Understanding Adjective Agreement and Placement in Hebrew

The Role of Adjectives in Hebrew

In Hebrew, adjectives play a crucial role in providing clarity and detail to sentences. Unlike in English, where adjectives are often placed before nouns, Hebrew uses a different set of rules for adjective placement and agreement.

Adjective Agreement in Hebrew

In Hebrew, adjectives must agree with the nouns they describe in gender (masculine or feminine), number (singular or plural), and definiteness. This agreement is essential for proper sentence structure and meaning.

• Masculine singular: גדול bGadol5d for 'big'
• Feminine singular: גדולה 5bGdolah5d for 'big'
• Masculine plural: גדולים 5bGdolim5d for 'big'
• Feminine plural: גדולות 5bGdolot5d for 'big'

Placement of Adjectives

In Hebrew, adjectives generally follow the nouns they modify. This contrasts with English, where adjectives usually precede nouns. Thus, a Hebrew speaker will say ספר חדש /sefer chadash/ (a new book) rather than 'new book'.

Definiteness and Its Impact

When a noun is definite, the adjective must also be definite. This is achieved by using the definite article ה- /ha-/ added to both the noun and the adjective.

• Definite noun and adjective: הילד הגדול /ha-yeled ha-gadol/
• Indefinite noun and adjective: ילד גדול /yeled gadol/

Key Takeaways

Understanding and mastering adjective agreement and placement in Hebrew will significantly elevate your Hebrew proficiency. Remember to always match the gender, number, and definiteness between adjectives and the nouns they describe, and place adjectives after the nouns.