5.4 Identify the Vav Conjunction

The Vav conjunction is usually וְ prefixed to a word

• You will see וּ before במפ - remember “BuMP”- this is the ONLY time a vowel will ever begin a syllable
  • The ב and פ will lose their Dagesh Lene
  • It’s בֵּן, (between), but it’s וּבֵן (and between)
  • The conjunction will also be וּ before a consonant that has a Sheva
• You may see וָ before some accented syllables (remember the Vowel-Syllable preferences)
• Since Vav takes a Vocal Sheva, the Rule of Sheva applies when וְ is prefixed to a word beginning with a reduced vowel (Vocal Sheva or Hateph vowel)

How to tell the difference between the conjunction and words that start with ו?

• A Vav or Shureq as the first letter of a word is ALMOST ALWAYS the conjunction Vav.

• Only 10 words start with Vav, and only two occur more than once
  • וָו means “hook,” and וָוִים means "hooks - occurs 13 times in Exodus 26-38, talking about the hooks for the Tabernacle
  • וַשְׁתִּי - Queen Vashti - it appears only in the book of Esther