View
232
Download
2
Category
Preview:
Citation preview
IN THIS LESSONLearn how to refer to things in quantities of one, two, and many (in grammatical terminology, how to use nouns).
Biblical Hebrew uses three grammatical numbers:
singular (unmarked) dual (marked with ים —)* plural (marked with ים— or ות—)
* Only a few words have dual forms.
To say “one [thing]”: use אחד after a
masculine singular noun use אחת after a
feminine singular noun
For most nouns, to say “two things”:
use שני before a masculine plural noun
use שתי before a feminine plural noun
But some nouns — mostly body parts and units of measurement, along with a few other very common words like “water” and “sky” — have a special dual form.
If the noun has a dual form, to say “two [things]”:
use שני before a masculine dual noun
use שתי before a feminine dual noun
For nouns that have duals, the plural form may refer to something quite different.
To say “many [things],” use רבים after a
masculine plural noun use רבות after a feminine
plural noun
TIP When you learn a new Hebrew noun, go ahead and learn how to say “one [thing],” “two [things],” and “many [things].” Later on, when you learn how to pair up nouns with adjectives and verbs, you’ll be glad you did.
Recommended