־יים

Common Dual and Pair Forms

Level 3

The ending ־יים occurs in words for pairs, two units and several ordinary plural objects. It is not a free ending for making any noun mean exactly two.

How It Works

Two Units

Common time forms include יומיים, two days, and שעתיים, two hours. Their whole word already expresses two units. Three hours instead uses שלוש שעות; do not invent a new ־יים ending for every number.

Pairs and Ordinary Plurals

ידיים, hands, and רגליים, legs or feet, use this ending. משקפיים and מכנסיים are common lexical plural forms. The ending alone does not tell you how many pairs or garments are involved.

Gender and Agreement

Learn the noun’s gender rather than deciding from ־יים: ידיים נקיות has feminine plural agreement, while מכנסיים חדשים has masculine plural agreement. To count two ordinary books, say שני ספרים; ספריים is not a productive dual of ספר.

Examples (4)

  1. חיכיתי שעתיים.

    I waited for two hours.

    The whole form שעתיים expresses two hours.

  2. נישאר כאן יומיים.

    We will stay here for two days.

    יומיים is a learned two-day form.

  3. הידיים שלי נקיות.

    My hands are clean.

    ידיים takes feminine plural agreement.

  4. קניתי מכנסיים חדשים.

    I bought new trousers.

    מכנסיים is a lexical masculine plural form.

Common Mistakes

  • Creating a new dual word to count two books.

    קניתי ספריים.
    קניתי שני ספרים.

    Use the ordinary count phrase שני ספרים; ־יים is not freely added to ספר.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

־ייםLevel 3Common Dual and Pair Forms

Learn This First

Recognize lexical dual forms without treating the ending as a productive plural for every noun.