Learn numbers in Hebrew
Knowing numbers in Hebrew is probably one of the most useful things you can learn to say, write and understand in Hebrew. Learning to count in Hebrew may appeal to you just as a simple curiosity or be something you really need. Perhaps you have planned a trip to a country where Hebrew is the most widely spoken language, and you want to be able to shop and even bargain with a good knowledge of numbers in Hebrew.
It's also useful for guiding you through street numbers. You'll be able to better understand the directions to places and everything expressed in numbers, such as the times when public transportation leaves. Can you think of more reasons to learn numbers in Hebrew?
Modern Hebrew (עברית חדשה, ʿivrít ḥadašá) belongs to the Semitic language family, and more precisely to the Canaanite branch. Standard form of the Hebrew language spoken today by about 9 million people, mostly in Israel where it has the status of official language, it has been revived at the end of the 19th century from the sacred language of Judaism to a spoken and written language used for daily life. Eliezer Ben-Yehuda (1858-1922), lexicographer and newspaper editor, was one of the prominent figures of that revival. Written from right to left, Modern Hebrew uses an alphabet of 22 consonants, which makes it an abjad, the vowels being indicated by diacritic marks above or below the consonants.
List of numbers in Hebrew
Here is a list of numbers in Hebrew. We have made for you a list with all the numbers in Hebrew from 1 to 20. We have also included the tens up to the number 100, so that you know how to count up to 100 in Hebrew. We also close the list by showing you what the number 1000 looks like in Hebrew.
- 1) אַחַת (achat)
- 2) שְׁתַּיִם (shtayim)
- 3) שָׁלֹשׁ (shalosh)
- 4) אַרְבַּע (arba’)
- 5) חָמֵשׁ (chamesh)
- 6) שֵׁשׁ (shesh)
- 7) שֶׁבַע (sheva’)
- 8) שְׁמוֹנֶה (shmone)
- 9) תֵּשַׁע (tesha’)
- 10) עֶשֶׂר (’eser)
- 11) אֲחַת-עֶשְׂרֵה (achad-’asar)
- 12) שְׁתֵּים-עֶשְׂרֵה (shneyim-’asar)
- 13) שְׁלֹשׁ-עֶשְׂרֵה (shlosha-’asar)
- 14) אַרְבַּע-עֶשְׂרֵה (arba’a-’asar)
- 15) חֲמֵשׁ-עֶשְׂרֵה (chamisha-’asar)
- 16) שֵׁש-עֶשְׂרֵה (shisha-’asar)
- 17) שְׁבַע-עֶשְׂרֵה (shiv’a-’asar)
- 18) שְמוֹנֶה-עֶשְׂרֵה (shmona-’asar)
- 19) תְּשַׁע-עֶשְׂרֵה (tish’a-’asar)
- 20) עֶשְׂרִים (’esrim)
- 30) שְׁלֹשִׁים (shloshim)
- 40) אַרְבָּעִים (arba’im)
- 50) חֲמִשִּׁים (chamishim)
- 60) שִׁשִּׁים (shishim)
- 70) שִׁבְעִים (shiv’im)
- 80) שְׁמוֹנִים (shmonim)
- 90) תִּשְׁעִים (tish’im)
- 100) מֵאָה (mea)
- 1,000) אֶלֶף (elef)
Numbers in Hebrew: Hebrew numbering rules
Each culture has specific peculiarities that are expressed in its language and its way of counting. The Hebrew is no exception. If you want to learn numbers in Hebrew you will have to learn a series of rules that we will explain below. If you apply these rules you will soon find that you will be able to count in Hebrew with ease.
The way numbers are formed in Hebrew is easy to understand if you follow the rules explained here. Surprise everyone by counting in Hebrew. Also, learning how to number in Hebrew yourself from these simple rules is very beneficial for your brain, as it forces it to work and stay in shape. Working with numbers and a foreign language like Hebrew at the same time is one of the best ways to train our little gray cells, so let's see what rules you need to apply to number in Hebrew
.
Numbers from one to nineteen have two forms: one feminine, used for counting, and one masculine. From twenty on, there is only one form.
In the masculine form, cardinal numerals are: אֶפֶס (efes) [0], אֶחָד (echad) [1], שְׁנַיִם (shnayim) [2], שְׁלֹשָׁה (shlosha) [3], אַרְבָּעָה (arba’a) [4], חֲמִשָּׁה (chamisha) [5], שִׁשָּׁה (shisha) [6], שִׁבְעָה (shiv’a) [7], שְׁמוֹנָה (shmona) [8], תִּשְׁעָה (tish’a) [9], עֲשָׂרָה (’assara) [10], אֲחַד-עָשָׂר (achad-’asar) [11], שְׁנֵים-עָשָׂר (shneyim-’asar) [12], שְׁלֹשָה-עָשָׂר (shlosha-’asar) [13], אַרְבָּעָה-עָשָׂר (arba’a-’asar) [14], חֲמִשָּׁה-עָשָׂר (chamisha-’asar) [15], שִׁשָּׁה-עָשָׂר (shisha-’asar) [16], שִׁבְעָה-עָשָׂר (shiv’a-’asar) [17], שְׁמוֹנָה-עָשָׂר (shmona-’asar) [18], and תִּשְׁעָה-עָשָׂר (tish’a-’asar) [19].
