Gender & Plurals
Masculine vs feminine nouns, the -im / -ot plural endings, and the classic exceptions.
Every Hebrew noun is either masculine or feminine. There is no "it." The good news: gender is usually obvious from the ending, and the plural endings are extremely regular — masculine nouns usually take ־ִים (-im), feminine nouns usually take ־וֹת (-ot).
How to tell masculine from feminine
Feminine nouns — the endings
| Ending | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ־ָה (-a) | תּוֹרָה (tora) | law / Torah |
| ־ֶת (-et) | רַכֶּבֶת (rakevet) | train |
| ־ִית (-it) | סְפָרִית (sfarit) | librarian |
| ־וּת (-ut) | אֱנוֹשׁוּת (enoshut) | humanity |
💡 Tip: The ending ־ָה is the strongest feminine signal. Most nouns ending in -a are feminine: יַלְדָּה (yalda, girl), שָׁנָה (shana, year) — most -a words are feminine.
Masculine nouns — the default
If a noun does not end in a feminine marker, it is usually masculine:
| Hebrew | Pronunciation | Meaning | Gender |
|---|---|---|---|
| סֵפֶר | sefer | book | m |
| בַּיִת | bayit | house | m |
| כֶּלֶב | kelev | dog | m |
| יוֹם | yom | day | m |
Common exceptions
Some nouns look masculine but are feminine, and vice versa:
| Hebrew | Pronunciation | Meaning | Looks like | Actually |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אִישׁ | ish | man | m | m |
| אִשָּׁה | isha | woman | — (no -a ending) | f |
| אֵם | em | mother | m | f |
| אָב | av | father | m | m |
| דֶּרֶךְ | derekh | way/road | f ending? no | f |
| רוּחַ | ruakh | wind/spirit | m | f |
| שֶׁמֶשׁ | shemesh | sun | m | f |
| יָרֵחַ | yareakh | moon | m | m |
These exceptions are worth memorizing because they affect adjective and verb agreement.
The plural endings
| Gender | Singular | Plural ending | Example singular | Example plural | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| masculine | — | ־ִים (-im) | סֵפֶר | סְפָרִים | book(s) |
| feminine | — | ־וֹת (-ot) | דֶּלֶת | דְּלָתוֹת | door(s) |
More examples:
| Singular | Plural | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| תַּלְמִיד (talmid) | תַּלְמִידִים (talmidim) | student(s) |
| מוֹרָה (mora) | מוֹרוֹת (morot) | teacher(s) f. |
| מִטְבָּח (mitbakh) | מִטְבָּחִים (mitbakhim) | kitchen(s) |
| מִלָּה (mila) | מִלִּים (milim) | word(s) |
| עֵץ (ets) | עֵצִים (etsim) | tree(s) |
⚠️ Watch out: Some masculine nouns take the feminine plural (-ot) and some feminine nouns take the masculine plural (-im). These are true irregulars.
Irregular plurals
| Singular | Plural | Meaning | Why it's irregular |
|---|---|---|---|
| אִישׁ (ish) | אֲנָשִׁים (anashim) | man / people | totally different stem |
| אִשָּׁה (isha) | נָשִׁים (nashim) | woman / women | totally different stem |
| עִיר (ir) | עָרִים (arim) | city / cities | vowel change + m. plural |
| בַּיִת (bayit) | בָּתִּים (batim) | house / houses | vowel change |
| עֵץ (ets) | עֵצִים (etsim) | tree / trees | — |
| יֶלֶד (yeled) | יְלָדִים (yladim) | child / children | vowel change |
| סוּס (sus) | סוּסִים (* susim*) | horse / horses | regular |
Gender agreement: adjectives and verbs
Adjectives and verbs must match the noun in gender and number:
| Hebrew | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| הַסֵּפֶר טוֹב. | ha-sefer tov. | The book is good. (masc. adj.) |
| הַדֶּלֶת טוֹבָה. | ha-delet tova. | The door is good. (fem. adj.) |
| הַסְּפָרִים טוֹבִים. | ha-sfarim tovim. | The books are good. (masc. pl.) |
| הַדְּלָתוֹת טוֹבוֹת. | ha-dlatot tovot. | The doors are good. (fem. pl.) |
✅ Key takeaways
- Hebrew nouns have gender: masculine or feminine. There is no neuter.
- Feminine markers: ־ָה, ־ִית, ־וּת, and sometimes ־ֶת.
- Masculine plural: usually ־ִים (-im). Feminine plural: usually ־וֹת (-ot).
- Common exceptions: אִשָּׁה/נָשִׁים, אִישׁ/אֲנָשִׁים, בַּיִת/בָּתִּים, עִיר/עָרִים.
- Adjectives and verbs must agree with the noun in gender and number.
✏️ Practice
- What is the gender of מוֹרָה? Of מוֹרֶה?
- Give the plural of: תַּלְמִיד, מִלָּה, יֶלֶד.
- Which noun looks masculine but is feminine: דֶּרֶךְ, אָב, יוֹם, כֶּלֶב?
- Complete: הַדְּלָתוֹת ______ (טוֹב) — make the adjective agree.
- Why is אִישׁ/אֲנָשִׁים irregular?
Answers
- מוֹרָה (mora) is feminine (ends in -a). מוֹרֶה (more) is masculine.
- תַּלְמִידִים (talmidim), מִלִּים (milim), יְלָדִים (yladim).
- דֶּרֶךְ (derekh) is feminine even though it has no feminine ending.
- הַדְּלָתוֹת טוֹבוֹת (ha-dlatot tovot) — feminine plural adjective.
- The plural uses a totally different stem: אֲנָשִׁים instead of אִישִׁים.