Language/Hebrew/Grammar/Plurals

Hebrew Grammar - Plurals

Hi Hebrew learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will dive into one of the most important aspects of Hebrew grammar - Plurals.

Table of Contents:

Introduction

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

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 -ים (-im) and for feminine nouns is -ות (-ot). Here are some examples:

Examples of Masculine Noun Plurals

Hebrew	Pronunciation	English
כלב	kelev	dog (singular)
כלבים	klavim	dogs (plural)
שולחן	shulchan	table (singular)
שולחנות	shulchanot	tables (plural)

If the noun ends with a consonant or the masculine ending ־ֶה (-eh), then usually we add the plural ending -ים (-im) to create its plural while if it ends in the vowel ־ָה (-ah) we add the ending ות (-ot). But with irregular nouns, the ending may be -ים (-im) or -ות (-ot) for both the feminine and masculine plurals. For example:

Examples of Irregular Noun Plurals

Hebrew	Pronunciation	English
איש	ish	man (singular)
אנשים	anashim	men (plural)
אישה	isha	woman (singular)
נשים	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

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.

Examples of Feminine Nouns with Stem Vowel Change

Hebrew	Pronunciation	English
כתובה	ktuva	document signing (singular)
כתובות	ktuvot	document signings (plural)
דרך	derech	road, way (singular)
דרכים	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 ק (-k), the plural ending would be -ים (-im) instead of -ות (-ot). For example:

Examples of Nouns Ending with ק (-k)

Hebrew	Pronunciation	English
לימוד	limud	learning (singular)
לימודים	limudim	learnings (plural)
דוב	dov	bear (singular)
דובים	dovim	bears (plural)

Plurals of Nouns Borrowed from Other Languages

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:

Examples of Nouns of Foreign Origin

Hebrew	Pronunciation	English
פיצה	pizza	pizza (singular)
פיצות	pitzzot	pizzas (plural)
חטיף	chetif	snack (singular)
חטיפים	chetifim	snacks (plural)

Recap

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

For better understanding, let's explore plurals in context with a dialogue.

• Person 1: האם אתה יודע לאפות עוגיות? (Do you know how to bake cookies?)

• Person 2: כמובן! למעשה, אני אוהב לאפות עוגיות במיוחד. אני יכול להכין עוגיות ישראליות מסורתיות עם חמאה וריבת תמרים! (Of course! In fact, I love baking cookies especially. I can make traditional Israeli cookies with butter and date jam.)

• Person 1: זה נשמע מעולה! אז אתה משתמש בתוכן חמאה וריבת תמרים? (That sounds great! So you use butter and date jam in your cookies?)

• Person 2: כן, זה נכון! והתוצאה היא סיפוק מופלא. אפשר לאכול כמובן עם כוס תה חם! (Yes, that's right! And the result is amazing satisfaction. You can eat it with hot tea, of course!)

Sources

• Hebrew Plural Nouns
• Suffixes in Hebrew - Wikipedia

Other Lessons

• Personal pronouns and the present tense
• How to Use Be
• Nouns
• Conditional Mood
• Adjectives
• Verb to Have
• Negation
• Give your Opinion
• Future Tense