Lesson 2
1. The noun – singular and plural
The noun in Hebrew can be female (f) – נקבה / nekevah – or male (m) – זכר / zachar.
The male plural is as a rule formed by adding the syllable –im, the female plural by adding the syllable –ot. Mostly the vocalization changes somewhat in the plural.
2. The definite article "the“ , the indefinite article "a“
The definite article "the“ is in Hebrew always ha– and merged with the following word into one.
The indefinite article “a” does not exist in Hebrew. It is always assumed, when a noun is written without a definite article.
The child: הילד ha-yeled
A child: ילד yeled
The kibbutsim: הקיבוצים ha-kibutzim
A German: גרמני germani
People: אנשים anashim
the Russians: הרוסים ha-rusim
3. The gender
As in English, Hebrew has a male (m) and a female (f) gender. If you apply the following rules, you will be able to deduce the gender in most cases:
In general, the following noun endings are female:
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–ah with the Hebrew letter he the end
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nouns ending with the letter tav
All other nouns are male (with quite a few exceptions).
Verbs and adjectives always conform to the gender and the number of the subject.
Examples:
She/He goes (verb):
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Female: היא הולכת hi (=hee) holechet
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Male: הוא הולך hu (=hoo) holech
Big (adjective):
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Female: גדולה gdolah
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Male: גדול gadol
Teacher (noun):
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Female: מורה morah
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Male: מורה moreh
4. The verb "to be“ in present
Present in Hebrew is called hoveh – הווה. The word hoveh is a fictitious present verb meaning he is derived from the Hebrew verb to be.
Why fictitious? Because there is no present of the word to be in Hebrew.
The man is tall thus becomes in Hebrew the man – tall or the man – he tall.
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Are you from London?: ?האתם מלונדון atem mi-london?
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No, we are from Boston: לא, אנחנו מבוסטון lo, anachnu mi-boston
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Sara is small: שרה קטנה sarah ktanah
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The lesson is simple: השיעור קל ha-shi'ur kal
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Tel Aviv is a big city: תל אביב היא עיר גדולה tel aviv hi ir gdolah
Bye the way: the name Tel Aviv (lit. spring hill) was the original Hebrew translation of Herzl’s book title Old New Land.
5. The personal pronouns (eg “I, you, he”)
The personal pronouns are: I, you, he, she, we, you, they.
In Hebrew they can also mean I am, You are, he or she is, we are, you are, they are. For there is no word for to be in present.
