# I love God



## H Young

I want to say that 'I love you' to God. In Hebrew, what would you say? (Could you mind also write the pronounciation of the words? or any website which I can go and learn of the Hebrew letters???)


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## dr52

Ani Ohev Otach.

I don't have a Hebrew clavier. Sorry.


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## H Young

Thanks. Then would you please tell me whether I'm on the right track or not? ^^ 

God loves me=Otach Ohev Ani-- ?

dr52, I have looked for the word, clavier. And it meant stringed instrument's (e.g., piano) keyboard. Is it a American slang for computer keyboard??? I reckon that it would mean keyboard of the computer.. just wanted to know the origin and the reason you  used the word above... I'm learning language..


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## dr52

Opps! Clavier is the french word for keyboard. I am bilingual. I am sorry to cause confusion!
Here's the Hebrew for "I love you":

אני אוהב אותך​G-d loves me is not merely the inversion. 
In Hebrew, we say"Hashem" for G-d. HaShem litterally means "The Name" because we cannot pretend to know G-d we simply refer to Him as The Name. 

Anyway, to say "G-d loves me" is: 
השם אוהב אותי

HaShem Ohev Oti
​


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## Aoyama

> Ani Ohev Otach


 would mean that you address G.od as a female. 
Here, you _just_ want to say "I love you", whether it is to G.od or ... someone else.
Assuming that the Almighty is masculine, you would say "ani ohev *otra*".

I also think that the thread should better be : I love *You* G.od (or G.od, I love you = Adonaï, ani ohev otra).


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## amikama

Aoyama said:


> Assuming that the Almighty is masculine, you would say "ani ohev *otkha*".


Just a little correction


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## dr52

When you say G-d is feminine you mean the word "shem"?


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## Talib

Is השם feminine? I know for example שכינה is but most occurences of G-d's names are masculine.


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## Aoyama

> you would/should say "ani ohev *otkha*".


Right ... ... On the inconvenients of writing/transcribing Hebrew in latin ...


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## Nunty

A little confusion here. 

As Aoyama said, 





> Ani Ohev Otach
> 
> 
> 
> would mean that you address G.od as a female.
Click to expand...


That is because _otach_ (or _otakh, _as I prefer to transliterate it) is the feminine form of the objective pronound "you". The masculine form would be _otkha_.



dr52 said:


> When you say G-d is feminine you mean the word "shem"?





Talib said:


> Is השם feminine? I know for example שכינה is but most occurences of G-d's names are masculine.



No, השם (hashem) is masculine.


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## dr52

That helps but this still doesn't answer the question of which word we are using for G-d. *If *we are refering to Hashem (as I and most Ashkenazim do), wouldn't I say ,"Ani ohev Otach" since השם is masculine?

Whether I refer to G-d as a noun being masculine or feminine I would stil say, "Hashem ohev *oti*" right?


Todah Rabbah.


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## clevermizo

dr52 said:


> That helps but this still doesn't answer the question of which word we are using for G-d. *If *we are refering to Hashem (as I and most Ashkenazim do), wouldn't I say ,"Ani ohev Otach" since השם is masculine?



No - because _otakh_ is feminine. _Otkha_ is masculine.


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## ChicoAnimado

dr52 said:


> That helps but this still doesn't answer the question of which word we are using for G-d. *If *we are refering to Hashem (as I and most Ashkenazim do), wouldn't I say ,"Ani ohev Otach" since השם is masculine?
> 
> Whether I refer to G-d as a noun being masculine or feminine I would stil say, "Hashem ohev *oti*" right?
> 
> 
> Todah Rabbah.



Shalom..
if you wish to say "I love god", you could say:
"ani ohev et elohim" - אני אוהב את אלוהים
you won't find many Israelis using Hashem in this context
hope that serves you


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## dr52

Agreed, the vast majority of Israelis are not religious. 
However, if an Israeli speaks about G-d, he would refer to our G-d. Elohim is too general and doesn't nessicarily refer to "the G-d of the Avraham" does it not?
I could be wrong, but I have met several Israelis while I was in Eretz Yisrael who would respond "Baruch Hashem" when I asked how they were doing. Keep in mind that they did not wear Kippot or tzitzit.


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## elroy

"Baruch ha-shem" is a set expression.

As others have indicated, "elohim" is the most common way to say "God" in modern Hebrew.


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## Aoyama

But the original question was :


> I want to say that 'I love you' to God. In Hebrew


which in fact comes to mean : " G.od, I love you" (or, "I love you, G.od").
In that case 





> "ani ohev et elohim" - אני אוהב את אלוהים


 (I love G.od) would not work.
"Ani ohev et Hashem" would not work either.
G.od here is clearly a vocative, so "Adonai, ani ohev otkha" seems more appropriate.


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## dr52

C'est de l'hébreu pour moi  
Thank you Aoyama. Whether in French or Hebrew, you have always helped to clarify things!


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## Nunty

I mostly agree with Aoyama, except that most people would not address God as "Adonay" (in any transliteration) outside of formal prayer out of a prayerbook. "Elohim" is far more common.


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## dr52

Nunty said:


> I mostly agree with Aoyama, except that most people would not address God as "Adonay" (in any transliteration) outside of formal prayer out of a prayerbook. "Elohim" is far more common.


 
But, assuming that we are speaking with G-d directly (I love *you*), Adonoi (ashkenaz again ;-) ) would be most suitable to use.


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## Nunty

No it wouldn't, not outside of prayer formulas. "Elohim" is by far the most common word used.

I am a native Hebrew speaker living in Israel. That is my experience. Yours may differ.


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## dr52

Interesting! If you were to speak to G-d, you would approach him with "Elohim"? 

I suppose that I would too if I were to say "Elohi" (My G-d.)


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## Nunty

dr52 said:


> Interesting! If you were to speak to G-d, you would approach him with "Elohim"?



I would and I do.


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## Aoyama

Well, I would also concur with dr52 in using Adonai (not the ashkenaz form "Adon*o*i, a bit outdated).
Is "Elohim" more common in Israel ? True in a way, but that would depend on context.
If you said "My G.od !", you would use "Elohim !"
Adonai is used in prayers, true, but I would find strange "Elohim, ani ohev otkha" [why not *otkhem *by the way, Elohim being plural].
One could also think of *Eli *, which is supposedly the word Christ used (_Eli, lama sabactani_ ? )...


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## Nunty

Elohim _looks_ plural but when used as a name of God, it always takes the singular verb or adjective; there is one God.

When _elohim_ means "judges" (used in the bible), then it takes a plural verb.

As for what you find strange and I find normal, I suppose we'll just have to accept our differences.


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## dr52

Elohim literally means powers. I am not yet a Torah scholar so I won't agrue with you. But I think at this point we should agree to disagree Nunty.

Aoyama, you should know that in my community not only do we pronounce "Adonaï ", "Adonoi" but we ask each other if we speak "Ivris." It can be quite entertaining when modern Israelis are trying to correct every sav (tav) you say!

Hatzlacha.


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## RaLo18

I agree with dr52. Although "Adonay" is less common, it is the most suitable in such expression. "Elohay" (my god) can also be used.


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## Aoyama

Well, for some reason I tend to think that Adonoi rhymes more with oy vey then with I love you ...


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