# Do you know her correct e-mail address?



## I see you

Hello,

How would I say "Do you know her correct e-mail address?"? I'm guessing either:

ha'im ata yode'a et ha-ktovet ha-nekhona shel ha-email shela?

or

ha'im ata yode'a et ktovet ha-email ha-nekhona shela?


----------



## elroy

The second one.


----------



## slus

The first one is more correct Hebrew. The second one is more natural sounding.
BTW, if you want to sound natural, don't start your questions with ha'im:
ata yode'a et ktovet ha-email ha-nekhona shela?


----------



## I see you

Sorry. My textbook taught me to use "ha'im" when asking a question, much like the French use "est-ce que". I guess it's formal rather than colloquial.


----------



## elroy

slus said:


> The first one is more correct Hebrew.


 Can you explain what you feel makes it more correct?

To me it just sounds needlessly wordy, and less natural.


----------



## Drink

I agree. I would have said that either they are both equally correct or the second one is more correct. I don't understand why the first one should be more correct.


----------



## slus

Elroy and Drink, I don't know the English term, but formal Hebrew disapproves of
שרשור סמיכויות.
I agree that it sounds more natural.


----------



## elroy

There is no שרשור סמיכויות in either sentence.

1.) ha'im ata yode'a et ha-ktovet ha-nekhona shel ha-email shela?
2.) ha'im ata yode'a et ktovet ha-email ha-nekhona shela?

blue = סמיכות
pink = adjective
green = של phrase

So there is only one simple סמיכות construction.


----------



## Drink

If I understand correctly that a שרשור סמיכויות is a construct "chain" longer than a simple construct of two words, then I agree with elroy that there is no שרשור סמיכויות in the second sentence the OP gave. But additionally, I'm surprised that you say that formal Hebrew disapproves of שרשור סמיכויות. Isn't that what "ראש ממשלת ישראל" and "משרד ראש הממשלה" are? Those seem like pretty formal expressions.


----------



## amikama

Drink said:


> Isn't that what "ראש ממשלת ישראל" and "משרד ראש הממשלה" are?


ראש ממשלה is what is called סמיכות כבולה - a סמיכות that can't be separated with של (‎הראש של ממשלה ). So they are OK in Hebrew.

A "true" שרשרת סמיכות like ציוני תלמידי התיכון indeed sounds somewhat cumbersome in Hebrew, so it's more natural to use של instead: הציונים של תלמידי התיכון.


----------



## slus

elroy said:


> There is no שרשור סמיכויות in either sentence.
> 1.) ha'im ata yode'a et ha-ktovet ha-nekhona shel ha-email shela?
> So there is only one simple סמיכות construction.



Sorry, you're correct, of course.


----------

