Prepositions

Prepositions are words prefixed to verbs and nouns to indicate their relationship to other parts of the sentence.

The inseparable prepositions:

בְּ in, by, with
כְּ as, like, according to
לְ to, for, at
These prepositions are always written as prefixes.

Rules for Punctuating the Prepositions

Shewa

Shewa ( ְ  ) is the standard form:
בְּשֵׁם in a name, כְּדָבָר according to a word, לְקוֹל to a voice.

A hirek

A hirek ( ִ  ) before a simple shewa:
בִּבְרִית by a covenant, כִבְהֵמָה like cattle, לִפְרִי to fruit.

Before a compound shewa

A pathah ( ַ  ), seghol ( ֶ  ), or kamets ( ָ  ) before a compound shewa.
It takes the short vowel of the class of the compound shewa. כַּֽאֲשֶׁר according as.

Before the article

A pathah ( ַ  ), seghol ( ֶ  ) , or kamets ( ָ  ) before the article.
The ה of the article is rejected and the consonant of the preposition is substituted. בַּיּוֹם for בְּהַיּוֹם, in the day; כָּרֹאשׁ for כְּהָרֹאשׁ, like the head; לֶחָג for לְהֶחָג to the festival.

Notes

Preposition

The preposition will take a shewa unless the word to which it is prefixed begins with a shewa or a definite article.

When two vocal shewas appear consecutively

When two vocal shewas appear consecutively, the first shewa is pressed into the full short vowel.
If they are both simple vocal shewas, the first shewa becomes a hirek. לִפְרִי, כִּבְרִית
If the second shewa is a compound shewa, the first shewa will be pressed into the shortest full vowel of the same class as the compound shewa. בָּֽחֳלִי, לֶאֱלֹהִים, כַּאֲשֶׁר.

When the preposition is prefixed to a word with an article

When the preposition is prefixed to a word with an article, the consonant of the preposition is placed instead of the ה of the article.
Instead of בְּהַיּוֹם there is בַּיּוֹם. Instead of לְהַקּוֹל there is לַקּוֹל.

Sometimes, the preposition may receive kamets

Sometimes, the preposition may receive kamets ( ָ  ) before the tone syllable. This is usually true before an “a” sound in a monosyllabic word. לָעַד to an age.

The Preposition מִן from

It is usually pointed as follows:

Before nouns without the article

מִ ּ Mem, plus hirek, plus daghesh forte in the following consonant, before nouns that do not have the article. מִקּוֹל from a voice.

before nouns with the article

מִן־ before a noun with the article. מִן־הַקּוֹל from the voice.

Notes

When מִן is prefixed to a word beginning with a ה or ח

When מִן is prefixed to a word beginning with a ה or ח, it is written מִ as מִחוּץ, and the ה or ח double by implication.

When מִן is prefixed to a word beginning with ע א or ר

When מִן is prefixed to a word beginning with ע ,א, or ר it is written מֵ since the guttural rejects the doubling, the hirek is heightened to a tsere. מֵאוֹר from light.

When מִן is prefixed to a word that has an article

When מִן is prefixed to a word that has an article, it is written מֵ, and the article retains its form based upon the rules for the articles.