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Numbers in Hebrew: The Basics

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Learning numbers in Hebrew can be a bit challenging for English speakers. In English there are only two number forms: cardinal and ordinal. They are all gender neutral, and the ordinal numbers are based on their cardinal form with the addition of a “th”  suffix.

Numbers in Hebrew: The BasicsWith Hebrew numbers, however, cardinal and ordinal numbers must agree in gender (masculine or feminine) with the noun they are describing. Where there is no noun, such as in the case of a telephone number, the feminine form is used. That means when you are counting with Hebrew numbers, you would say, “achat, shta-yim, sha-losh,etc.”

When speaking, cardinal numbers in Hebrew precede the noun (ex. shlosha s’farim-three books), with the exception of the number one which comes after it (ex. sefer ehad- one book). The number two is special – shnayim (m.) and shtayim (f.) become shney (m.) and shtey (f.).

 

Numbers in Hebrew Cardinal and Ordinal

 

Cardinal
(one, two, three)

Ordinal
(first, second, third)

  Masculine Feminine Masculine Feminine
0 efes (אֶפֶס)   N/A
1 echad
(אֶחַד)
achat
(אַחַת)
rishon
(רִאשׁוֹן)
rishona
(רִאשׁוֹנָה)
2 shnayim
(שְׁנַיִם)
shtayim
(שְׁתַּיִם)
sheni
(שֵׁנִי)
shniya
(שְׁנִיָה)
3 shlosha
(שְׁלוֹשָׁה)
shalosh
(שָׁלוֹשׁ)
shlishi
(שְׁלִישִׁי)
shlishit
(שְׁלִישִׁית)
4 arba’a
(אַרְבָּעָה)
arba’
(אַרְבַּע)
revi’i
(רְבִיעִי)
revi’it
(רְבִיעִית)
5 hamisha
(חֲמִשָׁה)
hamesh
(חָמֵשׁ)
hamishi
(חֲמִישִׁי)
hamishit
(חֲמִישִׁית)
6 shisha
(שִׁשָּׁה)
shesh
(שֵׁשׁ)
shishi
(שִׁשִּׁי)
shishit
(שִׁשִּׁית)
7 shiv’a
(שִׁבְעַה)
sheva’
(שֶׁבַע)
shvi’i
(שְׁבִיעִי)
shvi’it
(שְׁבִיעִית)
8 shmona
(שְׁמוֹנָה)
shmone
(שְׁמוֹנֶה)
shmini
(שְׁמִינִי)
shminit
(שְׁמִינִית)
9 tish’a
(תִּשְׁעָה)
tesha’
(תֵּשַׁע)
tshi’i
(תְּשִׁיעִי)
tshi’it
(תְּשִׁיעִית)
10 ‘assara
(עֲשָׂרָה)
‘eser
(עֶשֶׂר)
‘asiri
(עֲשִׂירִי)
‘asirit
(עֲשִׂירִית)
11

אחד עשרה

Achad- esrai

 
12

שניים עשרה

Shtem- esrai

 
13

שלוש עשרה

Shalosh-esrai

 
14

ארבע עשרה

Arba-esrai

 
15

חמש עשרה

Chamesh-esrai

 
16

שש עשרה

Shesh-esrai

 
17

שבע עשרה

Shva-esrai

 
18

שמונה עשרה

Shmona-esrai

 
19

תשעה עשרה

Tsha-esrai

 
20 ‘esrim
(עֶשְׂרִים)
30 shloshim
(שְׁלוֹשִׁים)
40 arba’im
(אַרְבָּעִים)
50 hamishim
(חֲמִשִּׁים)
60 shishim
(שִׁשִּׁים)
70 shiv’im
(שִׁבְעִים)
80 shmonim
(שְׁמוֹנִים)
90 tish’im
(תִּשְׁעִים)
100 mea
(מֵאָה)
200 matayim
(מָאתַיִם)
300 shlosh meot
(שְׁלוֹשׁ מֵאוֹת)
400 arba’ meot
(אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת)
500 hamesh meot
(חֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת)
600 shesh meot
(שֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת)
700 shva meot
(שְׁבַע מֵאוֹת)
800 shmone meot
(שְׁמוֹנֶה מֵאוֹת)
900 tsha’ meot
(תְּשַׁע מֵאוֹת)

 

אלף

Eleph

1000

אלפיים

Ahl-pay-im

2000

שלושת אלפים

Sheloshet Alafim

3000

מיליון

Mil-yon

1000000

ביליון

Bil-yon

2000000

 

Hebrew Numbers: Learn to Count from 1 to 1 Million

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