# יוסף היה השם של סבא שלי



## Codinome Shlomo

Hello.

Could you please tell me if this sentence is gramatically correct (יוסף היה השם של סבא שלי) ?
Does it sound natural? If not, how should it be said?

Thanks!!


----------



## origumi

First of all, your sentence is good.

Secondly, I'd change the word order unless you want to stress יוסף. This becomes: שמו של (ה)סבא שלי היה יוסף.

Then, you can be a little more formal: יוסף היה שמו של סבי  - or - שמו של סבי היה יוסף. This is still natural.


----------



## k8an

origumi said:


> First of all, your sentence is good.
> 
> Secondly, I'd change the word order unless you want to stress יוסף. This becomes: שמו של (ה)סבא שלי היה יוסף.
> 
> Then, you can be a little more formal: יוסף היה שמו של סבי  - or - שמו של סבי היה יוסף. This is still natural.



Exactly - word order sounds better like this. 

You can also say השם של סבא שלי היה יוסף.


----------



## arielipi

I see no wrong in what he came with.


----------



## Codinome Shlomo

What about feminine names?
For example: שמה של סבתא שלי לאה

Does it sound natural? Should the he in שמה be pronounced, since it has a daggesh?

Also, what is preffered:
"[...] שמה של סבתא שלי" or "[...] שמה של הסבתא שלי" ?


----------



## Drink

Codinome Shlomo said:


> Should the he in שמה be pronounced, since it has a daggesh?



Technically yes, but most people don't.


----------



## origumi

Codinome Shlomo said:


> Should the he in שמה be pronounced, since it has a daggesh?


This dot in the ה is called מַפִּיק mappiq.


----------



## Codinome Shlomo

Thank you!

What about the definite article after של, as in "שמו של *ה*סבא שלי"? Does it have something to do with grammar or register?


----------



## Drink

Codinome Shlomo said:


> Thank you!
> 
> What about the definite article after של, as in "שמו של *ה*סבא שלי"? Does it have something to do with grammar or register?



There are several things to consider here. One is that the (according to the Academy at least) של should be preceded by a definite noun. In colloquial language, the indefinite is frequently used instead for family members. Another thing is that the א in סבא and סבתא is actually the Aramaic definite article, so some people might consider it redundant to have both ה and א.


----------



## Codinome Shlomo

Then it is mandatory to put a "hey" after the של in a phrase like "שמו של *ה*חתול שלה"?


----------



## hadronic

I think undefined nouns before של are allowed, it would mean "one... of ..." : הוא חבר שלי   "he's a friend of mine".


----------



## hadronic

Since אח doesn't have that final א like ima, aba, saba, savta, .... is חא שלי ok by analogy or should one say האח שלי ?


----------



## Drink

hadronic said:


> I think undefined nouns before של are allowed, it would mean "one... of ..." : הוא חבר שלי   "he's a friend of mine".



I thought that too, but in a previous discussion (*My family - המשפחה שלי / משפחתי*), I was told I was wrong.


----------



## hadronic

Trying to skim through that half-trolling thread, there's still one thing unclear to that remains : אח שלי is "my brother" (regardless of the actual number of brothers you have) or "a brother of mine / one of my brothers" ?


----------



## Drink

hadronic said:


> Trying to skim through that half-trolling thread, there's still one thing unclear to that remains : אח שלי is "my brother" (regardless of the actual number of brothers you have) or "a brother of mine / one of my brothers" ?



I would think that it just means "my brother" and could refer to either of those cases.


----------



## hadronic

Glinert, in his "Grammar", does say that "A shel ha-B" means "a A of the B". He gives : הצעה של הודו, a proposal of India,  עצה של השכן, (a piece of) advice of the neighbor. 
And what about this : הוא נמצא בחדר של הבית hu nimtsa be-kheder shel ha-bayit?אחד מהחדרים  של הבית  sounds too heavy, and  חדר אחד של הבית doesn't sound right .


----------



## arielipi

אם האח הזה כבר יודע מקודם לא צריכים ליידע שוב. כל מקרה אחר אח שלי זה סתם אח.
חוץ מאצל בנט.

.הוא נמצא באחד (מ)החדרים בבית
לא נשמע נכון:
הוא נמצא בחדר של בית. בעיקר נשמע רוסי, אין פה שום ידוע משום סוג


----------

