כי

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See also: כ״י and Appendix:Variations of "ki"

Aramaic

Pronunciation

Conjunction

כי • (kay)

  1. because, for

Hebrew

Etymology 1

From Proto-Semitic *kiyā.

Adverb

כִּי • (ki)

  1. (archaic) so, thus
    • Mishna, שבועות, ‎6:7:
      המלוה את חברו על המשכון ואבד המשכון אמר לו סלע הלויתיך עליו ושקל היה שוה והלה אומר לא כי אלא סלע הלויתני עליו וסלע היה שוה […]
      One who lends to his friend against collateral and the collateral is gone: he told him "I lent you a sela against it, and it was worth a shekel" and the other says "not so; rather, you lent me a sela against it and it was worth a sela"
Synonyms

Conjunction

כִּי • (ki, kī)

  1. because, for, since
    הלכתי למכולת לקנות שקית חלב כי אמי ביקשה ממני.
    halákhti lamakólet liknót sakít khaláv kí 'imí bik'shá miméni.
    I went to the grocery store to buy a bag of milk because my mother asked me to.
    השמש נמצאת עכשיו במזרח, כי זוהי שעת זריחתה.
    hashémesh nimtsét akhsháv bamizrákh, kí zóhi sh'át z'rikhatáh.
    The sun is in the east now, for this is the hour of its rising.
  2. (dated or formal) that; used to introduce declarative content clauses
    המורה הודיעה כי מחר יתקיים יום ספורט בית־ספרי.
    hamorá hodí'a ki makhár yitkayém yóm spórt bet-sifrí.
    The teacher announced that tomorrow will be a school sports day.
    על השלט נכתב כי אסור להפריע את מנוחת הדיירים בין 2 ל־4 בצהריים.
    al hashélet nikhtáv kí asúr l'hafría' 'et m'nukhát hadayarím ben 2 l'-4 batsohoráyim.
    The sign says (literally On the sign is written) that forbidden to disturb the tenants' rest between 2 and 4 in the afternoon.
  3. (archaic) when, as, at the time that
  4. (archaic) rather, but, but rather
Synonyms

Etymology 2

From Ancient Greek χεῖ (kheî).

Noun

כִי • (khi, ḵī) f

  1. chi (the twenty-second letter of the Classical and Modern Greek alphabets)
    • a. 500 C.E., Babylonian Talmud, Horayot 12a:
      כֵּיצַד מוֹשְׁחִין אֶת הַמְּלָכִים? כְּמִין נֵזֶר. וְאֶת הַכֹּהֲנִים? כְּמִין כִּי. מַאי כְּמִין כִּי? אָמַר רַב מְנַשְּׁיָא בַּר גַּדָּא, כְּמִין כַּף יְוָנִי.
      ketsád moshkhín et ham'lakhím? k'min nézer. v'et hakohaním? k'min ki. may k'min ki? amár rav m'nashy bar gada, k'min kaf y'vaní.
      In what way are kings anointed? Like a crown. And priests? Like a chi. What does "like a chi" mean? Says Rav Menashya bar Gadda, like the Greek version of kaph.

Etymology 3

Cognate to Arabic كَيّ (kayy).

Noun

כִּי • (ki, kī) m

  1. cauterization, branding
    • Tanach, Isaiah 3:24, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:
      וְהָיָה תַחַת בֹּשֶׂם מַק יִהְיֶה וְתַחַת חֲגוֹרָה נִקְפָּה וְתַחַת מַעֲשֶׂה מִקְשֶׁה קָרְחָה וְתַחַת פְּתִיגִיל מַחֲגֹרֶת שָׂק כִּי תַחַת יֹפִי
      Və–hayah táḥat bósem maq yihyeh, və-táḥat ḥagorah niqpah, və-táḥat ma’aseh miqsheh qorḥah, və-táḥat pətigil makhagóreth saq, ki táḥat yófi.
      And it shall come to pass, that Instead of sweet spices there shall be rottenness; And instead of a girdle rags; And instead of curled hair baldness; And instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth; Branding instead of beauty.

Etymology 4

Compared with Arabic كُي (kuy, “ibis, pelican”).

Noun

כִּי • (ki, kī) m

  1. (hapax, dubious interpretation) vulture
    • Tanach, Job 39:27:
      אִם־עַל־פִּ֭יךָ יַגְבִּ֣יהַּ נָ֑שֶׁר וְ֝כִ֗י יָרִ֥ים קִנֹּֽו
      Is it upon your behest that the eagle and the vulture soars and makes his nest high? Or as with the particle above: Is it upon your behest that the eagle soars, and yea, makes his nest high?

Further reading

  • Schoors, Anton (1981) “The Particle כי”, in Remembering All the Way … – A Collection of Old Testament Studies Published on the Occasion of the Fortieth Anniversary of the Oudtestamentisch Werkgezelschap in Nederland, Leiden: Brill, pages 240–276
  • כי on the Hebrew Wikipedia.Wikipedia he

Mozarabic

Alternative forms

Etymology

Inherited from Latin quid. Compare Portuguese que and Spanish qué.

Determiner

כי (ky)

  1. what
    • c. 1100, Kharja H16, section 1:
      כי פראיו או כי שיראד דמיבי
      ky frʔyw ʔw ky šyrʔd dmyby
      What shall I do, what will become of me?
      (literally, “What shall I do or what will be of me?”)
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