Preposition, Adverb, Adjective
In English, the word “inside” can be used in different ways — “I am inside” vs. “I am inside the house.”
These two uses of the same word represent different parts of speech: in the first case, it’s an adverb, and in the second, a preposition.
In Hebrew, these meanings are expressed using entirely different words, depending on the part of speech.
Word Classes (Parts of Speech)
| Word Class |
How to Recognize It |
| Preposition (prep.) |
Followed by a noun or pronoun (under the table) |
| Adverb (adv.) |
Stands alone, not followed by a noun (go outside) |
| Adjective (adj.) |
Describes a noun, agrees in gender/number (nearby house) |
Examples: Multiple Hebrew Translations for “inside”
| English |
Hebrew |
Class |
| I’m inside. |
אני בפנים |
Adverb |
| I’m inside the house. |
אני בתוך הבית |
Preposition |
| The inner room |
החדר הפנימי |
Adjective |
Further examples can be found here Inside, Outside
Further Hebrew Direction & Position Words by Function
| English |
Adverb (stands alone) |
Preposition (followed by a noun) |
Adjective (describes a noun) |
| Above |
לְמַעְלָה (lema’ala) – It’s above |
מֵעַל (me’al) – above the table |
עֶלְיוֹן (elyon) – the upper shelf |
| Below |
לְמַטָּה (lemata) – It’s below |
מִתַּחַת (mitachat) – under the bed |
תַּחְתּוֹן (tachton) – bottom drawer |
| Near / Close |
קָרוֹב (karov) – It’s close |
לְיַד, בְּסָמוּךְ לְ (leyad, besamuch le-) – next to the door |
קָרוֹב – a close friend (חָבֵר קָרוֹב) |
| Far / Distant |
רָחוֹק (rachok) – He lives far |
מֵרָחוֹק (merachok) – from afar |
מְרוּחָק (meruchak) – remote village |