Interrogatives מִלּוֹת שְׁאֵלָה milot she’elah

mah — what

לִרְאוֹת מַה־יִּקְרָא־לוֹ “to see what he would call it.” It is the only question word in Genesis 1–2. מַה is joined by a maqqef, and the next letter י takes a dot (יִּקְרָא). It is an indirect question, “(to see) what he would call it.”

YLVAnd YHWH God formed out of the ground (adamah) every living thing (chai) of the field and every bird of the heavens, and brought it to Adam to see what he would call it; and whatever Adam called it, the living soul (nephesh), that was its name.

hamin — (have you eaten) from …?

The question הֲ + the preposition מִן (from). הֲמִן־הָעֵץ … אָכָלְתָּ “have you eaten from the tree …?” — a yes/no question. הֲ attaches to the first word of the sentence, with the short vowel ḥatef pataḥ ֲ (a).

YLVAnd he said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree which I commanded (tzivvah) you not to eat of it?"

hashomer — (am I) a keeper?

The question הֲ + the participle שֹׁמֵר (keeper). הֲשֹׁמֵר אָחִי אָנֹכִי “am I my brother’s keeper?” הֲ is put before the verbless clause “keeper — my brother — I.” The שׁ after הֲ has no dot — unlike after the article הַ.

YLVAnd YHWH said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" And he said, "I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?"

hatelkhi — will you go?

The question הֲ + the imperfect תֵלְכִי (you f will go). הֲתֵלְכִי עִם־הָאִישׁ הַזֶּה “will you go with this man?” Rebekah answers with one word, אֵלֵךְ “I will go” — repeating the verb is the Hebrew “yes.”

YLVAnd they called Rebekah, and said to her, "Will you go with this man (ish)?" And she said, "I will go."

hashalom — is there peace?

The question הֲ + the noun שָׁלוֹם (peace). הֲשָׁלוֹם לוֹ “is there peace to him?” The answer is שָׁלוֹם “peace.” הֲ can be attached even to a single noun.

YLVAnd he said to them, "Is there peace to him?" And they said, "Peace; and behold, Rachel his daughter is coming with the sheep."

halo — is it not …?

The question הֲ + the negative לוֹא (not). הֲלוֹא אִם־תֵּיטִיב שְׂאֵת “is it not, if you do well, a lifting up?” “Is it not …?” expects the answer “yes.” הֲלֹא · הֲלוֹא occur 13 times in Genesis (counted in OSHB).

YLVIs it not, if you do well, a lifting up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and to you is its desire, but you shall rule over it."

ha’attah — are you …?

The question ה + the pronoun אַתָּה (you). הַאַתָּה זֶה בְּנִי עֵשָׂו אִם־לֹא “are you really my son Esau, or not?” Because the next letter א is a guttural with ַ, הֲ becomes הַ. אִם־לֹא (or not) makes an either-or question.

YLVAnd Isaac said to Jacob, "Come near please, that I may feel you, my son, whether you are this my son Esau or not."

hayda‘tem — do you know?

The question ה + the perfect יְדַעְתֶּם (you know). The next letter י has a sheva, and two shevas cannot stand in a row, so הֲ becomes הַ. It looks like הַ, but י has no dot, so it is not the article. The answer יָדָעְנוּ “we know” again repeats the verb.

YLVAnd he said to them, "Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?" And they said, "We know him."

hehashev — shall I indeed bring back?

The question ה + the Hiphil infinitive absolute הָשֵׁב. הֶהָשֵׁב אָשִׁיב אֶת־בִּנְךָ “shall I indeed bring your son back?” The next letter is the guttural ה with ָ, so the question ה becomes הֶ. The infinitive absolute before a verb of the same root adds “indeed.”

YLVAnd the servant said to him, "Perhaps the woman (ishah) will not be willing to go after me to this land; shall I indeed bring your son back to the land from which you came out?"

mi — who

מִי הִגִּיד לְךָ “who told you?” מִי asks about persons (“who”). It does not change for gender or number and stands first in the sentence.

YLVAnd he said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree which I commanded (tzivvah) you not to eat of it?"

mi — whose (daughter)

בַּת־מִי אַתְּ “whose daughter are you?” After the construct בַּת (daughter of), מִי means “whose” — a question word can follow a construct like a noun. The verse also has הֲיֵשׁ “is there …?”

