היה

Hebrew

Root
ה־י־ה (h-y-h)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /(h)aˈja/

Verb

הָיָה • (haya) (pa'al construction)

1. to be: to exist
   • Tanach, Genesis 1:3:

     (please add the primary text of this quotation)

     JPS

     
     

     וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים יְהִי אוֹר וַיְהִי־אוֹר׃

     vayómer 'elohím y'hí 'ór vay'hí-'ór.

     And God said: 'Let there be light.' And there was light.

2. to be: connects a noun to a prepositional phrase or adjective describing it
   • Tanach, Leviticus 26:12:

     (please add the primary text of this quotation)

     JPS

     
     

     וְהִתְהַלַּכְתִּי בְּתוֹכְכֶם וְהָיִיתִי לָכֶם לֵאלֹהִים וְאַתֶּם תִּהְיוּ־לִי לְעָם׃

     v'hithalakhtí b'tokh'khém v'hayíti lakhém lelohím v'atém tihyú-lí l'ám.

     And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be My people.

   הבית היה אדום

   habáyit hayá adóm

   the house was red

3. to happen, take place, occur

   נֵס גָּדוֹל הָיָה שָׁם.

   nés gadól hayá shám.

   A great miracle happened there.

4. to be: connects a term to its definition
   • 2011, The 52nd International Mathematical Olympiad, problem 5:

     תהא $f$ פונקציה מקבוצת השלמים לקבוצת השלמים החיוביים.

     Let $f$ be a function from the set of integers to the set of positive integers.

   • '2016, The 57th International Mathematical Olympiad, problem 3:

     יהא $P=A_{1}A_{2}...A_{k}$ מצולע מישורי קמור.

     Let $P=A_{1}A_{2}...A_{k}$ be a convex polygon in the plane.

5. to be: connects a subject to a role the subject plays
6. to be: indicates ownership, possession, or the like

   אם יהיה לי

   im yihyé li

   if I'll have

Usage notes

• The present tense is usually omitted; in some cases a pronoun (such as הוא,‎ יש, or הינו) is used rather than any form of the verb.

Conjugation

Conjugation of הָיָה (see also Appendix:Hebrew verbs)

non-finite forms		to-infinitive: לִהְיוֹת
finite forms		masculine singular	feminine singular	masculine plural	feminine plural
past	first person	הָיִיתִי		הָיִינוּ
	second person	הָיִיתָ	הָיִית	הֱיִיתֶם	הֱיִיתֶן
	third person	הָיָה	הייתה \ הָיְתָה	הָיוּ
present	all persons	(*הוֹוֶה)	(*הוֹוָה)	(*הוֹוִים)	(*הוֹוֹת)
future	first person	אֶהְיֶה		נִהְיֶה
	second person	תִּהְיֶה	תִּהְיִי	תּהְיוּ	תִּהְיֶינָה1
	third person	יִהְיֶה/יְהֵא1	תִּהְיֶה/תְּהֵא1	יִהְיוּ	תִּהְיֶינָה1
imperative	second person	הֱיֵה	הֲיִי	הֱיוּ	הֲיֶינָה1
notes		Uncommon in modern informal Hebrew, but used in formal speech and writing.

Derived terms

• הָיֹה הָיָה (hayó hayá, “once upon a time”)

References

• H1961 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible