חֵ֥י
𐤇𐤉
chay
As
Living, alive; that which possesses life, animate as opposed to inanimate. Used adjectivally to describe living beings—human, animal, plant—or living conditions. As a substantive (noun), designates life itself, a living being or creature, those who are alive, or vitality. By extension, can denote raw, fresh, vigorous, or lively aspects (as in raw meat, fresh plants, or flowing water).
hī "alive" (Kikuyu) · hai "alive, living" (Swahili)1 Samuel 1:26 · Word #4
Lexicon H2416
| Lemma | חַי |
| Lemma (Paleo) | 𐤇𐤉 |
| Transliteration | chay |
| Strong's | H2416 |
| Definition | Living, alive; that which possesses life, animate as opposed to inanimate. Used adjectivally to describe living beings—human, animal, plant—or living conditions. As a substantive (noun), designates life itself, a living being or creature, those who are alive, or vitality. By extension, can denote raw, fresh, vigorous, or lively aspects (as in raw meat, fresh plants, or flowing water). |
Morphology HAamsa
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | A — Adjective — Describes a noun |
| Subtype | a — Adjective — Adjective |
| Gender | m — Masculine — Masculine |
| Number | s — Singular — Singular |
| State | a — Absolute — The noun stands independently |
Common Translation
| Phrase | As |
SIBI-P1 Translation H2416-31
living
| Morphological Notes | Adjective, masculine singular, absolute state. |
| Rendering Rationale | The masculine singular absolute adjective from חיה denotes that which possesses life. "Living" preserves the adjectival force and directly reflects the root meaning of being alive. |
View full lexicon entry for H2416 →
SILEX v2
SIBI-P2 (Context-Aware)
as lives
| Same as P1 | No — adjusted for context |
| Rationale | The phrase חֵי in oath formulae usually means 'as lives' (i.e., 'as surely as lives'), not simply 'living.' Adjusted for idiomatic usage. |
Bantu Hebrew
חֵ֥י (chay) — Living, alive; that which possesses life, animate as opposed to inanimate. Used adjectivally to describe living beings—human, animal, plant—or living conditions. As a substantive (noun), designates life itself, a living being or creature, those who are alive, or vitality. By extension, can denote raw, fresh, vigorous, or lively aspects (as in raw meat, fresh plants, or flowing water).