YLVand said, "Whose daughter are you? Tell me, I pray. Is there at your father's house a place for us to lodge?"

mah — what

מַה־זֹּאת עָשִׂית “what is this you have done?” מַה + maqqef, and the next ז has a dot. Before ordinary letters מָה becomes מַה and doubles the next letter (see “Why” below).

YLVAnd YHWH God said to the woman (ishah), "What is this you have done?" And the woman (ishah) said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."

meh — what

מֶה עָשִׂיתָ “what have you done?” The next word begins with the guttural ע with ָ, so מָה becomes מֶה. Same meaning as מַה־זֹּאת עָשִׂית in 3:13; only the vowel differs.

YLVAnd he said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying out to me from the ground (adamah).

mah — what (did you see)

מָה רָאִיתָ “what did you see …?” The next word begins with ר, which cannot take the doubling dot, so it stays the long מָה.

YLVAnd Abimelech said to Abraham, "What did you see, that you have done this thing?"

ayyekkah — where are you?

“Where” אַי + the 2ms suffix כָּה (you). וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ אַיֶּכָּה “and he said to him, Where are you?” One word is a whole sentence — a rare question word with a suffix.

YLVAnd YHWH God called to Adam and said to him, "Where are you?"

ey — where (is)

אֵי הֶבֶל אָחִיךָ “where is Abel your brother?” The short “where” אֵי + a noun, with no verb. It also combines with other words, as אֵי־מִזֶּה “from where” (16:8).

YLVAnd YHWH said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" And he said, "I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?"

ayyeh — where (is)

אַיֵּה שָׂרָה אִשְׁתֶּךָ “where is Sarah your wife?” אַיֵּה is the long form of אֵי. The answer הִנֵּה בָאֹהֶל “behold, in the tent” has no verb either.

YLVAnd they said to him, "Where is Sarah your wife (ishah)?" And he said, "Behold, in the tent."

me’ayin — from where

The short form מֵ of מִן (from) + אַיִן (where). מֵאַיִן אַתֶּם “where are you from?” The answer מֵחָרָן אֲנָחְנוּ “we are from Haran” has the same מֵ, so question and answer match.

YLVAnd Jacob said to them, "My brothers, where are you from?" And they said, "We are from Haran."

ve’anah — and where (to)

וְ (and) + אָנָה (whither). אֵי־מִזֶּה בָאת וְאָנָה תֵלֵכִי “from where have you come, and where are you going?” אֵי־מִזֶּה asks “from where,” אָנָה “to where.”

YLVAnd he said, "Hagar, handmaid of Sarai, from where have you come, and where are you going?" And she said, "I am fleeing from the face of Sarai my mistress."

lammah — why

The preposition לְ (for) + מָה (what) = “for what.” לָמָּה חָרָה לָךְ “why has it burned to you?” As the two words fuse into one, מ is doubled and takes a dot — the same doubling seen after מַה. The verse has וְלָמָּה again.

YLVAnd YHWH said to Cain, "Why has it burned to you, and why has your face fallen?

maddua‘ — why

מַדּוּעַ בָּאתֶם אֵלָי “why have you come to me?” Like לָמָּה it asks “why.” Grammars explain it as coming from מָה (what) + יָדוּעַ (known): “what is known (that …).”

YLVAnd Isaac said to them, "Why have you come to me, seeing you hate me and have sent me away from you?"

matay — when

וְעַתָּה מָתַי אֶעֱשֶׂה גַם־אָנֹכִי לְבֵיתִי “and now, when shall I also provide for my own house?” מָתַי asks about time. It occurs only here in Genesis (counted in OSHB).

YLVFor it was little that you had before me, and it has burst forth into abundance; and YHWH has blessed you at my foot; and now, when shall I also provide for my own house?"

eykh — how

כִּי־אֵיךְ אֶעֱלֶה אֶל־אָבִי “for how shall I go up to my father?” אֵיךְ asks “how,” but often, as here, means “how could I?” (I cannot).

YLVFor how shall I go up to my father if the lad is not with me? — lest I look upon the evil that would find my father."