Hebrew grammar

Author: Xu Xiangqun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: This book is a Hebrew grammar written in Chinese. As the "language of the Bible," Hebrew is undoubtedly ancient, yet it is also young. Its "resurrection" after 1,600 years of "hibernation" is a miracle in the history of human languages. Similarly, the research of Mr. Xu Xiangqun is quite legendary, and his overall grasp and accurate description of Hebrew grammar have been recognized by Israeli scholars. He (referring to Mr. Xu Xiangqun) devoted much effort to this work, demonstrating a solid style and extensive knowledge. He compiled this book with immense knowledge. From any teacher's perspective, this is a comprehensive and detailed reference book prepared for all teachers planning to teach Hebrew in China. — Ben Tzion, Chairman of the Hebrew Language Committee
The publication of Hebrew Grammar in China is an extraordinary event worth celebrating. This book presents the development trajectory of Hebrew to Chinese readers in a highly professional manner, yet it is also unmatched in its simplicity and accuracy. — Dr. Li Xihui Arif-Roel, Director of East Asian Studies, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The publication of Hebrew Grammar in China is an extraordinary event worth celebrating. This book is thorough and rich in knowledge. The author reveals the mysteries of the Hebrew language in different historical periods—with a genuine understanding of Hebrew—throughout the Bible, Mishnaic Hebrew, Talmudic Hebrew, and modern Hebrew, which has taken shape in Israel since the late 19th century, to Chinese readers, showcasing the development trajectory of Hebrew. This book is highly professional yet unmatched in its simplicity and precision. Professor Xu Xiangqun, the author of this book, is among the leading Chinese scholars studying in Israel. Years of research in Hebrew have not only given him a broad and profound perspective on linguistic studies but also deep insights into contemporary Israeli society, culture, and politics—in short, all aspects of Israel. This book clearly and accurately presents all aspects of Hebrew. The author emphasizes the patterns of Hebrew word changes (morphology)—verbs, nouns, adjectives, adverbs, etc.—not only introducing the rules of various word forms and stems but also highlighting irregular changes that require special attention. Next, the author introduces the syntax of modern Hebrew sentences, their structure and types. The book explains the rules of modern Hebrew grammar with vivid and unambiguous examples from Israeli newspapers and literature. This concise and modern book guides readers to see the connection between the spoken expression of Hebrew and the way real-world languages are classified and summarized. In this comprehensive book, the features of Hebrew are fully revealed—it is completely different from Chinese and also distinct from English, French, German, and other languages. Readers will find that many grammatical phenomena in Hebrew do not exist in Chinese (e.g., nouns in Hebrew have gender and number, while verbs, in addition to gender and number, also have tense); similarly, some differences in word meaning in Chinese are substantial and very clear to Chinese people (e.g., expressing seniority and juniority among family members with different nouns, such as "older brother" and "younger brother"), which do not exist in Hebrew. Every language reflects the way of thinking of the people who use it in real life. Therefore, it is not difficult to understand: Hebrew Grammar not only provides a detailed and accurate introduction to the Hebrew language but also reflects the author's contemplation and understanding of the worldview of Hebrew speakers, thereby presenting a new understanding of Israel.