Numerals
Numerals in Hebrew play a crucial role in everyday life and are widely used in speech, writing, telling time, dates, addresses, and prices. A distinctive feature of Hebrew numerals is their agreement with gender, as well as the difference between cardinal and ordinal numbers.
Cardinal Numbers
Cardinal numbers (מִסְפָּרִים אֲרוּכִים) indicate quantity and have two forms: masculine and feminine. The correct form depends on the gender of the noun being counted.
Numbers 1–10
Cardinal numbers from 1 to 10 have different forms for masculine and feminine nouns:
| Number | Masculine | Feminine |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | אחד (echad) | אחת (achat) |
| 2 | שניים (shnaim) | שתיים (shtaim) |
| 3 | שלושה (shlosha) | שלוש (shalosh) |
| 4 | ארבעה (arba'a) | ארבע (arba) |
| 5 | חמישה (chamisha) | חמש (chamesh) |
| 6 | שישה (shisha) | שש (shesh) |
| 7 | שבעה (shiv'a) | שבע (sheva) |
| 8 | שמונה (shmona) | שמונה (shmone) |
| 9 | תשעה (tish'a) | תשע (tesha) |
| 10 | עשרה (asara) | עשר (eser) |
Examples:
| Hebrew | Transliteration | English | Gender |
|---|---|---|---|
| שלושה ספרים | shlosha sfarim | Three books | Masculine |
| ארבע תלמידות | arba talmidot | Four female students | Feminine |
For the number 2, special forms שני (shnei) in masculine and שתי (shtei) in feminine are used before a noun:
| Hebrew | Transliteration | English |
|---|---|---|
| שני שולחנות | shnei shulchanot | Two tables |
| שתי כוסות | shtei kosot | Two cups |
Numbers 11–100
Numbers from 11 to 19 follow a specific pattern, combining the numeral with the word עשר (asar) for masculine or עשרה (esre) for feminine.
| Number | Masculine | Feminine |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | אחד עשר (echad asar) | אחת עשרה (achat esre) |
| 12 | שנים עשר (shnaim asar) | שתים עשרה (shtaim esre) |
| 13 | שלושה עשר (shlosha asar) | שלוש עשרה (shalosh esre) |
| 14 | ארבעה עשר (arba'a asar) | ארבע עשרה (arba esre) |
| 15 | חמישה עשר (chamisha asar) | חמש עשרה (chamesh esre) |
Numbers from 20 and above do not change according to gender:
| Number | Hebrew | Transliteration | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | עשרים | esrim | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 30 | שלושים | shloshim | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 40 | ארבעים | arba'im | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 50 | חמישים | chamishim | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 100 | מאה | me'a |
| Hebrew | Transliteration | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| יש לי חמישים שקלים | Yesh li chamishim shkalim | I have 50 shekels. |
| אני גר בקומה שלושים | Ani gar b'koma shloshim | I live on the 30th floor. |
Hundreds and Thousands
Larger numbers are formed as follows:
| Number | Hebrew | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| 200 | מאתיים | mataim |
| 300 | שלוש מאות | shalosh me'ot |
| 1,000 | אלף | elef |
| 2,000 | אלפיים | alpayim |
Example: הוא שילם שלוש מאות שקלים. (Hu shilem shalosh me'ot shkalim) – "He paid 300 shekels."
Ordinal Numbers
Ordinal numbers (מִסְפָּרִים סִדּוּרִיִּים) indicate the order of objects or events. They also change according to gender.
| Number | Masculine | Feminine |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | ראשון (rishon) | ראשונה (rishona) |
| 2nd | שני (sheni) | שנייה (shniya) |
| 3rd | שלישי (shlishi) | שלישית (shlishit) |
| 4th | רביעי (revii) | רביעית (revi'it) |
| 5th | חמישי (chamishi) | חמישית (chamishit) |
Examples:
| Hebrew | Transliteration | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| השיעור הראשון היום מעניין | Ha-shiur ha-rishon hayom me'aneh | The first lesson today is interesting. |
| זו הפעם השנייה שאני כאן | Zo ha-pa'am ha-shniya she-ani kan | This is the second time I am here. |
For numbers beyond 10, ordinal numerals are formed by adding the definite article ה(ha-) before the cardinal number:
| Hebrew | Transliteration | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| השיעור העשרים | Ha-shiur ha-esrim | The twentieth lesson. |
| המקום השלושים | Ha-makom ha-shloshim | The thirtieth place. |
Gender Differences in Numerals
Main Rules:
- Numbers from 1 to 10 have distinct masculine and feminine forms.
- Numbers from 11 to 19 maintain gender distinction.
- Numbers 20 and above are gender-neutral.
- For the number 2, the forms שני (shnei) and שתי (shtei) are used before a noun.
Examples:
| Hebrew | Transliteration | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| שתי בנות | shtei banot | Two daughters. |
| שני בנים | shnei banim | Two sons. |
Errors in numeral agreement are common among Hebrew learners, so it is essential to memorize these rules.
Conclusion
Hebrew numerals have unique characteristics that must be considered in speech. The gender distinction, agreement rules, and ordinal numeral structure may seem complex initially, but with regular practice, they become easy to remember and confidently use in both spoken and written Hebrew.
Practise this in the app. In Shoresh every textbook topic comes with trainers: verb conjugation, tenses, binyanim, the imperative and choosing the right word in a sentence.