Digits from zero to nine in the feminine form used for counting are: אֶפֶס (efes) [0], אַחַת (achat) [1], שְׁתַּיִם (shtayim) [2], שָׁלֹשׁ (shalosh) [3], אַרְבַּע (arba’) [4], חָמֵשׁ (chamesh) [5], שֵׁשׁ (shesh) [6], שֶׁבַע (sheva’) [7], שְׁמוֹנֶה (shmone) [8], and תֵּשַׁע (tesha’) [9].
The feminine word for ten is עֶשֶׂר (’eser) [10].
The feminine compound numbers from eleven to nineteen are formed starting with the unit, followed with a form of the word for ten (’esre, עֶשְׂרֵה) linked with a hyphen (maqaf, מקף): אֲחַת-עֶשְׂרֵה (achat-’esre) [11], שְׁתֵּים-עֶשְׂרֵה (shteyim-’esre) [12], שְׁלֹשׁ-עֶשְׂרֵה (shlosh-’esre) [13], אַרְבַּע-עֶשְׂרֵה (arba’-’esre) [14], חֲמֵשׁ-עֶשְׂרֵה (chamesh-’esre) [15], שֵׁש-עֶשְׂרֵה (shesh-’esre) [16], שְׁבַע-עֶשְׂרֵה (shva’-’esre) [17], שְמוֹנֶה-עֶשְׂרֵה (shmone-’esre) [18], and תְּשַׁע-עֶשְׂרֵה (tesha’-’esre) [19].
The tens are formed from the root of the multiplier digit with the plural marker im (ים), except for ten itself: עֶשֶׂר (’eser) [10], עֶשְׂרִים (’esrim) [20], שְׁלֹשִׁים (shloshim) [30], אַרְבָּעִים (arba’im) [40], חֲמִשִּׁים (chamishim) [50], שִׁשִּׁים (shishim) [60], שִׁבְעִים (shiv’im) [70], שְׁמוֹנִים (shmonim) [80], and תִּשְׁעִים (tish’im) [90].
Compound numbers are formed starting with the ten, then the unit prefixed with ו (u’, and) for numbers ending with two or eight, and prefixed with ו (ve’, and) for the others: עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁתַּיִם (’esrim u’shtaim) [22], שִׁבְעִים וָשֶׁבַע (shiv’im ve’sheva) [77], תִּשְׁעִים וּשְׁמוֹנֶה (tish’im u’shmone) [98].
The hundreds are formed starting with the multiplier digit, followed with the plural form of the word for hundred (מֵאוֹת, meot), except for one hundred and two hundred (which is set in the dual form): מֵאָה (mea) [100], מָאתַיִם (matayim) [200], שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת (shlosh meot) [300], אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת (arba’ meot) [400], חֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת (chamesh meot) [500], שֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת (shesh meot) [600], שְׁבַע מֵאוֹת (shva meot) [700], שְׁמוֹנֶה מֵאוֹת (shmone meot) [800], and תְּשַׁע מֵאוֹת (tsha’ meot) [900].
The thousands are formed starting with the multiplier digit suffixed with ת (t), followed with the plural form of the word for thousand (אֲלָפִים, alafim), except for one thousand and two thousand (which is set in the dual form): אֶלֶף (elef) [1,000], אַלְפַּיִם (alpaim) [2,000], שלושת אלפים (shloshet alafim) [3,000], ארבעת אלפים (arba’at alafim) [4,000], חֲמֵשֶׁת אֲלָפִים (chameshet alafim) [5,000], ששת אלפים (sheshet alafim) [6,000], שבעת אלפים (shiv’at alafim) [7,000], שמונת אלפים (sh’monat alafim) [8,000], and תשעת אלפים (tish’at alafim) [9,000]. From 11,000 and above, the word for thousand goes back to singular (e.g.: אַחַד עָשָׂר אֶלֶף (achad-’asar elef) [11,000]).
Big scale numbers are: מִילְיוֹן (miliyon) [million, 106], מִילְיַרְדּ (miliyard) [billion, 109], טְרִילְיוֹן (trilyon) [trillion, 1012], קְוַדְרִילְיוֹן (kwadrilyon) [quadrillion, 1015]…
Numbers in different languages