1. Nouns

2. Nouns
According to their origin or derivation, Hebrew nouns may be divided into three classes
Primitive nouns are those for which no known derivation exists.
The vast majority of Hebrew nouns are derived from verbs.
A few Hebrew nouns are derived from other nouns

3. Primitive nouns are those for which no known derivation exists
יַד hand דַּם blood פֶּה mouth שֵׁם name
אָב father יוֹם day בֵּן son אֵם mother לַיְלָה night

4. The vast majority of Hebrew nouns are derived from verbs
דָּבָר word זֶרַע seed מֶלֶךְ king עֶבֶד servant עוֹף bird פֶּתַח door תִּקְוָה hope
דִּבֵּר he spoke זָרַע he sowed מָלַךְ he ruled עָבַד he served עוּף to fly פָּתַח he opened קָוָה he hoped

5. A few Hebrew nouns are derived from other nouns
בּוֹקֵר a herdsman כֹּרֵם a vinedresser יִשְׂרְאֵלִי Israelite מִצְרִי Egyptian
בָּקָר a herd כֶּרֶם a vineyard יִשְׂרָאֵל Israel מִצְרַיִם Egypt

6. Nouns: Gender
Hebrew nouns are either masculine or feminine (no neuter)
The only way to determine the gender of a noun is to look it up in a dictionary.
Masculine nouns are the most difficult to identify since they do not follow any set pattern

7. Masculine Nouns מֶלֶךְ King יוֹם Day זָהָב Gold הֵיכָל Temple
Generally, masculine singular nouns are unmarked, i.e., without an ending to indicate masculine gender
מֶלֶךְ King
יוֹם Day
זָהָב Gold
הֵיכָל Temple
בְּכוֹר Firstborn

8. Feminine Nouns Feminine nouns are somewhat easier to identify
Nouns referring to female persons or animals will feminine
Nouns ending in ָה will normally be feminine in gender
A few nouns are made feminine by the addition of ָה to the masculine form of the noun
Nouns ending in ת will ordinarily be feminine
Nouns that refer to parts of the body that exist in pairs are usually feminine
Names of cities and countries are feminine

9. Nouns referring to female persons or animals will feminine
אֵם mother בַּת daughter אִשָּׁה woman מַלְכָּה queen סוּסָה mare

10. Nouns ending in ָה will normally be feminine in gender
אְַדָמָה ground, earth בְּהֵמָה cattle אָכְלָה food יַבָּשָׁה dry land שָׁנָה year תוֹרָה law, instruction

11. סוּסָה mare יַלְדָּה little girl Feminine Nouns
The feminine singular ending ָה draws the primary accent
סוּסָה mare
יַלְדָּה little girl

12. Masculine Nouns with Feminine Singular Ending
לַיְלָה
“night”

13. A few nouns are made feminine by the addition of ָה to the masculine form of the noun
מֶלֶךְ (king) + ָה = מַלְכָּה (queen) נָבִיא (prophet) + ָה = נְבִיאָה (prophetess) נַעַר (youth) + ָה = נְעָרָה (maiden) סוּס (horse) + ָה = סוּסָה (mare) שַׂר (prince) + ָה = שָׂרָה (princess)

14. Nouns ending in ת will ordinarily be feminine
אָחוֹת sister בַּת daughter דַּעַת knowledge עֵת time דֶּלֶת door חַטָּאת sin קֶשֶׁת bow

15. יָד hand עַיִן eye רֶגֶל foot
Nouns that refer to parts of the body that exist in pairs are usually feminine
יָד hand עַיִן eye רֶגֶל foot

16. Parts of the body which are not duplicated are masculine
אַף Nose פֶּה Mouth לֵב Heart

17. Names of cities and countries are feminine
צִיּוֹן Zion אַשּׁוּר Assyira

18. A few nouns attest both masculine and feminine gender
דֶּרֶךְ
“way, road”

19. Nouns: Number
There are three categories of number to be considered in connection with Hebrew nouns.
They are:
Singular
Plural
Dual

20. Nouns: Number
Most singular nouns are not identifiable by their endings, as can seen from the previous examples under the discussion of gender
Plural nouns have special endings that generally correspond to their gender
Unfortunately, plural nouns are not formed simply by adding special endings to singular forms, but singular forms themselves often undergo changes when plural endings are added.

