Free lessonLevel A210 min read12 practice words

Connecting Words

The small words that turn short sentences into real speech: and, but, because, so, that, when, in order to, although.

Most Hebrew connectors are a familiar word plus שֶׁ: כְּשֶׁ, אַחֲרֵי שֶׁ, בִּגְלַל שֶׁ, לַמְרוֹת שֶׁ. Get comfortable with שֶׁ and half of this lesson falls into place.

And, but, or: ו, אֲבָל, אוֹthe everyday three

Three small words, most of the work

וְ (and) is a prefix, like בְּ and לְ: it attaches to the next word and never stands alone. It joins words (קָפֶה וְעוּגָה) and whole clauses (גָּר בְּחֵיפָה וְעוֹבֵד בְּתֵל אָבִיב).

אֲבָל (but) introduces a contrast and usually comes after a comma. אוֹ (or) offers a choice, and it is the word in every “this or that?” question: קָפֶה אוֹ תֵּה?

For “and also”, Israelis love וְגַם: אֲנִי מְדַבֵּר עִבְרִית וְגַם רוּסִית.

Everyday sentences

אֲנִי רוֹצֶה קָפֶה וְעוּגָה.

ani rotse kafe ve-uga

I want coffee and cake.

קָפֶה אוֹ תֵּה?

kafe o te?

Coffee or tea?

הַדִּירָה קְטַנָּה, אֲבָל הִיא נֶחְמָדָה.

ha-dira ktana, aval hi nekhmada

The apartment is small, but it's nice.

אֲנִי גָּר בְּחֵיפָה וְעוֹבֵד בְּתֵל אָבִיב.

ani gar be-Kheifa ve-oved be-Tel Aviv

I live in Haifa and work in Tel Aviv.

How ו is pronounced

When you speak, ve- is right almost everywhere. In texts with nikud, on the news and in fixed phrases, ו changes its vowel by a simple rule:

How ו is pronounced
When	Form	Example	Say it
Most words	וְ	אַבָּא וְאִמָּא	aba ve-ima
Before ב, ו, מ, פ	וּ	סְפָרִים וּמַחְבָּרוֹת	sfarim u-makhbarot
Before a shva	וּ	לִי וּלְךָ	li u-lekha
In some fixed pairs	וָ	יוֹם וָלַיְלָה	yom va-layla

Before a hataf vowel ו copies it: וַאֲנִי (va-ani), “and I”. You already met וָ in the Time lesson: שֶׁבַע וָחֵצִי.

What you will actually hear

In casual speech many Israelis say ve- before almost everything, so ve- is safe for you too. Learn to recognise u-: it is the standard form, and you hear it in careful speech, on the radio and in phrases like שָׁלוֹם וּבְרָכָה.

Because and so: reason and result

Two directions

A reason answers לָמָּה? (why?). כִּי and בִּגְלַל שֶׁ (because) introduce it, and a full clause follows. בִּגְלַל on its own means “because of” and takes a noun: בִּגְלַל הַגֶּשֶׁם.

A result goes the other way: first what happened, then the consequence. לָכֵן (therefore) is neutral and good in writing; in conversation Israelis mostly say אָז or בִּגְלַל זֶה (so, that's why).

In formal texts you will also meet מִפְּנֵי שֶׁ, which means exactly what בִּגְלַל שֶׁ means.

One story, six connectors

One story, six connectors
Connector	Meaning	Followed by	Example
כִּי	because	a full clause	לֹא בָּאתִי כִּי הָיִיתִי חוֹלֶה
בִּגְלַל שֶׁ־	because	a full clause	לֹא בָּאתִי בִּגְלַל שֶׁהָיִיתִי חוֹלֶה
בִּגְלַל	because of	a noun	לֹא בָּאתִי בִּגְלַל הַמַּחֲלָה
לָכֵן	therefore, so	a full clause	הָיִיתִי חוֹלֶה, לָכֵן לֹא בָּאתִי
אָז	so (spoken)	a full clause	הָיִיתִי חוֹלֶה, אָז לֹא בָּאתִי
בִּגְלַל זֶה	that's why	a full clause	הָיִיתִי חוֹלֶה, בִּגְלַל זֶה לֹא בָּאתִי

The facts never change: I was sick, I didn't come. Only the direction does. The first three introduce the reason, the last three introduce the result.

