The plural: -im, -ot and those outside the rules
The masculine takes -im: toshav — toshavim, ezrach — ezrachim. The feminine — -ot: miflaga — miflagot, mishpacha — mishpachot. The adjective repeats the ending of the noun: toshavim chadashim, miflagot chadashot. For example: “שני אזרחים חדשים מצביעים היום.” — Two new citizens vote today. A rule from the Hebrew course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
The masculine takes -im: toshav — toshavim, ezrach — ezrachim. The feminine — -ot: miflaga — miflagot, mishpacha — mishpachot. The adjective repeats the ending of the noun: toshavim chadashim, miflagot chadashot.
Outside the rules are the most frequent people: ish — a person — gives anashim; isha — a woman — gives nashim. Father and mother together are horim, one word for the two. And madim — clothes — lives only in the plural, like English "clothes".
"More than one" is already plural: arbaa toshavim, sheva miflagot. And "the majority" — harov — leads the plural with it: harov mehatalmidim higi’u — most of the pupils arrived.
The dual of old times lives in paired things: mayim — water, naalaim — shoes, mishkafaim — glasses. They are not divided into one and many.
Table
| singular | plural | gender | note |
|---|---|---|---|
| תושב | תושבים | masculine | by the rule |
| מפלגה | מפלגות | feminine | by the rule |
| איש | אנשים | masculine | the whole stem replaced |
| אישה | נשים | feminine | the beginning drops out |
| אב ואם | הורים | masculine | one word for two |
| מדים | — | masculine | plural only |
| מים | — | masculine | a dual of old times |
| משפחה | משפחות | feminine | by the rule |
By example
- שני אזרחים חדשים מצביעים היום.шней эзрахим хадашим мацбияим хайом.Two new citizens vote today.
- הנשים במפלגה עובדות קשה.ха-нашим бе-ха-мифлага овдот каша.The women in the party work hard.
- אנשים רבים שומרים על הטבע.анашим рабим шомрим аль ха-тева.Many people protect nature.
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
The plural in Hebrew?
Outside the rules are the most frequent people: ish — a person — gives anashim; isha — a woman — gives nashim. Father and mother together are horim, one word for the two. And madim — clothes — lives only in the plural, like English "clothes".
Hebrew plural irregular nouns?
Outside the rules are the most frequent people: ish — a person — gives anashim; isha — a woman — gives nashim. Father and mother together are horim, one word for the two. And madim — clothes — lives only in the plural, like English "clothes".
Exceptions of the Hebrew plural?
"More than one" is already plural: arbaa toshavim, sheva miflagot. And "the majority" — harov — leads the plural with it: harov mehatalmidim higi’u — most of the pupils arrived.
The plural of ish in Hebrew?
Outside the rules are the most frequent people: ish — a person — gives anashim; isha — a woman — gives nashim. Father and mother together are horim, one word for the two. And madim — clothes — lives only in the plural, like English "clothes".
What does it look like in a Hebrew example sentence?
“שני אזרחים חדשים מצביעים היום.” (шней эзрахим хадашим мацбияим хайом.) — Two new citizens vote today. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.