Nouns and adjectives · 45/60
Gender and number of nouns
Endings, exceptions, the dual
The rule is simple: masculine nouns take ־ִים in the plural, feminine nouns take ־וֹת. The exceptions have to be memorised, and they are what hangs on the ulpan wall.
| Type | Singular | Plural | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| m., no ending | סֵפֶרsefer | סְפָרִיםsfarim | book |
| m., no ending | שִׁעוּרshi'ur | שִׁעוּרִיםshi'urim | lesson |
| f. in ־ָה | יַלְדָּהyalda | יְלָדוֹתyeladot | girl |
| f. in ־ֶת | מַחְבֶּרֶתmachberet | מַחְבָּרוֹתmachbarot | notebook |
| f. in ־ִית | מְכוֹנִיתmechonit | מְכוֹנִיּוֹתmechoniyot | car |
| f. in ־וּת | חֲנוּתchanut | חֲנֻיּוֹתchanuyot | shop |
| Singular | Plural | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| שֻׁלְחָןshulchan | שֻׁלְחָנוֹתshulchanot | table |
| מָקוֹםmakom | מְקוֹמוֹתmekomot | place |
| חַלּוֹןchalon | חַלּוֹנוֹתchalonot | window |
| רְחוֹבrechov | רְחוֹבוֹתrechovot | street |
| לַיְלָהlaila | לֵילוֹתleilot | night |
| קִירkir | קִירוֹתkirot | wall |
| אָבav | אָבוֹתavot | father |
| שֵׁםshem | שֵׁמוֹתshemot | name |
| כִּסֵּאkise | כִּסְּאוֹתkis'ot | chair |
| אָרוֹןaron | אֲרוֹנוֹתaronot | cupboard |
| חֶשְׁבּוֹןcheshbon | חֶשְׁבּוֹנוֹתcheshbonot | bill, account |
| חֲלוֹםchalom | חֲלוֹמוֹתchalomot | dream |
The gender stays masculine: שֻׁלְחָנוֹת גְּדוֹלִים — big tables.
| Singular | Plural | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| מִלָּהmila | מִלִּיםmilim | word |
| שָׁנָהshana | שָׁנִיםshanim | year |
| עִירir | עָרִיםarim | city |
| אִשָּׁהisha | נָשִׁיםnashim | woman |
| בֵּיצָהbeitsa | בֵּיצִיםbeitsim | egg |
| פַּעַםpa'am | פְּעָמִיםpe'amim | time (occurrence) |
| דֶּרֶךְderech | דְּרָכִיםdrachim | road, way |
| אֶבֶןeven | אֲבָנִיםavanim | stone |
| צִפּוֹרtsipor | צִפֳּרִיםtsiporim | bird |
| יוֹנָהyona | יוֹנִיםyonim | dove, pigeon |
The gender stays feminine: נָשִׁים יָפוֹת — beautiful women, שָׁלוֹשׁ שָׁנִים — three years (feminine numeral).
| Singular | Plural | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| יָדyad | יָדַיִםyadayim | hand |
| רֶגֶלregel | רַגְלַיִםraglayim | leg, foot |
| עַיִןayin | עֵינַיִםeinayim | eye |
| אֹזֶןozen | אָזְנַיִםoznayim | ear |
| שֵׁןshen | שִׁנַּיִםshinayim | tooth |
| נַעַלna'al | נַעֲלַיִםna'alayim | shoe |
| גֶּרֶבgerev | גַּרְבַּיִםgarbayim | sock |
| —|— | מִשְׁקָפַיִםmishkafayim | glasses |
| —|— | מִכְנָסַיִםmichnasayim | trousers |
| —|— | מִסְפָּרַיִםmisparayim | scissors |
| שָׁעָהsha'a | שְׁעָתַיִםsha'atayim | hour → two hours |
| יוֹםyom | יוֹמַיִםyomayim | day → two days |
| שָׁבוּעַshavua | שְׁבוּעַיִםshvu'ayim | week → two weeks |
| חֹדֶשׁchodesh | חָדְשַׁיִםchodshayim | month → two months |
| פַּעַםpa'am | פַּעֲמַיִםpa'amayim | once → twice |
Paired body parts are feminine: יָדַיִם גְּדוֹלוֹת. With time units ־ַיִם means exactly “two”: שְׁבוּעַיִם — two weeks, while “weeks” is שָׁבוּעוֹת.
| Singular | Plural | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| אִישׁish | אֲנָשִׁיםanashim | man → people |
| בַּיִתbayit | בָּתִּיםbatim | house |
| בֵּןben | בָּנִיםbanim | son |
| בַּתbat | בָּנוֹתbanot | daughter |
| יוֹםyom | יָמִיםyamim | day |
| אָחach | אַחִיםachim | brother |
| אָחוֹתachot | אֲחָיוֹתachayot | sister |
| אֵם / אִמָּאem / ima | אִמָּהוֹתimahot | mother |
| רֹאשׁrosh | רָאשִׁיםrashim | head |
| עֵץets | עֵצִיםetsim | tree |
| כֶּלֶבkelev | כְּלָבִיםklavim | dog |
| מֶלֶךְmelech | מְלָכִיםmelachim | king |
Practise it in the app. Shoresh has conjugation, tense and binyan trainers, and the dictionary shows the forms of any word.