In real conversations

לָמָּה לֹא בָּאתָ? — כִּי הָיִיתִי עָסוּק.

lama lo bata? — ki hayiti asuk

Why didn't you come? — Because I was busy.

הָיָה פְּקָק, אָז אִחַרְתִּי.

haya pkak, az ikharti

There was a traffic jam, so I was late.

הוּא גָּר קָרוֹב, לָכֵן הוּא הוֹלֵךְ בָּרֶגֶל.

hu gar karov, lakhen hu holekh ba-regel

He lives close by, so he walks.

הַחֲנוּת הָיְתָה סְגוּרָה, בִּגְלַל זֶה קָנִינוּ בַּשּׁוּק.

ha-khanut hayta sgura, biglal ze kaninu ba-shuk

The shop was closed, that's why we shopped at the market.

Because of me, because of you

With a pronoun, בִּגְלַל fuses into one word, just like the inflected prepositions you already know. Never בִּגְלַל אַתָּה.

בִּגְלָלִיbecause of meבִּגְלָלְךָbecause of you (m.)בִּגְלָלֵךְbecause of you (f.)בִּגְלָלוֹbecause of himבִּגְלָלָהּbecause of her

שֶׁ, the word for “that”never dropped

A sentence inside a sentence

After verbs of thinking, saying, knowing, hoping and feeling, Hebrew opens the next clause with שֶׁ. You saw in the Sentence Structure lesson that it can never be dropped, even where English drops “that”.

שֶׁ is a prefix: it attaches to the next word (שֶׁהוּא, שֶׁזֶּה) and changes nothing else. Unlike בְּ and לְ, it does not swallow the article: שֶׁהַסֶּרֶט keeps its הַ.

In news reports you will see כִּי used for “that”: הוּא אָמַר כִּי… It is correct but formal. In speech, always use שֶׁ.

Phrases that open with שֶׁ

Phrases that open with שֶׁ
Phrase	Meaning
אֲנִי חוֹשֵׁב שֶׁ־	I think that
אֲנִי יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁ־	I know that
הוּא אָמַר שֶׁ־	he said that
שָׁמַעְתִּי שֶׁ־	I heard that
אֲנִי מְקַוֶּה שֶׁ־	I hope that
נִרְאֶה לִי שֶׁ־	I think, it seems to me that (very common)
חֲבָל שֶׁ־	too bad that, it's a pity that
אֲנִי לֹא יוֹדֵעַ אִם	I don't know if: “whether” is אִם, not שֶׁ

Sentences to read aloud

אֲנִי חוֹשֵׁב שֶׁהוּא צוֹדֵק.

ani khoshev she-hu tsodek

I think he's right.

שָׁמַעְתִּי שֶׁהַסֶּרֶט מְעֻלֶּה.

shamati she-ha-seret me’ule

I heard the movie is excellent.

נִרְאֶה לִי שֶׁהַסּוּפֶּר כְּבָר סָגוּר.

nir’e li she-ha-super kvar sagur

I think the supermarket is already closed.

חֲבָל שֶׁלֹּא בָּאתָ!

khaval she-lo bata!

Too bad you didn't come!

אֲנִי לֹא יוֹדֵעַ אִם הוּא בַּבַּיִת.

ani lo yode’a im hu ba-bayit

I don't know if he's home.

No tense shift

English moves reported words into the past: “I'm busy” becomes “she said she was busy”. Hebrew keeps the tense of the original words, so the present stays present:

הִיא אָמְרָה שֶׁהִיא עֲסוּקָה.

hi amra she-hi asuka

She said she was busy (literally: that she is busy).

Quick check

1 of 5

With full nikud, “books and notebooks” is written…

Time clauses: when, before, after, until, while

Add שֶׁ and a preposition becomes a connector

You know לִפְנֵי, אַחֲרֵי and עַד as prepositions: they take a noun directly (אַחֲרֵי הָעֲבוֹדָה). To attach a whole clause with its own verb, add שֶׁ: אַחֲרֵי שֶׁגָּמַרְתִּי לַעֲבֹד.

“When” in a statement is כְּשֶׁ, written as one word with what follows: כְּשֶׁהָיִיתִי יֶלֶד. מָתַי is only for questions, including a question inside a sentence: אֲנִי לֹא יוֹדֵעַ מָתַי הוּא בָּא (I don't know when he's coming).

