# ...להכיר את



## babaz

Shalom,
Do you know _why_ couldn't we say "להכיר את המוסיקה" instead of "להכיר המוסיקה" ?
More generally, if "את" introduces an object, there seems to be some exceptions hard to predict ; unless you have some tricks...

Thanks


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## Egmont

"להכיר המוסיקה" (without "את") sounds very strange to me. Where did you hear or read this?

(For what it's worth, "להכיר את המוסיקה" as a phrase gets over 200,000 Google hits. "להכיר המוסיקה" finds only this thread.)


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## babaz

Oops...

I'm sorry.

Since I heard "אני לא מכיר הרבה אנשים" and not "אני לא מכיר את הרבה אנשים", I thought "להכיר את משהו/מישהו" was impossible.


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## tFighterPilot

את always introduces the object when it's specific. "הרבה אנשים" isn't specific.


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## babaz

Ah... !

Thank you !


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## babaz

Why don't we say : "איפה *את* *ה*אוטובוס ?" ?


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## amikama

babaz said:


> Why don't we say : "איפה *את* *ה*אוטובוס ?" ?


Because האוטובוס is not the object here but the subject.
את comes only before definite objects.


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## origumi

amikama said:


> את comes only before definite objects.


Definite direct objects.


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## Egmont

amikama said:


> Because האוטובוס is not the object here but the subject.
> את comes only before definite objects.


If you wanted to ask "Where can I find the bus?" it would be "איפה אני יכול למצוא את האוטובוס" because then the verb is למצוא (to find) and the bus is its direct object.


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## amikama

origumi said:


> Definite direct objects.


Yes, forgot the "direct" part... I'm too tired!


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## arielipi

lehakir hamusika is correct, though explicitly saying stuff with et is the colloquial one.

for exmaple - lemarek hakad, lehaskit ha'ozen, etc.


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## origumi

arielipi said:


> though explicitly saying stuff with et is the colloquial one.


Only if you consider the Bible, Genesis 1:1 for example, as colloquial.


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## tFighterPilot

Omitting the את can happen in newspaper titles when there's not enough space, thus some people think it's proper.


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## origumi

tFighterPilot said:


> Omitting the את can happen in newspaper titles when there's not enough space, thus some people think it's proper.


There's also the famous Ben Gurion approach to reduce the usage of את.

http://bengurionblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/blog-post.html


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## babaz

Hi,


arielipi said:


> for exmaple - lemarek hakad, lehaskit ha'ozen, etc.


Ma zot omeret ?


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## rebecka

I know that lehakir means "to recognize", but I always thought it was followed by b, not et. In other words, I thought it didn't take a direct object. Today I heard להכיר את ישראל זה לאהוב אותה, which means "To recognize Israel is to love it (her)". Why isn't it להכיר בישראל זה לאהוב אותה?


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## elroy

Because this is wrong: 


rebecka said:


> I always thought it was followed by b, not et.


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## rebecka

Thanks. Is there any difference between the two?


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## amikama

The verb להכיר has two main meanings:
- "to be familiar with" or "to know" (as in to know someone). In this case the verb is transitive and followed by את.
- "to recognize" or "to admit". In this case the verb is intransitive and followed by -ב.

להכיר את ישראל means "to know Israel", i.e. to be familiar with its culture, history, geography etc. etc.
להכיר בישראל means "to recognize Israel" (as a legitimate state).


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## rebecka

Thanks.


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