21. Masculine Plural Endings
Most masculine nouns have plurals that end in ִים

22. סוּס
Horse

23. סוּסִים
Horses

24. עֵץ
Tree

25. עֵצִים
Trees

26. הַר
Mountain

27. הָרִים
Mountains

28. סֵפֶר
Book

29. סְפָרִים
Books

30. דְּבָרִים
Words

31. דָּבָר
Word

32. מְלָכים
Kings

33. מֶלֶךְ
King

34. אְַנָשִׁים
Men

35. אִישׁ
Man

36. יָמִים
Days

37. יוֹם
Day

38. בָּנִים
Sons

39. בֵּן
Son

40. Masculine Plural Endings
A few masculine nouns have plurals that end in וֹת
This is the ending normally used for feminine plurals

41. אָב
Father

42. אָבוֹת
Fathers

43. מָקוֹם
Place

44. מְקוֹמוֹת
Places

45. קוֹל
Voice

46. קוֹלוֹת
Voices

47. שֵׁם
Name

48. שֵׁמוֹת
Names

49. Feminine Plural Endings
Most feminine nouns have plurals that end in וֹת

50. סוּסָה
Mare

51. סוּסוֹת
Mares

52. תּוֹרָה
Law

53. תּוֹרוֹת
Laws

54. מִצְוֹת
Commandments

55. מִצְוָה
Commandment

56. רוּחוֹת
spirits

57. רוּה ַ
Spirit

58. אִמּוֹת
Mothers

59. אֵם
Mother

60. בָּנוֹת
Daughters

61. בַּת
Daughter

62. נְפָשׁוֹת
Living Beings

63. נֶפֶשׁ
Living Being

64. אְַרָצוֹת
Lands

65. אֶרֶץ
Earth

66. אֶרֶץ Earth אֵשׁ Fire שֶׁמֶשׁ Sun רוּח Spirit נֶפֶשׁ Soul
Names of things productive, the elements, unseen essences are feminine (Note these do not end in ָה)
אֶרֶץ Earth אֵשׁ Fire שֶׁמֶשׁ Sun רוּח Spirit נֶפֶשׁ Soul

67. Feminine Plural Endings
A few feminine nouns have plurals that end in ִים
Which is the ending normally used for the masculine plurals

68. אִשָּׁה
“woman”
עִיר
“city”
נָשִׁים
“women”
עָרִים
“cities”

69. Nouns with both masculine and feminine plural endings
A few nouns have two plural endings
ִים
וֹת

70. דּוֹר דּוֹרִים or דּוֹרוֹת שָׁנָה (f) שָׁנִים or שְׁנוֹת
“generation” “generations”
שָׁנָה (f) שָׁנִים or שְׁנוֹת
“year” “years”

71. Dual Nouns The third number classification for Hebrew is the dual
It is used to designate things that occur in pairs, especially the organs of the body

72. Dual Nouns
The dual ending is normally written
ַיִם

73. אֹזֶן
Ear

74. אָזְנַיִם
Ears

75. יָד
Hand

76. יָדַיִם
Hands

77. כָּנָף
Wing

78. כְּנָפַיִם
Wings

79. מֹאזְנַיִם
Balances
(No singular)

80. נַעַל
Shoe

81. נַעְַלַיִם
Shoes

82. עַיִן
Eye

83. עֵינַיִם
Eyes

84. קֶרֶן
Horn

85. קַרְנַיִם
Horns

86. רֶגֶל
Foot

87. רַגְלַיִם
Feet

88. שָׂפָה
Lip

89. שְׂפָתַיִם
Lips

90. Some nouns appear to have a dual ending without any dual meaning
מַיִם water שָׁמַיִם sky, heavens יְרוּשָׁלַיִם Jerusalem מִצְרַיִם Egypt