English uses one word for “when?” and “when…”. Hebrew uses two: מָתַי אַתָּה בָּא? but כְּשֶׁאַתָּה בָּא, …

With a noun or with a clause

With a noun or with a clause
Meaning	+ noun	+ שֶׁ + clause
when	—	כְּשֶׁהָיִיתִי יֶלֶד
before	לִפְנֵי הָאֲרוּחָה	לִפְנֵי שֶׁאָכַלְנוּ
after	אַחֲרֵי הָעֲבוֹדָה	אַחֲרֵי שֶׁגָּמַרְתִּי לַעֲבֹד
until	עַד הָעֶרֶב	עַד שֶׁהוּא הִגִּיעַ
while, during	בִּזְמַן הַשִּׁעוּר	בִּזְמַן שֶׁהוּא מְדַבֵּר

כְּשֶׁ has no noun form. With a noun, “when” or “at” is usually just בְּ: בַּבֹּקֶר (in the morning), בַּחֻפְשָׁה (on vacation).

Sentences to read aloud

כְּשֶׁהָיִיתִי יֶלֶד, גַּרְתִּי בְּחֵיפָה.

kshe-hayiti yeled, garti be-Kheifa

When I was a kid, I lived in Haifa.

אַחֲרֵי שֶׁאָכַלְנוּ, יָצָאנוּ לְטַיֵּל.

akharei she-akhalnu, yatsanu letayel

After we ate, we went out for a walk.

לִפְנֵי שֶׁיָּצָאתִי, סָגַרְתִּי אֶת הַחַלּוֹן.

lifnei she-yatsati, sagarti et ha-khalon

Before I left, I closed the window.

חִכִּינוּ עַד שֶׁהוּא הִגִּיעַ.

khikinu ad she-hu higia

We waited until he arrived.

בִּזְמַן שֶׁהוּא מְבַשֵּׁל, אֲנִי עוֹרֶכֶת אֶת הַשֻּׁלְחָן.

bi-zman she-hu mevashel, ani orekhet et ha-shulkhan

While he cooks, I set the table (a woman speaking).

Talking about the future

For something still ahead, English uses the present (“when I finish”), but Hebrew uses the future on both sides. You will build these forms in the Future Tense lesson; for now, just recognise the pattern:

כְּשֶׁאֶגְמֹר, אֶתְקַשֵּׁר אֵלֶיךָ.

kshe-egmor, etkasher elekha

When I finish, I'll call you.

Purpose: כְּדֵי לְ or כְּדֵי שֶׁone question decides

Who does the second action?

If the same person does both actions, use כְּדֵי + infinitive, as in the Infinitive lesson: I study so that I can speak, כְּדֵי לְדַבֵּר.

If someone else does the second action, use כְּדֵי שֶׁ + a future-tense verb: I speak slowly so that you understand, כְּדֵי שֶׁתָּבִין. For “so as not to”, put לֹא right after כְּדֵי or after שֶׁ.

It is the same logic as אֲנִי רוֹצֶה לָבוֹא (I want to come) against אֲנִי רוֹצֶה שֶׁתָּבוֹא (I want you to come).

Four patterns

Four patterns
Pattern	Use it when	Example
כְּדֵי לְ־	same subject	כְּדֵי לְדַבֵּר
כְּדֵי לֹא לְ־	same subject, “so as not to”	כְּדֵי לֹא לְאַחֵר
כְּדֵי שֶׁ־	different subject	כְּדֵי שֶׁתָּבִין
כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא	different subject, “so that… not”	כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא תִּשְׁכַּח

The verbs after כְּדֵי שֶׁ are in the future tense. Treat them as ready-made chunks for now; the Future Tense lesson shows how they are built.

Same subject or someone else?

Same subject: infinitive

אֲנִי לוֹמֵד עִבְרִית כְּדֵי לְדַבֵּר עִם הַחֲבֵרִים שֶׁלִּי.

ani lomed ivrit kdei ledaber im ha-khaverim sheli

I'm learning Hebrew to talk with my friends.

יָצָאתִי מֻקְדָּם כְּדֵי לֹא לְאַחֵר.

yatsati mukdam kdei lo le’akher

I left early so as not to be late.

