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Relative Clauses

The ש- prefix

ש- means 'that / which / who'

A single prefix introduces a relative clause.

💬 Examples
האיש שמדבר
ha-ish she-medaber
the man who is speaking
📝 ש- = who / that
הספר שקראתי
ha-sefer she-karati
the book that I read
📝 ש- attaches to the next word
אשר is the formal equivalent

In formal or literary Hebrew, אשר replaces ש-.

📊 Relative markers
Marker Register Example
ש- (she-) everyday הספר שקראתי
אשר (asher) formal / literary האיש אשר בא
💬 Examples
האיש אשר בא
ha-ish asher ba
the man who came
📝 אשר = formal 'who'
הדבר אשר אמרתי
ha-davar asher amarti
the thing that I said
📝 Literary register
A resumptive pronoun is often needed

With a preposition, a pronoun refers back to the noun.

💬 Examples
הבית שאני גר בו
ha-bayit she-ani gar bo
the house that I live in
📝 בו = 'in it' refers back
האיש שדיברתי איתו
ha-ish she-dibarti ito
the man I spoke with
📝 איתו = 'with him'