# כי
## Aramaic
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /kaj/

### Conjunction

כי • (kay)
* because, for

## Hebrew
### Etymology 1

From Proto-Semitic *kiyā.

#### Adverb

כִּי • (ki)
* (archaic) so, thus
** a. 217 C.E., Mishnah, Shevu'ot 6:7:הַמַּלְוֶה אֶת חֲבֵרוֹ עַל הַמַּשְׁכּוֹן וְאָבַד הַמַּשְׁכּוֹן, אָמַר לוֹ סֶלַע הִלְוִיתִיךָ עָלָיו וְשֶׁקֶל הָיָה שָׁוֶה, וְהַלָּה אוֹמֵר לֹא כִי אֶלָּא סֶלַע הִלְוִיתַנִי עָלָיו וְסֶלַע הָיָה שָׁוֶה, פָּטוּר.One who lends to his friend against collateral and the collateral is gone: [If] 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

* כך
* כן

#### Conjunction

כִּי • (ki, kī)
* 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.
* (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 [it is] forbidden to disturb the tenants' rest between 2 and 4 in the afternoon.
* (archaic) when, as, at the time that
** Tanach, Deuteronomy 20:1, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:כִּי־תֵצֵא לַמִּלְחָמָה עַל־אֹיְבֶךָ וְרָאִיתָ סוּס וָרֶכֶב עַם רַב מִמְּךָ לֹא תִירָא מֵהֶם כִּי־יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ עִמָּךְ הַמַּעַלְךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם׃When thou goest forth to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, thou shalt not be afraid of them; for the LORD thy God is with thee, who brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
* (archaic) rather, but, but rather
** Tanach, Genesis 24:4, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:כִּי אֶל־אַרְצִי וְאֶל־מוֹלַדְתִּי תֵּלֵךְ וְלָקַחְתָּ אִשָּׁה לִבְנִי לְיִצְחָק׃But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son, even for Isaac.

##### Synonyms

* (because): בִּגְלַל שֶׁ־ (biglál she-), משום ש־ (mishúm she-), מִפְּנֵי שֶׁ־ (mip'né she-)
* (that): שֶׁ־ (she-)
* (when): כַּאֲשֶׁר (ka'ashér)
* (rather): אלא (éla), אֲבָל (avál)

### Etymology 2

From Ancient Greek χεῖ (kheî).

#### Noun

כִי • (khi, ḵī) f
* 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
* cauterization, branding
** Tanach, Isaiah 3:24, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:וְהָיָה תַחַת בֹּשֶׂם מַק יִהְיֶה וְתַחַת חֲגוֹרָה נִקְפָּה וְתַחַת מַעֲשֶׂה מִקְשֶׁה קׇרְחָה וְתַחַת פְּתִיגִיל מַחֲגֹרֶת שָׂק כִּי תַחַת יֹפִי.və-hayá táḥat bósem máq yihyé, və-táḥat ḥagorá niqpá, və-táḥat ma'asé miqshé qorḥá, və-táḥat pətigíl makhagóret sáq, kí 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
* (hapax, dubious interpretation) vulture
** Tanach, Job 39:27:אִם־עַל־פִּ֭יךָ יַגְבִּ֣יהַּ נָ֑שֶׁר וְ֝כִ֗י יָרִ֥ים קִנֹּֽוIs 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

* כ (k)

### Etymology

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

### Determiner

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