Every Hebrew noun is either masculine (zachar) or feminine (nekeva). There is no neutral gender. Knowing a noun's gender is essential because adjectives, verbs, and numbers must all agree with it.
The Main Rule
Most feminine nouns end in -ah (ָה) or -et (ֶת). Everything else is usually masculine.
Feminine Endings
| Ending | Hebrew | Example | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| -ah (ָה) | יַלְדָה | יַלְדָה | yal-DA | girl |
| -ah (ָה) | מִטָה | מִטָה | mi-TA | bed |
| -ah (ָה) | מִסְעָדָה | מִסְעָדָה | mis-a-DA | restaurant |
| -et (ֶת) | מַחְבֶרֶת | מַחְבֶרֶת | makh-BE-ret | notebook |
| -it (ִת) | עִבְרִית | עִבְרִית | iv-RIT | Hebrew (language) |
| -ut (וּת) | חֲנוּת | חֲנוּת | kha-NUT | store |
Masculine Examples
| Hebrew | Transliteration | Meaning | Why Masculine |
|---|---|---|---|
| יֶלֶד | YE-led | boy | No feminine ending |
| סֵפֶר | SE-fer | book | No feminine ending |
| שֻׁלְחָן | shul-KHAN | table | No feminine ending |
| בַיִת | BA-yit | house | No feminine ending |
Exceptions to Remember
Some common nouns break the rules:
• Body parts that come in pairs are often feminine: יָד (yad, hand), עַיִן (a-yin, eye), רֶגֶל (RE-gel, foot)
• Some nouns ending in ָה are masculine: לַיְלָה (LAI-la, night), מַחֲנֶה (ma-kha-NE, camp)
Adjective Agreement
| Masculine | Transliteration | Feminine | Transliteration | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| big | גָדוֹל | ga-DOL | גְדוֹלָה | gdo-LA |
| small | קָטָן | ka-TAN | קְטַנָה | kta-NA |
| good | טוֹב | tov | טוֹבָה | to-VA |
| beautiful | יָפֶה | ya-FE | יָפָה | ya-FA |
| new | חָדָשׁ | kha-DASH | חֲדָשָׁה | kha-da-SHA |
Putting It Together
יֶלֶד גָדוֹל
YE-led ga-DOL
a big boy
masculine noun + masculine adjective
יַלְדָה גְדוֹלָה
yal-DA gdo-LA
a big girl
feminine noun + feminine adjective
סֵפֶר חָדָשׁ
SE-fer kha-DASH
a new book
masculine noun + masculine adjective
מִטָה חֲדָשָׁה
mi-TA kha-da-SHA
a new bed
feminine noun + feminine adjective
Quick Tip
When you learn a new noun, always learn its gender too. A helpful trick: try to picture the noun with an adjective - if it sounds right with גָדוֹל (gadol), it's masculine; if it needs גְדוֹלָה (gdola), it's feminine.