nominally masculine forms אַתֶּם (atém) and הֵם (hem) are sometimes taken as gender-neutral and substituted for אַתֶּן (atén) and הֵן (hen), this is sometimes considered incorrect.

את

Contents

Aramaic

Etymology 1

Pronoun

Etymology 2

Pronoun

Hebrew

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

Preposition

Usage notes

Inflection

Further reading

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

Preposition

Usage notes

Inflection

Etymology 3

Pronunciation

Pronoun

Usage notes

See also

Etymology 4

Noun

Etymology 5

Pronunciation

Noun

Usage notes

Anagrams