In Hebrew, adjectives (shemot to’ar) describe nouns and must agree with them in gender, number, and definiteness. This means that adjectives change their form depending on whether the noun is masculine or feminine, singular or plural, and whether it includes “the” (ha-).
Hebrew adjectives are often derived from noun patterns (mishkalim) or verb roots, and they follow predictable structures that make them easier to learn once the basics are understood.
Gender and Number Agreement
Hebrew adjectives match the noun they describe:
| Noun | Adjective | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ילד (yeled) – boy | קטן (katan) | small boy |
| ילדה (yalda) – girl | קטנה (ktana) | small girl |
| ילדים (yeladim) – boys | קטנים (ktanim) | small boys |
| ילדות (yeladot) – girls | קטנות (ktanot) | small girls |
Definiteness Agreement
If the noun is definite (has ה – “the”), the adjective must also be definite:
- הבית הגדול – ha-bayit ha-gadol – the big house
- הילדה החכמה – ha-yalda ha-chachama – the smart girlPosition in the Sentence
Unlike English, Hebrew adjectives usually come after the noun:
- ספר מעניין – sefer me’anyen – an interesting book
- מכונית חדשה – mechonit chadasha – a new car
Common Adjective Patterns
Many adjectives follow familiar noun patterns, such as:
- קָטָן / קְטַנָּה – small
- גָּדוֹל / גְּדוֹלָה – big
- יָפֶה / יָפָה – beautiful
- חָכָם / חֲכָמָה – wise
- מְעַנְיֵן / מְעַנְיֶנֶת – interesting
