Singular and Plural Nouns

Level 1

Many plurals end in ים or ות. Some nouns change their stem too, and the ending alone does not tell you the noun’s gender.

How It Works

Common Patterns

ספר becomes ספרים and ילדה becomes ילדות. In a noun ending in ה, that letter often disappears before ות. These patterns help you recognize a plural, but they do not supply every real plural in the language.

Changes Inside the Word

ילד becomes ילדים with a vowel change. אישה becomes נשים, and איש can become אנשים for people or men. Learn such forms as vocabulary. Do not create אישות when you mean women.

Agreement Follows the Noun

שולחנות is a masculine plural, so say שולחנות גדולים. מילים is a feminine plural, so say מילים חדשות. Common body-part forms with יים have another pattern introduced in the dual-and-pair entry.

Examples (5)

  1. ספר / ספרים

    Book / books.

    ים is a common plural ending.

  2. ילדה / ילדות

    Girl / girls.

    The final ה is replaced in this plural.

  3. אישה / נשים

    Woman / women.

    This plural must be learned as a whole form.

  4. מילים חדשות

    New words.

    מילה is feminine even though its plural ends in ים.

  5. שולחנות גדולים

    Large tables.

    The plural ending ות does not make שולחן feminine.

Common Mistakes

  • Making a predictable-looking plural for an irregular noun.

    אישות
    נשים

    For the intended meaning women, the plural of אישה is נשים.

How It Connects

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

Singular and Plural NounsLevel 1

Learn This First

Keep gender while comparing one noun with its plural form.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.