Someone else: שֶׁ + future

אֲנִי מְדַבֵּר לְאַט כְּדֵי שֶׁתָּבִין.

ani medaber le’at kdei she-tavin

I speak slowly so that you understand.

הִשְׁאַרְתִּי לְךָ פֶּתֶק כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא תִּשְׁכַּח.

hisharti lekha petek kdei she-lo tishkakh

I left you a note so that you won't forget.

In everyday speech

You will also hear בִּשְׁבִיל instead of כְּדֵי: בִּשְׁבִיל לְדַבֵּר, בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁתָּבִין. Same two patterns, more casual.

Although, actually, also, only, even

Contrast and focus

לַמְרוֹת (despite) says what אֲבָל says, but the obstacle comes first. Before a noun use it alone (לַמְרוֹת הַגֶּשֶׁם); before a clause add שֶׁ (לַמְרוֹת שֶׁהָיִיתִי עָיֵף). The contrast is already in לַמְרוֹת, so the second half needs no אֲבָל.

גַּם (also), רַק (only) and אֲפִלּוּ (even) stand right before the word they focus on. Move them, and the meaning moves with them.

Formal texts use אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁ for “although”; in speech לַמְרוֹת שֶׁ is the usual choice.

Despite, three ways

לַמְרוֹת הַגֶּשֶׁם, יָצָאנוּ לְטַיֵּל.

lamrot ha-geshem, yatsanu letayel

Despite the rain, we went out for a walk.

לַמְרוֹת שֶׁהָיִיתִי עָיֵף, הָלַכְתִּי לַמְּסִבָּה.

lamrot she-hayiti ayef, halakhti la-mesiba

Even though I was tired, I went to the party.

הָיִיתִי עָיֵף, אֲבָל הָלַכְתִּי לַמְּסִבָּה.

hayiti ayef, aval halakhti la-mesiba

I was tired, but I went to the party: the same idea with אֲבָל.

Preview: דַּוְקָא

A very Israeli word with no exact translation. It marks something that goes against expectations (“actually”, “surprisingly”) or singles something out (“of all things”, “of all people”). You will hear it every day; for now, just recognise it.

הַסֶּרֶט דַּוְקָא הָיָה טוֹב.

ha-seret davka haya tov

The movie was actually good (we expected the opposite).

לָמָּה דַּוְקָא אֲנִי?

lama davka ani?

Why me, of all people?

Focus words

Focus words
Word	Meaning	Example
גַּם	also, too	גַּם אֲנִי רוֹצֶה קָפֶה
רַק	only	רַק דָּנִי בָּא
אֲפִלּוּ	even	אֲפִלּוּ הַיְלָדִים הֵבִינוּ

English “too” comes at the end of the sentence. Hebrew גַּם comes before the word it adds to.

Move the word, change the meaning

Where גַּם goes

גַּם אֲנִי רוֹצֶה קָפֶה.

gam ani rotse kafe

I want coffee too (just like you).

אֲנִי רוֹצֶה גַּם עוּגָה.

ani rotse gam uga

I want cake too (not only coffee).

Where רַק goes

רַק דָּנִי בָּא בָּעֶרֶב.

rak Dani ba ba-erev

Only Dani came in the evening (nobody else did).

דָּנִי בָּא רַק בָּעֶרֶב.

Dani ba rak ba-erev

Dani came only in the evening (not earlier).

הוּא לֹא אָמַר אֲפִלּוּ תּוֹדָה.

hu lo amar afilu toda

He didn't even say thank you.

אֲנִי לֹא אוֹהֵב קָפֶה. — גַּם אֲנִי לֹא.

ani lo ohev kafe. — gam ani lo

I don't like coffee. — Me neither.

Quick check

1 of 5

“When I was a child, I lived in Haifa.”

