Language/Hebrew/Grammar/Plurals
Hi Hebrew learners! 馃槉
In this lesson, we will dive into one of the most important aspects of Hebrew grammar - Plurals.
Table of Contents:
Introduction[edit | edit source]
Plurals play a fundamental role in Hebrew grammar. Mastering plurals in Hebrew is very important as they are involved in many aspects of the language. In fact, plurals are omnipresent in any written or spoken Hebrew sentences. However, this aspect of the Hebrew grammar is not as difficult as it looks at first sight. Unlike many languages, plurals in Hebrew do not require much memorization. Once you get a hold on the basic rules, you will be able to construct plural nouns almost automatically.
That being said, Hebrew plurals are indeed very diverse in form and structure. From simple plural forms to irregular plurals, Hebrew has a lot of variation to offer. Learning this essential aspect of Hebrew grammar opens up many possibilities to speak and write Hebrew correctly and blissfully.
Consider exploring these related pages after completing this lesson: Nouns, Future Tense, Reading Practice & Negation.
The Basic Rules of Hebrew Plurals[edit | edit source]
To start, let us look at the basic rules of Hebrew plurals. In Hebrew, nouns are mainly constructed by adding to the end of the word a specific ending. The plural endings in Hebrew can vary in form but the most common ending for masculine nouns is -讬诐 (-im) and for feminine nouns is -讜转 (-ot). Here are some examples:
| Hebrew | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 讻诇讘 | kelev | dog (singular) |
| 讻诇讘讬诐 | kelevim | dogs (plural) |
| 砖讜诇讞谉 | shulchan | table (singular) |
| 砖讜诇讞谞讜转 | shulchanot | tables (plural) |
If the noun ends with a vowel, then usually we add the plural ending -讬诐 (-im) to create its plural. But if it is an irregular noun, the ending -讜转 (-ot) is used for both feminine and masculine nouns. For example:
| Hebrew | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 讗讬砖 | ish | man (singular) |
| 讗谞砖讬诐 | anashim | men (plural) |
| 讗讬砖讛 | isha | woman (singular) |
| 谞砖讬诐 | nashim | women (plural) |
Note that there are some unique nouns in Hebrew for which there are no solid rules to create their plurals. The best way to learn them is by example.
Plural Forms with Changes in the Stem Vowel[edit | edit source]
Hebrew plural forms can also affect the stem vowels of a noun. For example, some feminine nouns have a stem vowel that changes in their plural form. This can be somewhat tricky to learn at first, but it is a very important aspect of the Hebrew language.
| Hebrew | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 讻转讜讘讛 | ktuva | document signing (singular) |
| 讻转讜讘讜转 | ktuvot | document signings (plural) |
| 讚专讱 | derech | road, way (singular) |
| 讚专讻讬诐 | drachim | roads, ways (plural) |
Note that the sound of the plural ending can change depending on certain consonants that the noun ends with. For example, if the noun ends with the letter 拽 (-k), the plural ending would be -讬诐 (-im) instead of -讜转 (-ot). For example:
| Hebrew | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 诇讬诪讜讚 | limud | learning (singular) |
| 诇讬诪讜讚讬诐 | limudim | learnings (plural) |
| 讚讜讘 | doov | bear (singular) |
| 讚讜讘讬诐 | doovim | bears (plural) |
Plurals of Nouns Borrowed from Other Languages[edit | edit source]
Another noteworthy aspect of Hebrew plurals is plural forms of nouns borrowed from foreign languages. These nouns can have some unique plurals that do not fit the regular pattern of Hebrew plurals. For example:
| Hebrew | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 驻讬爪讛 | pizza | pizza (singular) |
| 驻讬爪讜转 | pitzzot | pizzas (plural) |
| 讞讟讬祝 | chetif | snack (singular) |
| 讞讟讬驻讬诐 | chetifim | snacks (plural) |
Recap[edit | edit source]
Hebrew has a lot of variance when it comes to plural forms of nouns. However, the basic rules of masculine and feminine plural endings are easy to learn and apply. By mastering these basic rules, you can easily form plural nouns and improve your Hebrew vocabulary.
Remember that like any other language aspect, practice makes perfect! To improve your Hebrew Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!
Dialogue[edit | edit source]
For better understanding, let's explore plurals in context with a dialogue.
- Person 1: 讛讗诐 讗转讛 讬讜讚注 诇讗驻讜转 注讜讙讬讜转? (Do you know how to bake cookies?)
- Person 2: 讻诪讜讘谉! 诇诪注砖讛, 讗谞讬 讗讜讛讘 诇讗驻讜转 注讜讙讬讜转 讘诪讬讜讞讚. 讗谞讬 讬讻讜诇 诇讛讻讬谉 注讜讙讬讜转 讬砖专讗诇讬讜转 诪住讜专转讬讜转 注诐 讞诪讗讛 讜专讬讘转 转诪专讬诐! (Of course! In fact, I love baking cookies especially. I can make traditional Israeli cookies with butter and date jam.)
- Person 1: 讝讛 谞砖诪注 诪注讜诇讛! 讗讝 讗转讛 诪砖转诪砖 讘转讜讻谉 讞诪讗讛 讜专讬讘转 转诪专讬诐? (That sounds great! So you use butter and date jam in your cookies?)
- Person 2: 讻谉, 讝讛 谞讻讜谉! 讜讛转讜爪讗讛 讛讬讗 住讬驻讜拽 诪讜驻诇讗. 讗驻砖专 诇讗讻讜诇 讻诪讜讘谉 注诐 讻讜住 转讛 讞诐! (Yes, that's right! And the result is amazing satisfaction. You can eat it with hot tea, of course!)
Sources[edit | edit source]
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- Personal pronouns and the present tense
- How to Use Be
- Nouns
- Conditional Mood
- Adjectives
- Verb to Have
- Negation
- Give your Opinion
- Future Tense