Is It Okay to Say ביחד and בחינם?

People often ask us: what's correct—יחד or ביחד, חינם or בחינם? The answer is: both! All of these forms are valid and documented in classical sources.

Here’s how it works:

One common way to form adverbs in Hebrew is by adding the preposition ב־ (known as ב׳ היחס) to abstract nouns. Examples include: בנחת, בשמחה, בשגגה, בכוונה, במהירות, בקלות, בדיוק, בשקט, בהצלחה, ברצינות. This same pattern also appears with adjectives: בטוב, בנעימים, בקצרה, בגלוי, במפורש, and others.

But can we add ב־ to a word that’s already functioning as an adverb? Wouldn’t that be redundant?

Surprisingly, biblical and rabbinic sources show us that yes—we can, and we have.

In the Bible, alongside the many instances of the adverb מהֵרָה, we also find במהֵרָה (once, in Kohelet 4:12). Similarly, alongside the frequent פתאֹם, there is also בפתאֹם (once, in Divrei HaYamim II 29:36). We also find במאֹד מאֹד next to מאֹד מאֹד.

In Rabbinic literature, you’ll find בוודאי alongside ודאי, בעל פה alongside על פה, בעל כורחו alongside על כורחו, and even בכאן next to כאן.

And what about ביחד and בחינם?

In the Bible, only the simpler forms—יחד and חינם—appear. But the versions with the ב־ prefix, ביחד and בחינם, show up later in Rabbinic literature. ביחד appears in later sources, like Sefer HaRazim, and בחינם appears earlier, including in both the Yerushalmi and the Bavli. For example:

• "ואל תערבם ביחד אלה עם אלה" (Sefer HaRazim)

• "מצוה מן התורה לפרֹק בחינם ולא לטעון בחינם אלא בשכר" (Bavli Bava Metzia 32a)

Of course, that doesn’t mean you can throw a ב־ in front of every adverb. But the fact that these specific forms appear in our ancient sources is enough to legitimize their use in modern Hebrew.

So yes—it's totally fine to say ביחד and בחינם today.