___ יֶלֶד, גַּרְתִּי בְּחֵיפָה.

Common mistakes and summary

Five mistakes worth fixing now

בִּגְלַל הוּא חוֹלֶהבִּגְלַל שֶׁהוּא חוֹלֶה
Before a clause, בִּגְלַל needs שֶׁ. Without שֶׁ it only takes a noun: בִּגְלַל הַגֶּשֶׁם.
מָתַי הָיִיתִי יֶלֶד, גַּרְתִּי בְּחֵיפָהכְּשֶׁהָיִיתִי יֶלֶד, גַּרְתִּי בְּחֵיפָה
מָתַי asks a question. In a statement, “when” is כְּשֶׁ.
אַחֲרֵי אָכַלְנוּ, יָצָאנוּאַחֲרֵי שֶׁאָכַלְנוּ, יָצָאנוּ
אַחֲרֵי, לִפְנֵי and עַד need שֶׁ before a clause with a verb.
לַמְרוֹת שֶׁהָיִיתִי עָיֵף, אֲבָל הָלַכְתִּילַמְרוֹת שֶׁהָיִיתִי עָיֵף, הָלַכְתִּי
לַמְרוֹת already carries the contrast, so don't add אֲבָל. For extra weight, use בְּכָל זֹאת (still).
אֲנִי גַּם!גַּם אֲנִי!
גַּם goes before the word it adds to: “me too” is גַּם אֲנִי.

What to take away

ו attaches to the next word. Say ve-, and recognise וּ (u) before ב, ו, מ, פ and before a shva.
Reason: כִּי or בִּגְלַל שֶׁ + clause, בִּגְלַל + noun. Result: לָכֵן, אָז, בִּגְלַל זֶה.
שֶׁ (that) is never dropped, attaches to the next word and keeps the original tense.
לִפְנֵי, אַחֲרֵי, עַד, בִּזְמַן: a noun directly, or שֶׁ + clause. “When” that links two events is כְּשֶׁ; מָתַי only asks.
Same subject: כְּדֵי + infinitive. Someone else: כְּדֵי שֶׁ + future. גַּם, רַק and אֲפִלּוּ go right before the word they focus on.

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Test yourself: Connecting Words

8 questions from the whole lesson, about 3 min. Score 70% or more and the lesson counts as done.

Tip: answer with the number keys 1–4.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between כִּי and בִּגְלַל?: כִּי means “because” and is followed by a full clause: לֹא בָּאתִי כִּי הָיִיתִי חוֹלֶה. בִּגְלַל means “because of” and takes a noun: בִּגְלַל הַגֶּשֶׁם. To use בִּגְלַל before a clause, add שֶׁ: בִּגְלַל שֶׁהָיִיתִי חוֹלֶה means the same as כִּי.
How do you say “when” in Hebrew: מָתַי or כְּשֶׁ?: Both, for different jobs. מָתַי asks about time, directly (מָתַי אַתָּה בָּא?) or inside a sentence (אֲנִי לֹא יוֹדֵעַ מָתַי הוּא בָּא). כְּשֶׁ links two clauses in a statement and is written together with the next word: כְּשֶׁהָיִיתִי יֶלֶד, גַּרְתִּי בְּחֵיפָה.
When do I use כְּדֵי לְ and when כְּדֵי שֶׁ?: Look at who does the second action. If it is the same person, use כְּדֵי + infinitive: אֲנִי לוֹמֵד כְּדֵי לְדַבֵּר. If it is someone else, use כְּדֵי שֶׁ + future: אֲנִי מְדַבֵּר לְאַט כְּדֵי שֶׁתָּבִין.
Why is ו sometimes pronounced “u” instead of “ve”?: It is the standard rule: ו becomes וּ (u) before ב, ו, מ, פ and before a shva, as in לִי וּלְךָ. In casual speech many Israelis say ve- everywhere, so ve- is safe when you speak; just recognise u- when you read or listen to the news.

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And, but, or: ו, אֲבָל, אוֹ
Because and so: reason and result
שֶׁ, the word for “that” (Free account)
Time clauses: when, before, after, until, while (Free account)
Purpose: כְּדֵי לְ or כְּדֵי שֶׁ (Free account)
Although, actually, also, only, even (Free account)
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Questions

Connecting Words

The small words that turn short sentences into real speech: and, but, because, so, that, when, in order to, although.

