# תה



## dcx97

Hello,

I just came across the following:

אתה שותה תה 
You are drinking tea.

Is the "h" in תה pronounced? Or is it silent like the ones in אתה and שותה?

Thanks!


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## ystab

It is not pronounced, it is a mater lectonis.


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## dcx97

Thanks! Is there a book or website where I can check whether the final ה is pronounced or not?


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## ystab

A pronounced final ה will carry the Niqqud of Mapiq. If text is without niqqud, it is difficult, but here are some rules of thumb:
1. Most final ה are mater lectionis
2. The following roots with final ה:
ג-ב-ה - grow tall/high
נ-ג-ה - glow
כ-מ-ה yearn
ת-מ-ה wonder
מ-ה-מ-ה stall
3. Posessive and object suffixes of feminine third person singular (her):
ביתה (her house)
פגשה (met her), but if context is she met then the ה is not pronounced.


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## dcx97

Thank you so much!


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## dcx97

However, I just heard a native speaker pronounce it as "teh", i.e. with the "h".

Pronuncia di תה: come pronunciare תה in Ebraico


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## aavichai

some people even say:
Tey


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## Drink

dcx97 said:


> However, I just heard a native speaker pronounce it as "teh", i.e. with the "h".
> 
> Pronuncia di תה: come pronunciare תה in Ebraico



It think that's just extra breathing, and not meant to be an "h" sound.


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## Sprachenlerner

If you are familiar with Arabic then the silent "heh" is the Hebrew equivalent of the "taa marbuuta" (ة).


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## Drink

Sprachenlerner said:


> If you are familiar with Arabic then the silent "heh" is the Hebrew equivalent of the "taa marbuuta" (ة).



That's only when it's a feminine -a suffix.


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## Sprachenlerner

Drink said:


> That's only when it's a feminine -a suffix.



Alright, so more specifically the Hebrew slient heh is the equivalent of the Arabic "taa marbuuta" and "aliif maksuura".


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## Drink

Sprachenlerner said:


> Alright, so more specifically the Hebrew slient heh is the equivalent of the Arabic "taa marbuuta" and "aliif maksuura".



Not necessarily alif maqsuura, but any case of root-final yaa at the end of a word, which can manifest itself as a yaa or as pretty much any vowel in Arabic (examples: -in: ثمانٍ; -ii: يَفْدِي; -i: اِفْدِ; -iya: بَقِيَ; -a: اِبْقَ; -aa: دَعَا; -uu: يَدْعُو; -u: اُدْعُ, and of course alif maqsuura: يَبْقَى). And furthermore, many other instances of word-final vowels: ימינה = يَمِينًا, and מַה = مَا, and אַתָּה = أَنْتَ, and תִּשְׁמַעְנָה = تَسْمَعْنَ, and many more.


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## Sprachenlerner

You are correct.


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## elroy

ystab said:


> 3. Posessive and object suffixes of feminine third person singular (her):
> ביתה (her house)
> פגשה (met her), but if context is she met then the ה is not pronounced.


 Are you saying these are pronounced or silent?


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## Drink

elroy said:


> Are you saying these are pronounced or silent?



Theorectically these are pronounced (betah, pgashah), but I think few people would pronounce them even in formal speech.


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