אהב

Hebrew

Etymology

Root
א־ה־ב (ʾ-h-b)
7 terms

Compare Ugaritic 𐎀𐎅𐎁 (ảhb) and Arabic أَحَبَّ (ʔaḥabba)

Pronunciation

  • (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA(key): /(ʔ)aˈhav/
  • (Ashkenazi Hebrew) IPA(key): /ɔˈhav/
  • (Yemenite) IPA(key): /ɔːˈhæv/
  • Audio:(file)

Verb

אָהַב • (aháv) (pa'al construction, infinitive לאהוב / לֶאֱהֹב, passive participle אָהוּב, passive counterpart נֶאֱהַב)

  1. (transitive) to love
    אני אוהב אותך
    aní ohév otákh
    I love you. (said by a man to a woman)

Usage notes

  • In Modern Hebrew, אהב takes a direct object; that is, no preposition is used if the object is indefinite, and the preposition אֵת (et) is used if it is definite. In the Bible, אהב sometimes takes a direct object, and other times takes an object using the preposition לְ־ (l'-) (e.g., Leviticus 19:18).

Conjugation

Conjugation of אָהַב (see also Appendix:Hebrew verbs)
non-finite forms to-infinitive לאהוב / לֶאֱהֹב
action noun אַהֲבָה
passive participle אָהוּב
finite forms singular plural
m f m f
past first אָהַבְתִּי אָהַבְנוּ
second אָהַבְתָּ אָהַבְתְּ אֲהַבְתֶּם1 אֲהַבְתֶּן1
third אָהַב אָהֲבָה אָהֲבוּ
present אוֹהֵב אוֹהֶבֶת אוֹהֲבִים אוֹהֲבוֹת
future first אוהב / אֹהַב נֹאהַב
second תֹּאהַב תֹּאהֲבִי תֹּאהֲבוּ תֹּאהַבְנָה2
third יֹאהַב תֹּאהַב יֹאהֲבוּ תֹּאהַבְנָה2
imperative אֱהַב אֶהֱבִי אֶהֱבוּ אֱהַבְנָה2

1 Pronounced אָהַבְתֶּם and אָהַבְתֶּן in informal Modern Hebrew.
2 Rare in Modern Hebrew.

Derived terms

References

Anagrams