When

Form

Example

Say it

Most words

וְ

אַבָּא וְאִמָּא

aba ve-ima

Before ב, ו, מ, פ

וּ

סְפָרִים וּמַחְבָּרוֹת

sfarim u-makhbarot

Before a shva

וּ

לִי וּלְךָ

li u-lekha

In some fixed pairs

וָ

יוֹם וָלַיְלָה

yom va-layla

Connector

Meaning

Followed by

Example

כִּי

because

a full clause

לֹא בָּאתִי כִּי הָיִיתִי חוֹלֶה

בִּגְלַל שֶׁ־

because

a full clause

לֹא בָּאתִי בִּגְלַל שֶׁהָיִיתִי חוֹלֶה

בִּגְלַל

because of

a noun

לֹא בָּאתִי בִּגְלַל הַמַּחֲלָה

לָכֵן

therefore, so

a full clause

הָיִיתִי חוֹלֶה, לָכֵן לֹא בָּאתִי

אָז

so (spoken)

a full clause

הָיִיתִי חוֹלֶה, אָז לֹא בָּאתִי

בִּגְלַל זֶה

that's why

a full clause

הָיִיתִי חוֹלֶה, בִּגְלַל זֶה לֹא בָּאתִי

Phrase

Meaning

אֲנִי חוֹשֵׁב שֶׁ־

I think that

אֲנִי יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁ־

I know that

הוּא אָמַר שֶׁ־

he said that

שָׁמַעְתִּי שֶׁ־

I heard that

אֲנִי מְקַוֶּה שֶׁ־

I hope that

נִרְאֶה לִי שֶׁ־

I think, it seems to me that (very common)

חֲבָל שֶׁ־

too bad that, it's a pity that

אֲנִי לֹא יוֹדֵעַ אִם

I don't know if: “whether” is אִם, not שֶׁ

Meaning

+ noun

+ שֶׁ + clause

when

—

כְּשֶׁהָיִיתִי יֶלֶד

before

לִפְנֵי הָאֲרוּחָה

לִפְנֵי שֶׁאָכַלְנוּ

after

אַחֲרֵי הָעֲבוֹדָה

אַחֲרֵי שֶׁגָּמַרְתִּי לַעֲבֹד

until

עַד הָעֶרֶב

עַד שֶׁהוּא הִגִּיעַ

while, during

בִּזְמַן הַשִּׁעוּר

בִּזְמַן שֶׁהוּא מְדַבֵּר

Pattern

Use it when

Example

כְּדֵי לְ־

same subject

כְּדֵי לְדַבֵּר

כְּדֵי לֹא לְ־

same subject, “so as not to”

כְּדֵי לֹא לְאַחֵר

כְּדֵי שֶׁ־

different subject

כְּדֵי שֶׁתָּבִין

כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא

different subject, “so that… not”

כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא תִּשְׁכַּח

Word

Meaning

Example

גַּם

also, too

גַּם אֲנִי רוֹצֶה קָפֶה

רַק

only

רַק דָּנִי בָּא

אֲפִלּוּ

even

אֲפִלּוּ הַיְלָדִים הֵבִינוּ

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between כִּי and בִּגְלַל?

כִּי means “because” and is followed by a full clause: לֹא בָּאתִי כִּי הָיִיתִי חוֹלֶה. בִּגְלַל means “because of” and takes a noun: בִּגְלַל הַגֶּשֶׁם. To use בִּגְלַל before a clause, add שֶׁ: בִּגְלַל שֶׁהָיִיתִי חוֹלֶה means the same as כִּי.

How do you say “when” in Hebrew: מָתַי or כְּשֶׁ?

Both, for different jobs. מָתַי asks about time, directly (מָתַי אַתָּה בָּא?) or inside a sentence (אֲנִי לֹא יוֹדֵעַ מָתַי הוּא בָּא). כְּשֶׁ links two clauses in a statement and is written together with the next word: כְּשֶׁהָיִיתִי יֶלֶד, גַּרְתִּי בְּחֵיפָה.

When do I use כְּדֵי לְ and when כְּדֵי שֶׁ?

Look at who does the second action. If it is the same person, use כְּדֵי + infinitive: אֲנִי לוֹמֵד כְּדֵי לְדַבֵּר. If it is someone else, use כְּדֵי שֶׁ + future: אֲנִי מְדַבֵּר לְאַט כְּדֵי שֶׁתָּבִין.

Why is ו sometimes pronounced “u” instead of “ve”?

It is the standard rule: ו becomes וּ (u) before ב, ו, מ, פ and before a shva, as in לִי וּלְךָ. In casual speech many Israelis say ve- everywhere, so ve- is safe when you speak; just recognise u- when you read or listen to the news.