Learning Hebrew, an ancient language that has experienced a revival and is now spoken by millions in Israel and Jewish communities worldwide, offers a window into a rich cultural and religious heritage. Modern Hebrew, while drawing on its biblical roots, has adapted to contemporary needs, making it a fascinating study for language learners. This lesson will delve into Hebrew nouns, covering their classification, gender, number, cases, and the application of these aspects in sentence construction, including transliterations for pronunciation help.

Introduction to Hebrew Nouns

Nouns in Hebrew (שמות עצם, Shemot Etzem) name people, places, things, or concepts. Hebrew nouns are characterized by gender (masculine or feminine), number (singular, plural, and sometimes dual), and in biblical Hebrew, by case. Modern Hebrew, however, uses prepositions instead of cases.

Gender in Hebrew Nouns

Hebrew nouns are either masculine or feminine, a distinction that influences verb conjugation, adjective agreement, and sometimes number formation.

• Masculine Nouns: Often end in a consonant and do not have a special marker. Example: “ספר” (sefer, book).
• Feminine Nouns: Frequently end in ה (he) or ת (tav). Example: “שולחן” (shulchan, table – masculine); “מכונית” (mekhonit, car – feminine).

Number: Singular, Plural, and Dual Forms

Hebrew uniquely maintains a dual form for some nouns, primarily used for objects that naturally come in pairs, though it is mostly found in biblical or formal Hebrew.

• Singular to Plural:
  • Masculine: Typically add -ים (im). “ספרים” (sefarim, books).
  • Feminine: Add -ות (ot). “מכוניות” (mekhoniyot, cars).
• Dual Form: Add -ים (ayim) for objects in pairs, like “משקפיים” (mishkafayim, glasses).

Definite Article

Hebrew uses the prefix ה (ha) to denote definiteness, equivalent to “the” in English, and it is attached directly to the noun.

• Example: “הספר” (ha-sefer, the book).

Construct State (Smikhut)

The construct state indicates possession or relation between two nouns, where the first noun is in construct form, and the second is definite or possessive.

• Example: “בית ספר” (beit sefer, school; literally “house of book”).

Cases in Biblical Hebrew

While Modern Hebrew does not inflect nouns for cases, Biblical Hebrew shows remnants of the nominative, genitive, and accusative cases through the construct state and suffixes, mostly replaced by prepositions in Modern Hebrew.

Possessive Forms

Possession in Hebrew can be indicated by using possessive suffixes attached directly to the noun, making the noun definite without needing the article ה (ha).

• Example: “ספרו” (sefro, his book).

Practice Exercises

1. Gender Identification: Given a list of nouns, determine their gender based on endings and provide transliterations.
2. Plural Formation: Convert a set of singular nouns to their plural forms, including both masculine and feminine nouns, and provide transliterations.
3. Using the Definite Article: Practice attaching the definite article ה (ha) to a variety of nouns and provide transliterations.
4. Constructing Possessive Forms: Create sentences that express possession by attaching possessive suffixes to nouns, and provide transliterations.

Conclusion

Mastering Hebrew nouns and their grammatical rules is essential for effective communication in Hebrew. The language’s system of gender, number, and the unique construct state offers a direct link to its ancient roots while serving the needs of modern speakers. Regular practice, engagement with native speakers, and immersion in Hebrew texts will enhance language proficiency and deepen appreciation for Hebrew’s linguistic and cultural depth.