Hebrew numbers have masculine and feminine forms. Surprisingly, masculine nouns use the feminine-looking number form (ending in -ah) for numbers 3-10, and vice versa. After numbers 2-10, the noun is plural.
The Counter-Intuitive Rule
For numbers 3-10, the number form is the opposite of the noun's gender:
• Masculine nouns → number ends in -ah (looks feminine): שְׁלוֹשָׁה יְלָדִים
• Feminine nouns → number has no -ah ending: שָׁלוֹשׁ יְלָדוֹת
Numbers 1-10
| # | With M. Nouns | With F. Nouns |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | אֶחָד (e-KHAD) | אַחַת (a-KHAT) |
| 2 | שְׁנַיִם (shNA-yim) | שְׁתַּיִם (shTA-yim) |
| 3 | שְׁלוֹשָׁה (shlo-SHA) | שָׁלוֹשׁ (sha-LOSH) |
| 4 | אַרְבָּעָה (ar-ba-A) | אַרְבַּע (AR-ba) |
| 5 | חֲמִשָּׁה (kha-mi-SHA) | חָמֵשׁ (kha-MESH) |
| 6 | שִׁשָּׁה (shi-SHA) | שֵׁשׁ (shesh) |
| 7 | שִׁבְעָה (shiv-A) | שֶׁבַע (SHE-va) |
| 8 | שְׁמוֹנָה (shmo-NA) | שְׁמוֹנֶה (shmo-NE) |
| 9 | תִּשְׁעָה (tish-A) | תֵּשַׁע (TE-sha) |
| 10 | עֲשָׂרָה (a-sa-RA) | עֶשֶׂר (E-ser) |
Number Placement
• Number 1 comes after the noun: יֶלֶד אֶחָד (one boy)
• Numbers 2-10 come before the noun (plural): שְׁלוֹשָׁה יְלָדִים (three boys)
• Numbers 11+ come before the noun (singular): עֶשְׂרִים יֶלֶד (twenty boy)
In Sentences
Quick Tip
In everyday speech, many Israelis simplify and just use one form of the number. Don't stress about getting the gender perfect - you'll be understood either way. But for writing and exams, the rule matters.