# את - definite direct object marker



## Dohboy

Hi, I'm hoping you can help me understand something in Hebrew grammar. My question is, why is the word ta or 'ath' (Genesis 1:1, for example) never translated? It seems odd that we can ignore the word. Is it used to help in the translation to English? 

Any help you can provide is greately appreciated!


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## amikama

I can't understand your question...

Genesis 1:1: בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ
There is no 'ath' in this verse... 

Or maybe you mean אֵת (_et_)? In this case, this word is "untranslatable" because it's just a definite direct object marker. And yes, it's one of the oddities of Hebrew


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## Dohboy

Oh, I see. I was reading from the scripture4all site and they show את as 'ath' but it's probably 'et' to which I refer.

Sorry to be such a dope but I'm trying to understand the significance of the word. Why is it there? What would it mean if it were not used in the sentence? 

Thanks for your help!


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## Macnas

It's just a requirement of the language, that את must be placed before a definite direct object. Without it, the sentence would be ungrammatical, as I understand it.

Many languages have similar requirements. In Spanish, the preposition _a_ must be placed before direct objects that refer to people, and is never translated. In Russian, direct objects need to take their own form called the accusative case.


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## Nunty

The usual usage of את is found in Genesis 1:1
בראשית ברא אלוהים *את* השמים ו*את* הארץ

This is by far the most common use of the preposition את in biblical and modern Hebrew. As Macnas said, it marks the definite direct object.

Another, far less common, usage of את is in Exodus 1:1
אלה שמות בני ישראל הבאים מצרימה *את* יעקוב איש וביתו באו

Here, it can be conceived as the preposition "with". That is the reason, by the way, that in modern Hebrew we say

אני הולכת *עם* יעקוב

but

אני הולכת *איתו
*
rather than

אני הולכת *עמו
*
The latter is sometimes used, but far less frequently.


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## amikama

Dohboy said:


> Sorry to be such a dope but I'm trying to understand the significance of the word. Why is it there? What would it mean if it were not used in the sentence?


Think of the indefinite article "a" in English: this word has no meaning by itself, it's simply an indefinite marker. As there is no indefinite articles in Hebrew, this word is simply ignored while translating from English to Hebrew. 

Now, it's just the same with את: word with no meaning which is ignored in translation because there is no definite direct object marker in English. And why is it there? I guess it's for the same reason the indefinite article "a" is there...


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## Dohboy

You folks are extraordinary! 
Thank you very much for your clear and thoughtful answers!


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## ronshor

It's very simple ....try to follow 

בראשית ברא אלוהים את השמים ואת הארץ 

And in english 

At the beginning god created the sky and the land 

Got it ....?

"et" in hebrew means "the" in english 

Another example 

"Give me the pen"

and in hebrew...

תן לי את העט 

(sorry about my english - I'm not a native speaker )







amikama said:


> I can't understand your question...
> 
> Genesis 1:1: בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ
> There is no 'ath' in this verse...
> 
> Or maybe you mean אֵת (_et_)? In this case, this word is "untranslatable" because it's just a definite direct object marker. And yes, it's one of the oddities of Hebrew


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## Nunty

Welcome to the forums, ronshor 

I'm sorry to contradict you on your very first post here, but I wouldn't want new learners to be confused. 

את does not mean "the" in English. ה' הידיעה means "the". As several of us have explained, there is no direct translation for את in English when it is used to indicate the definite direct object.




ronshor said:


> It's very simple ....try to follow
> 
> בראשית ברא אלוהים את השמים ואת הארץ
> 
> And in english
> 
> At the beginning god created the sky and the land
> 
> Got it ....?
> 
> "et" in hebrew means "the" in english
> 
> Another example
> 
> "Give me the pen"
> 
> and in hebrew...
> 
> תן לי את העט
> 
> (sorry about my english - I'm not a native speaker )


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## ronshor

I thought about it for a while 

And I have to admit  that you're right.
It's very confusing...

Sorry  



Nun-Translator said:


> Welcome to the forums, ronshor
> 
> I'm sorry to contradict you on your very first post here, but I wouldn't want new learners to be confused.
> 
> את does not mean "the" in English. ה' הידיעה means "the". As several of us have explained, there is no direct translation for את in English when it is used to indicate the definite direct object.


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## girloncrack

for example:
Ani tsricha letargel et ha ivrit
Ivrit meanyenet meod


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## Nunty

You use _et_ whenever you have a direct object, and you place it immediately before the D.O.


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## amikama

Nun-Translator said:


> You use _et_ whenever you have a *definite* direct object, and you place it immediately before the D.O.


A minor correction but nevertheless important


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## Nunty

amikama said:


> A minor correction but nevertheless important


Very important and not so minor. Thank you.


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## MiamianIsraeli

It's important to note that note all verbs take את. Other prepositions, such as ל or ב can be used, depending on the verb. For example, the verb לשמור is associated with ל.


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## Nunty

Hi Miamian,

I think you mean that "not" all verbs take _et_. (לשמור taking ל seems odd to me, though. החתול שומר *על* השמנת, if I'm not mistaken.)

Just a typo, obviously, but an important one for new learners.


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## MiamianIsraeli

Nun-Translator said:


> Hi Miamian,
> 
> I think you mean that "not" all verbs take _et_. (לשמור taking ל seems odd to me, though. החתול שומר *על* השמנת, if I'm not mistaken.)
> 
> Just a typo, obviously, but an important one for new learners.


Yeah, you're right. Carelessness on the first mistake. For the second, I seem to remember ל from ulpan, but it wouldn't be the first instance of that type of discrepancy.


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## Nunty

Ah Ulpan Hebrew! Someone ought to compile a dictionary. When I was a little girl, we used to get _olim hadashim_ to talk to us, so we could go home and make fun of the expressions they were taught.

Mea culpa.

On the other hand, it is also quite possible that the forms they teach in ulpan are strictly correct, but that we have just fallen out of the habit in everyday speech. קפה בחלב is an example that leaps to mind.

But I have the impression that you speak Hebrew quite well, Miamian. When do we get to see you post in Hebrew?


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## MiamianIsraeli

Nun-Translator said:


> Ah Ulpan Hebrew! Someone ought to compile a dictionary. When I was a little girl, we used to get _olim hadashim_ to talk to us, so we could go home and make fun of the expressions they were taught.
> 
> Mea culpa.
> 
> On the other hand, it is also quite possible that the forms they teach in ulpan are strictly correct, but that we have just fallen out of the habit in everyday speech. קפה בחלב is an example that leaps to mind.
> 
> But I have the impression that you speak Hebrew quite well, Miamian. When do we get to see you post in Hebrew?


I guess that I have to fight my inhibitions. Israelis are typically not very supportive of olim speaking Hebrew, especially when they perceive that the oleh's native language is English.

What's really funny is that they often think that I'm French and that works to my advantage. I sometimes consciously try to speak Hebrew with a French accent just to continue speaking Hebrew.


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