Hebrew adjectives must agree with the noun they describe in gender, number, and definiteness. Unlike English, the adjective comes after the noun: יֶלֶד גָּדוֹל (yeled gadol) = literally 'boy big'.
Adjective Comes After the Noun
In Hebrew the adjective always follows the noun: סֵפֶר טוֹב (SE-fer tov) = a good book (literally: book good).
Common Adjectives - All Four Forms
| English | M. Singular | F. Singular | M. Plural | F. Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| big | גָּדוֹל (ga-DOL) | גְּדוֹלָה (gdo-LA) | גְּדוֹלִים (gdo-LIM) | גְּדוֹלוֹת (gdo-LOT) |
| small | קָטָן (ka-TAN) | קְטַנָּה (kta-NA) | קְטַנִּים (kta-NIM) | קְטַנּוֹת (kta-NOT) |
| good | טוֹב (tov) | טוֹבָה (to-VA) | טוֹבִים (to-VIM) | טוֹבוֹת (to-VOT) |
| beautiful | יָפֶה (ya-FE) | יָפָה (ya-FA) | יָפִים (ya-FIM) | יָפוֹת (ya-FOT) |
| new | חָדָשׁ (kha-DASH) | חֲדָשָׁה (kha-da-SHA) | חֲדָשִׁים (kha-da-SHIM) | חֲדָשׁוֹת (kha-da-SHOT) |
| strong | חָזָק (kha-ZAK) | חֲזָקָה (kha-za-KA) | חֲזָקִים (kha-za-KIM) | חֲזָקוֹת (kha-za-KOT) |
Definiteness Agreement
When the noun is definite (has הַ), the adjective must also get הַ:
• יֶלֶד טוֹב = a good boy
• הַיֶּלֶד הַטּוֹב = the good boy
• יְלָדִים טוֹבִים = good boys
• הַיְלָדִים הַטּוֹבִים = the good boys
Attributive vs. Predicative
The position of הַ changes the meaning completely:
• הַיֶּלֶד הַגָּדוֹל = the big boy (attributive - describes which boy)
• הַיֶּלֶד גָּדוֹל = the boy is big (predicative - a sentence, no הַ on adjective)
In Sentences
Quick Tip
Think of it as a checklist - every adjective must match its noun in three things: gender (m/f), number (sg/pl), and definiteness (with or without הַ).