Language formalities

Main home page

Amazon UK Store

Amazon COM Store

Site map

Search

Resources

Translations

Languages

Language issues

Writing

Chronology

Patriarchs

Exodus

Judges

Site access

Recent changes

Sundry

Contents

|

Hebrew adjectives

Hebrew - Adjectives

Vocalisation and stem structure

The stem part of adjectives changes in certain predictable ways when feminine or plural endings are attached. The rules are as follows.

Masculine singular adjectives that are monosyllabic

1. Monosyllabic adjectives with unchangeably long vowels (îy, êy, ô, û) keep these:

   	MS	MP	FS	FP
   good	tôv	tôvîym	tôvâh	tôvôth
   empty	rêyq	rêyqîym	rêyqâh	rêyqôth

2. Monosyllabic adjectives with short vowels and not ending in gutturals keep the short vowel and lengthen the consonant with daghesh forte:

   	MS	MP	FS	FP
   living	chay	chayyîym	chayyâh	chayyôth
   strong	‘az	‘azzîym	‘azzâh	‘azzôth
   many	rav	rabbîym	rabbâh	rabbôth

3. Monosyllabic adjectives with short vowels which do end in gutturals change to a long vowel as the consonant cannot be lengthened:

   	MS	MP	FS	FP
   bitter	mar	mârîym	mârâh	mârôth
   evil	ra‘	râ‘îym	râ‘âh	râ‘ôth

Masculine singular adjectives that are bisyllabic

All such adjectives have â as the first vowel. When feminine or plural endings are attached this must be changed to sheva, just as for nouns.

1. The normal pattern is as follows:
   1. If the initial consonant is not a guttural, it changes to simple sheva.

      	MS	MP	FS	FP
      great	gâdôl	gedôlîym	gedôlâh	gedôlôth
      old	zâqên	zeqênîym	zeqênâh	zeqênôth
      right	yâshâr	yeshârîym	yeshârâh	yeshârôth

   2. However, if the initial consonant is a guttural, it changes to compound sheva ^a.

      	MS	MP	FS	FP
      new	châdâsh	chadâshîym	chadâshâh	chadâshôth
      strong	châzâq	chazâqîym	chazâqâh	chazâqôth
      wise	châkâm	chakâmîym	chakâmâh	chakâmôth

2. The bisyllable qâtôn (small) is irregular:

   	MS	MP	FS	FP
   small	qâtôn	qettanîym	qettanâh	qettanôth

3. Bisyllable adjectives ending in -eh drop this ending when endings are added:

   	MS	MP	FS	FP
   beautiful	yâpheh	yâphîym	yâphâh	yâphôth
   difficult	qâsheh	qâshîym	qâshâh	qâshôth

Attributive adjectives

An attributive adjective directly describes a noun. It usually stands after the noun in question, but may come before for the purpose of emphasis. It must agree in gender, number and definiteness with the noun.

Predicate adjectives

A predicate adjective is used in a simple sentence with noun as subject and adjective as predicate. The verb 'to be' is implied (and should be used when translating) but not explicit. The adjective usually stands before the noun, but occasionally is after it. It will agree in number and gender, but never takes the definite article. Adjectives can be paired to describe the same noun.

Language formalities