Nouns and Adjectives

Level 1

A describing adjective normally follows the noun. It agrees with the noun in gender, number and, in an ordinary definite phrase, definiteness.

How It Works

Choose the Form

גדול, גדולה, גדולים and גדולות are the main agreement forms of large. Choose the form for the noun: בית גדול, דירה גדולה, בתים גדולים and דירות גדולות. Some adjectives have different feminine or plural patterns, so learn their actual forms.

Phrase or Sentence?

הבית הגדול names the big house. Both the noun and the attributive adjective have ה. הבית גדול says the house is big. In that sentence, גדול is the predicate and does not receive ה just because הבית is definite.

A noun’s gender matters even if its plural ending looks unusual: שולחנות גדולים. Do not copy English adjective-first order into an ordinary Hebrew noun phrase. Set phrases and special literary orders can differ; they are not the beginner pattern here.

Examples (4)

  1. בית גדול

    A big house.

    The masculine adjective follows the noun.

  2. דירה גדולה

    A large apartment.

    The adjective has feminine singular agreement.

  3. הבתים הגדולים

    The big houses.

    Both noun and adjective are definite and plural.

  4. הבית גדול.

    The house is big.

    The adjective is a predicate, not part of the definite naming phrase.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting the adjective before the noun in this ordinary phrase.

    גדולה דירה
    דירה גדולה

    For the intended noun phrase a large apartment, the adjective normally follows דירה.

How It Connects

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

Nouns and AdjectivesLevel 1

Learn This First

Use the noun's gender and number to choose an agreeing adjective.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.