Clock Times and Dates
Everyday clock hours use feminine number forms because שעה is feminine. Standard dates count days with masculine number forms.
How It Works
Clock Time
Use אחת, שתיים, שלוש and the other feminine forms for hours. בשלוש means at three. שלוש וחצי is half past three; רבע לארבע is quarter to four. Context or בבוקר and בערב can distinguish morning from evening.
Calendar Dates
A standard day-of-month expression counts an understood masculine יום: אחד באוקטובר, עשרה באוקטובר, עשרים ואחד באוקטובר. Add ב when saying on that date. Learn month names as the actual date vocabulary.
Different Number Jobs
In an age expression, years are feminine: בת עשרים ואחת. A bus label such as קו שלוש uses the conventional feminine label number rather than counting three buses. A written digital time or numeric date needs interpretation from context, not merely reading every digit independently.
Examples (4)
- השעה שלוש.
It is three o’clock.
Hours use the feminine number.
- ניפגש בשלוש וחצי.
We will meet at half past three.
וחצי adds a half hour.
- השעה רבע לארבע.
It is quarter to four.
The next hour supplies the reference point.
- ניפגש באחד באוקטובר.
We will meet on the first of October.
The standard date counts a masculine day.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Use cardinal numbers to express times and dates.
Related Patterns
Practice Clock Times and Dates in Bubblegum
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