חיים

Hebrew

Root
ח־י־ה (kh-y-h)
7 terms

Etymology 1

Cognate with Arabic حَيَاة (ḥayāh).

Pronunciation

• (Biblical Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ħajˈjiːm/
• (Tiberian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ħajˈjiːm/ [ħaɟˈɟiːm]
• (Yemenite Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ħajˈjim/ [ħæjˈjiːm]
• (Sephardi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /χaˈjim/ (West), /ħajˈjim/ (East)
• (Ashkenazi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /χaˈjim/, [ˈχa.jim], [ˈχa.jɪm]
• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /χaˈ(j)im/, /ħaˈ(j)im/
  • Rhymes: -im

Noun

חַיִּים • (khayím) m pl (plural construct חַיֵּי־)

1. life (period during which one is alive)

   Antonym: מוות / מָוֶת (mávet)

   • Tanach, Genesis 23:1, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     וַיִּהְיוּ חַיֵּי שָׂרָה מֵאָה שָׁנָה וְעֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וְשֶׁבַע שָׁנִים שְׁנֵי חַיֵּי שָׂרָה׃

     vayihyú khayé sará me'á shaná v'esrím shaná v'shéva' shaním sh'né khayé sará.
     wayyihyū ḥayyē śārā mēʾā šānā wəʿeśrīm šānā wəšéḇaʿ šānīm šənē ḥayyē śārā.

     And the life of Sarah was a hundred and seven and twenty years; these were the years of the life of Sarah.

2. life (state of being alive)
3. life (the process of life, all biological life)

Declension

Declension of חַיִּים

	isolated forms		with possessive pronouns
Number:	State:	form	Person:	singular		plural
				m	f	m	f
plural	indefinite	חַיִּים	first	חַיַּי		חַיֵּינוּ
	definite	הַחַיִּים	second	חַיֶּיךָ	חַיַּיִךְ	חַיֵּיכֶם	חַיֵּיכֶן
	construct	חַיֵּי־	third	חַיָּיו	חַיֶּיהָ	חַיֵּיהֶם	חַיֵּיהֶן

Derived terms

• אורח חיים (órakh khayím, “lifestyle”)
• אלה החיים (éle hakhayím, “c'est la vie”)
• בְּחַיֶּיךָ (bekhayékha)
• בעל חיים (bá'al khayím, “animal”)
• החיים הטובים (hakhayím hatovím, “the good life”)
• חיי נצח (khayé nétzaḥ, “eternal life”)
• חיי שעה (khayé sha'á, “living the now”)
• חיים פרטיים (khayím pratiyím)
• לחיים (lekháyim, “cheers”)
• מפעל חיים (mif'ál khayím, “life's work”)
• סיפור חיים (sipúr khayím, “life story”)
• ספר החיים (séfer hakhayím, “book of life”)
• על החיים ועל המוות (al hakhayím ve'ál hamávet)
• עשה חיים (asá khayím, “had a ball”)
• רָמַת חַיִּים (ramát khayím)
• תוחלת חיים (tokhélet khayím, “life expectancy”)

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• (Biblical Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ħajˈjiːm/
• (Tiberian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ħajˈjiːm/ [ħaɟˈɟiːm]
• (Yemenite Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ħajˈjim/ [ħæjˈjiːm]
• (Sephardi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /χaˈjim/ (West), /ħajˈjim/ (East)
• (Ashkenazi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /χaˈjim/, [ˈχa.jim], [ˈχa.jɪm]
• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /χaˈ(j)im/, /ˈχa.(j)im/, /ħaˈ(j)im/, /ˈħa.(j)im/
  • Rhymes: -im

Proper noun

חַיִּים • (kháyim) m

1. a male given name, Haim or Chaim

Etymology 3

Pronunciation

• (Biblical Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ħajˈjiːm/
• (Tiberian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ħajˈjiːm/ [ħaɟˈɟiːm]
• (Yemenite Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ħajˈjim/ [ħæjˈjiːm]
• (Sephardi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /χaˈjim/ (West), /ħajˈjim/ (East)
• (Ashkenazi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /χaˈjim/, [ˈχa.jim], [ˈχa.jɪm]
• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /χaˈ(j)im/, /ħaˈ(j)im/
  • Rhymes: -im

Adjective

חַיִּים • (khayím)

1. masculine plural indefinite form of חַי (kháy)

Verb

חַיִּים • (khayím)

1. Masculine plural present participle and present tense of חי (khay)

Yiddish

Etymology

From Hebrew חַיִּים (khayím, “life”).

Noun

חיים • (khayem) m

1. (especially in the context of religion) life

   Synonym: לעבן (lebn)

Related terms

• לחיים (lekhayem)

Proper noun

חיים • (khayem) m

1. a male given name, Chaim