Harbe, meat, maspik: the noun stays singular
After words of quantity the noun stands in the singular: harbe kesef — a lot of money, meat zman — little time, maspik avoda — enough work. English "a lot of" behaves the same way here, and no plural is pulled in. For example: “יש לי הרבה זמן.” — I have a lot of time. A rule from the Hebrew course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
After words of quantity the noun stands in the singular: harbe kesef — a lot of money, meat zman — little time, maspik avoda — enough work. English "a lot of" behaves the same way here, and no plural is pulled in.
The quantity word itself never changes: harbe serves money, people and rain alike. The questioned quantity is kama: kama kesef yesh lecha? — how much money do you have?
Separately stands midai — too: yakar midai — too expensive, gadol midai — too big. It stands after the word, not before, and it is the favorite complaint at the shuk.
Do not mix it up with numerals: after three to ten the noun goes plural — shlosha chadarim, which you already knew. Quantity without a number is always singular.
Table
| word | meaning | what follows it |
|---|---|---|
| הרבה | a lot | harbe kesef — a lot of money |
| מעט | little | meat zman — little time |
| מספיק | enough | maspik avoda — enough work |
| כמה | how much | kama kesef? — how much money? |
| מדי | too | yakar midai — too expensive |
By example
- יש לי הרבה זמן.йеш ли харбэ зман.I have a lot of time.
- אין לי מספיק כסף.эйн ли маспик кесеф.I do not have enough money.
- הדירה יקרה מדי.ха-дира йкра мидай.The apartment is too expensive.
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
How to say a lot of money in Hebrew?
After words of quantity the noun stands in the singular: harbe kesef — a lot of money, meat zman — little time, maspik avoda — enough work. English "a lot of" behaves the same way here, and no plural is pulled in.
What follows harbe in Hebrew?
After words of quantity the noun stands in the singular: harbe kesef — a lot of money, meat zman — little time, maspik avoda — enough work. English "a lot of" behaves the same way here, and no plural is pulled in.
Maspik kesef or kesafim?
After words of quantity the noun stands in the singular: harbe kesef — a lot of money, meat zman — little time, maspik avoda — enough work. English "a lot of" behaves the same way here, and no plural is pulled in.
How to say little time in Hebrew?
After words of quantity the noun stands in the singular: harbe kesef — a lot of money, meat zman — little time, maspik avoda — enough work. English "a lot of" behaves the same way here, and no plural is pulled in.
What does it look like in a Hebrew example sentence?
“יש לי הרבה זמן.” (йеш ли харбэ зман.) — I have a lot of time. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.