Masculine and Feminine in Hebrew: Easy Gender Grammar Guide

Ever noticed how Hebrew words often come in pairs — one for males, one for females? At first, I thought I was just seeing double. Why are there two ways to say “teacher,” “student,” even “you”? The answer: gender matters in Hebrew. In fact, almost everything in Hebrew — nouns, adjectives, even verbs — has a gender. It might sound overwhelming, but don’t worry. Once you learn a few simple patterns, it becomes surprisingly logical (and even kind of fun). In this post, we’ll break down the masculine and feminine rules in Hebrew so you can speak with confidence — and avoid classic beginner mistakes.

Why Gender Matters in Hebrew Grammar

In English, gender mostly applies to people — we say he or she, man or woman. But the rest of the sentence stays the same. In Hebrew, gender shows up everywhere:

• Nouns (e.g. student, table)
• Adjectives (e.g. smart, happy)
• Verbs (e.g. eat, write)

Even the word “you” and “they” has masculine and feminine forms! That’s why it’s essential to understand how to use masculine and feminine in Hebrew early on. It affects almost every sentence you’ll build.

Common Endings: How to Spot Masculine and Feminine Words in Hebrew

One of the easiest ways to identify gender in Hebrew is by looking at the ending of the word. Here’s a quick guide:

✅ Tip for beginners: Many feminine words end in -ה (like מכונית – mekhonit, “car”) or -ת, but there are exceptions — so don’t rely on endings alone.

Adjectives Must Match Gender

In Hebrew, adjectives change form to match the gender (and number) of the noun. 

Example:

• ילד קטן (yeled katan) – a small boy
• ילדה קטנה (yalda ktana) – a small girl

Now plural:

• ילדים קטנים (yeladim ktanim) – small boys
• ילדות קטנות (yeladot ktanot) – small girls

You can spot the pattern:

• Masculine singular → no ending or ends in -ן
• Feminine singular → ends in -ה
• Masculine plural → -ים
• Feminine plural → -ות

Want to take it further? See how present tense verbs in Hebrew follow the same gender patterns.

Verbs Change Too: Masculine vs. Feminine in Hebrew Verbs

This one surprised me when I first started to learn Hebrew. I expected nouns and adjectives to change… but verbs? Yep — even your actions have gender in Hebrew. Let’s look at the verb ללמוד (lilmod, to learn) in the present tense:

✅ Hebrew for beginners tip: When learning new verbs, always practice both the masculine and feminine forms out loud. It’ll help your brain store them as a pair.

What About the Word “You” in Hebrew?

Unlike English, "you" in Hebrew has four forms, depending on gender and number.

So asking “Where are you?” becomes:

• איפה אתה? (Eifo ata?) – to a man
• איפה את? (Eifo at?) – to a woman

It’s a small difference — but it makes your Hebrew sound way more natural.

Common Hebrew Vocabulary Pairs: Masculine and Feminine

Here are a few useful masculine/feminine pairs to practice:

✅ Fun trick: Make flashcards with masculine on one side, feminine on the other. Test yourself daily!

Common Mistakes with Hebrew Gender Rules (And How to Fix Them)

Here are a few gender-related hiccups I made early on (and still make sometimes!):

1. Mixing verb forms: אני לומד vs. אני לומדת
2. Forgetting adjective agreement: תפוח אדום is correct, but תפוח אדומה is not
3. Confusing אתה / את or הוא / היא — sounds similar, but totally different!

The solution? Slow down. Practice aloud. Listen to native speakers. Over time, it clicks. Want to build better sentences? Check out our guide to Hebrew sentence structure for beginners.

Final Thoughts: You Don’t Need to Be Perfect

Here’s the truth: even native speakers sometimes make gender slips — especially when speaking fast.

As a learner, the goal isn’t perfection. It’s progress.

Start with the basics:

1. Learn the most common Hebrew vocabulary in masculine/feminine pairs
2. Match adjectives and verbs to the subject's gender
3. Practice short sentences out loud

Example to try today:

• היא תלמידה חדשה (hi talmida chadasha) – She is a new student
• הוא תלמיד חדש (hu talmid chadash) – He is a new student

Say it. Repeat it. Own it.