אנחנו

Hebrew

Etymology

From Biblical Hebrew 𐤀𐤍𐤇𐤍𐤅 (ʾnḥnw), from Proto-Semitic *niḥnu. Cognate with Arabic نحن.

Pronunciation

• (Biblical Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʔaˈnaħ.nuː/
• (Samaritan Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ɒ.nɒ.ɒn.nu/, [ʔɒːˈnɒː.ɒn.nuˑ]
• (Tiberian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʔăˈnaħ.nuː/, [ʔaˈnaː.aħ.nuː]
• (Yemenite Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʔəˈnaħ.nu/, [ʔæˈnæːħ.nu(ː)]
• (Persian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /(ʔ)æˈnæh.nu/
• (Iraqi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʔaˈnaħ.nu/
• (Sephardi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʔaˈnaħ.nu/ (East), /(ʔ)aˈnaχ.nu/ (West)
• (Ashkenazi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /(ʔ)aˈnaχ.nu/
• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /(ʔ)aˈnaχ.nu/

• Audio:

  (file)

Pronoun

אֲנַחְנוּ • (anákhnu) m pl or f pl

1. We; the subject form of the first-person plural personal pronoun.

   וְנִהְיֶה אֲנַחְנוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵינוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵי עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל כֻּלָּנוּ יוֹדְעֵי שְׁמֶךָ וְלוֹמְדֵי תוֹרָתְךָ לִשְׁמָהּ.

   v'nihyé anákhnu v'tse'etsa'éinu v'tse'etsa'éi amkhá beit yisra'él kulánu yod'éi shmékha v'lomdéi torotkhá lishmá.

   May we, and all our offspring, and all the offspring of your nation the House of Israel, all of us be knowers of your name and learners of your Torah for her name.

Usage notes

• This term does not change form to reflect gender; any adjective or present-tense verb will agree with the implicit gender of its referents (masculine for a group of men or for a mixed group of men and women, feminine for a group of women).
• In formal, archaic, and poetic speech and writing, the synonymous form אנו (ánu, “we”) is often found instead.
• This word is somewhat less common than its English counterpart, since in Hebrew the subject pronouns are typically omitted in the past and future tenses.

Synonyms

• אָנוּ (ánu, “we”)

See also

Hebrew personal pronouns

		singular	plural
1st person		אֲנִי (aní), אנוכי / אָנֹכִי (anokhí)	אֲנַחְנוּ (anákhnu), אָנוּ (ánu)
2nd person	m	אַתָּה (atá)	אַתֶּם (atém)
	f	אַתְּ (at)	אַתֶּן (atén)
3rd person	m	הוּא (hu)	הֵם (hem)
	f	הִיא (hi)	הֵן (hen)