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Some words appear in both a masculine and a feminine form. Other words have only one form, but that single form can be either grammatically-masculine or grammatically-feminine. These kinds of words are classified as "gender both", and they are usually nouns or adjectives. Sometimes the context can determine the gender of a particular instance of a "gender both" noun (see examples below for שֶׁמֶשׁ), but sometimes the context is inconclusive (see example below for נֹגַהּ).
Examples
A single word with both masculine and feminine forms
- GEN 1:3 –– the noun אוֹר (light) is masculine in form and takes grammatically-masculine verbs (יְהִ֣י and וַֽיְהִי).
| וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֖ים יְהִ֣י **אֹ֑ור** וַֽיְהִי־**אֹֽור**׃ |
| wayyomer 'elohim yehi **'owr** wayehi-**'owr** |
| And-he-said God there-will-be **light** and-there-was_**light**. |
| God said, "Let there be **light**," and there was **light**. |
- EST 8:16 –– the noun אוֹרָה (light) is feminine in form and takes a grammatically-feminine verb (הָֽיְתָ֥ה).
| לַיְּהוּדִ֕ים הָֽיְתָ֥ה אֹורָ֖ה |
| layyehudim hayethah **'owrah** |
| To-the-Jews there-was **light** |
| The Jews had **light** |
A single form that can be either masculine or feminine
- GEN 15:17 –– the noun שֶׁמֶשׁ (sun) can be grammatically feminine
| וַיְהִ֤י **הַשֶּׁ֙מֶשׁ֙** בָּ֔אָה |
| wayhi **hashemesh** ba'ah |
| And-it-happened **the-sun** it-went |
| When **the sun** had gone down |
- GEN 19:23 –– the noun שֶׁמֶשׁ (sun) can be grammatically masculine
| הַשֶּׁ֖מֶשׁ יָצָ֣א עַל־הָאָ֑רֶץ |
| **hashemesh** yatsa 'al-ha'arets |
| **The-sun** it-went-out over_the-earth |
| **The sun** had risen upon the earth |
- JOL 4:15 –– the noun נֹגַהּ (brightness) could be either masculine or feminine
| וְכוֹכָבִ֖ים אָסְפ֥וּ נָגְהָֽם |
|
| And-stars they-withdraw their-**brightness** |
| the stars keep back their **brightness** |
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