Hebrew nouns – shemot etzem – are the backbone of the language. They carry gender, number, and definiteness, and they influence how adjectives, verbs, and pronouns behave in a sentence.
Gender
Every Hebrew noun is either masculine or feminine, and this affects agreement throughout the sentence.
- Masculine: ספר (sefer – book)
- Feminine: מנורה (menorah – lamp)
Plural endings also reflect gender:
- Masculine plural: ספרים (sfarim)
- Feminine plural: מנורות (menorot)
While many nouns follow regular patterns, Hebrew includes exceptions that learners should watch for:
- שולחן (shulchan – table) → שולחנות (shulchanot) – masculine with a feminine-looking plural
- ביצה (beitzah – egg) → ביצים (beitzim) – feminine with a masculine-looking plural.
Number
Hebrew nouns appear in singular or plural forms. The plural is typically formed with:
- “-ים” (-im) for masculine nouns
- “-ות” (-ot) for feminine nouns
Examples:
- ילד (yeled – boy) → ילדים (yeladim)
- מורה (morah – teacher [f.]) → מורות (morot)
Definiteness
To indicate “the” in Hebrew, the prefix ה– (ha-) is added to the noun.
- ספר (sefer) – a book
- הספר (hasefer) – the book
This prefix also affects the form of adjectives and other modifiers in the sentence.
