Adjectives & This / That
Adjective agreement in gender and number, adjective after the noun, and ze / zot / ele.
Hebrew adjectives are team players: they always agree with the noun in gender and number, and they usually stand after the noun. Demonstratives — "this," "that," "these," "those" — work the same way.
Adjective agreement
An adjective must match its noun in gender and number:
| Noun | Adjective | Hebrew | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| סֵפֶר (m. sg.) | טוֹב (m. sg.) | סֵפֶר טוֹב | sefer tov | a good book |
| דֶּלֶת (f. sg.) | טוֹבָה (f. sg.) | דֶּלֶת טוֹבָה | delet tova | a good door |
| סְפָרִים (m. pl.) | טוֹבִים (m. pl.) | סְפָרִים טוֹבִים | sfarim tovim | good books |
| דְּלָתוֹת (f. pl.) | טוֹבוֹת (f. pl.) | דְּלָתוֹת טוֹבוֹת | dlatot tovot | good doors |
💡 Tip: The feminine singular adjective usually ends in ־ָה (-a). The masculine plural adds ־ִים (-im), the feminine plural adds ־וֹת (-ot) — just like nouns.
More adjective patterns
| Masculine singular | Feminine singular | Masculine plural | Feminine plural | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| גָּדוֹל (gadol) | גְּדוֹלָה (gdola) | גְּדוֹלִים (gdolim) | גְּדוֹלוֹת (gdolot) | big |
| קָטָן (katan) | קְטַנָּה (ktana) | קְטַנִּים (ktanim) | קְטַנּוֹת (ktanot) | small |
| יָפֶה (yafe) | יָפָה (yafa) | יָפִים (yafim) | יָפוֹת (yafot) | beautiful |
| חָדָשׁ (khadash) | חֲדָשָׁה (khadasha) | חֲדָשִׁים (khadashim) | חֲדָשׁוֹת (khadashot) | new |
| יָשָׁן (yashan) | יְשָׁנָה (yeshana) | יְשָׁנִים (yeshanim) | יְשָׁנוֹת (yeshanot) | old |
Adjectives usually come after the noun
In Hebrew, the adjective follows the noun:
- בַּיִת גָּדוֹל (bayit gadol) — a big house (not gadol bayit)
- מוֹרָה טוֹבָה (mora tova) — a good teacher
- תַּלְמִידִים חֲדָשִׁים (talmidim khadashim) — new students
When both noun and adjective have הַ־ ("the"), they both carry it:
- הַבַּיִת הַגָּדוֹל (ha-bayit ha-gadol) — the big house
- הַמּוֹרָה הַטּוֹבָה (ha-mora ha-tova) — the good teacher
Demonstratives: this / that / these / those
| English | Masculine singular | Feminine singular | Masculine plural | Feminine plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| this | זֶה (ze) | זֹאת (zot) | אֵלֶּה (ele) | אֵלֶּה (ele) |
| that | זֶה (ze) / הַהוּא (ha-hu) | זֹאת (zot) / הַהִיא (ha-hi) | אֵלֶּה (ele) / הָהֵם (ha-hem) | אֵלֶּה (ele) / הָהֵן (ha-hen) |
Modern Hebrew does not sharply distinguish "this" vs "that" in everyday speech — זֶה/זֹאת/אֵלֶּה covers both. The הַהוּא/הַהִיא forms are more emphatic or literary.
Examples
| Hebrew | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| זֶה סֵפֶר. | ze sefer. | This/That is a book. |
| זֹאת דֶּלֶת. | zot delet. | This/That is a door. |
| אֵלֶּה תַּלְמִידִים. | ele talmidim. | These/Those are students. |
| הַסֵּפֶר הַזֶּה | ha-sefer ha-ze | this book (literally "the book, this") |
| הַדֶּלֶת הַזֹּאת | ha-delet ha-zot | this door |
| הַסְּפָרִים הָאֵלֶּה | ha-sfarim ha-ele | these books |
💡 Pattern: "this NOUN" = [the NOUN] + הַזֶּה/הַזֹּאת/הָאֵלֶּה. The demonstrative also agrees and comes after the noun.
Using demonstratives with adjectives
You can stack adjective + demonstrative after the noun:
- הַסֵּפֶר הַטּוֹב הַזֶּה (ha-sefer ha-tov ha-ze) — this good book
- הַדְּלָתוֹת הַטּוֹבוֹת הָאֵלֶּה (ha-dlatot ha-tovot ha-ele) — these good doors
✅ Key takeaways
- Adjectives agree with the noun in gender and number.
- Adjectives usually come after the noun.
- "This/these" = זֶה/זֹאת/אֵלֶּה; "this NOUN" = [the NOUN] + הַזֶּה/הַזֹּאת/הָאֵלֶּה.
- Demonstratives also follow the noun and agree with it.
✏️ Practice
- Make the adjective agree: מוֹרֶה ______ (טוֹב), תַּלְמִידוֹת ______ (חָדָשׁ).
- Say "these teachers" (feminine) in Hebrew.
- Translate: הַבַּיִת הַקָּטָן הַזֶּה.
- What is the feminine singular form of יָפֶה?
- Where does the adjective go in a Hebrew noun phrase?
Answers
- מוֹרֶה טוֹב (more tov), תַּלְמִידוֹת חֲדָשׁוֹת (talmidot khadashot).
- הַמּוֹרוֹת הָאֵלֶּה (ha-morot ha-ele).
- "This small house."
- יָפָה (yafa).
- After the noun.