Usage and forms of Adjectives in Hebrew

Usage and forms of Adjectives in Hebrew

Understanding the Adjectives in Biblical Hebrew

Basic Definition

  • An adjective in Hebrew acts much like adjectives in English: they modify or describe a noun.
  • They can portray characteristics such as colour, size, number, and quality.
  • Adjectives must agree with the noun they modify in gender, number, and definiteness.

Formations of Adjectives

  • Most adjectives are regular and follow a standard pattern for their gender and number changes.
  • Very much like nouns, adjectives in the masculine form often end in a vowel, while those in the feminine form end in “ה” (he).
  • The plural of adjectives in masculine often end with “ים” (ayim), and in feminine with “ות” (oth).

Usage of Adjectives

  • An adjective usually follows the noun it describes.
  • If the noun being described is definite, the adjective is also definite.
  • Adjectives can be used predicatively (the house is big) or attributively (the big house).
  • Predicative adjectives are normally used without conjunction.
  • Attributive adjectives are usually connected to the noun by the conjunction “וְ”.

Exceptional Constructions

  • Some adjectives irregularly form their feminine with “-et”.
  • Some masculine adjectives end with “ה” (he), this is an exceptional case and rare.
  • Some adjectives are indistinguishable from nouns (e.g., רַב, great/much/many is both a noun and an adjective).

Comparative and Superlative Forms

  • Unlike in English, Hebrew does not have separate comparative forms for adjectives (e.g., larger, biggest).
  • However, comparison can still be expressed by using מן (min) meaning ‘from’ or ‘than’, and superlatives can be expressed using הכי (hachi) before the adjective.
  • Superlatives could also be expressed by making use of the definite article with the adjective in a construct state.

Review these features regularly to develop your understanding of adjectives in Biblical Hebrew. Consistent practice will help you become confident in identifying and using adjectives correctly. Always note the rules for agreement of adjectives and be aware of common exceptions.