Samuel_Kim_en_uhg/content/number_singular/02.md

Article

A word can be singular if it refers to just one person or object.

If it is a noun, it refers to the person or object directly. Other words, like adjectives, verbs, personal pronouns, or pronominal suffixes, also signal they refer to only one person or object with the form they have.

Form

Nouns and adjectives

Masculine singular nouns have no special endings.

Feminine singular nouns usually end in either ה or ת.

Paradigm

Word	Hebrew	Transliteration	Gloss
Noun, masculine singular absolute	סוּס	sus	stallion
Noun, masculine singular construct	סוּס	sus	stallion of
Noun, feminine singular absolute	סוּסָה	susah	mare
Noun, feminine singular construct	סוּסַת	susat	mare of
Adjective, masculine singular absolute	טוֹב	tov	good
Adjective, masculine singular construct	טוֹב	tov	good
Adjective, feminine singular absolute	טוֹבָה	tovah	good
Adjective, feminine singular construct	טוֹבַת	tovath	good

Other words

Besides nouns, a singular word can be recognized by a variety of changes to the form. These changes differ greatly from each other and are hard to sum up in a simple, helpful way. This paradigm shows a sample of the kinds of changes that signal a singular form.

Paradigm

Word	Hebrew	Transliteration	Gloss
Qal suffix conjugation, common singular first person	קָטַלְתִּי	qatalti	I killed
Qal suffix conjugation, second person masculine singular	קָטַלְתָּ	qatalta	you killed
Qal suffix conjugation, second person feminine singular	קָטַלְתְּ	qatalt	you killed
Qal suffix conjugation, third person masculine singular	קָטַל	qatal	he killed
Qal suffix conjugation, third person feminine singular	קָטְלָה	qatlah	she killed
Qal prefix conjugation, common singular first person	אֶקְטֹל	'eqtol	I will kill
Qal prefix conjugation, second person masculine singular	תִּקְטֹל	tiqtol	you will kill
Qal prefix conjugation, second person feminine singular	תִּקְטְלִי	tiqteli	you will kill
Qal prefix conjugation, third person masculine singular	יִקְטֹל	yiqtol	he will kill
Qal prefix conjugation, third person feminine singular	תִּקְטֹל	tiqtol	she will kill
Independent personal pronoun, second person masculine singular	אַתָּה	'attah	you
Independent personal pronoun, second person feminine singular	אַתְּ	'at	you
Independent personal pronoun, third person masculine singular	הוּא	hu	he / it
Independent personal pronoun, third person feminine singular	הִיא / הִוא	hi / hiw	she / it
Object pronoun, second person masculine singular	אֹתְךָ	'othekha	you
Object pronoun, second person feminine singular	אֹתָךְ	'othakh	you
Object pronoun, third person masculine singular	אֹתוֹ	'otho	him / it
Object pronoun, third person feminine singular	אֹתָהּ	'othah	her / it
Pronomial suffix, second person masculine singular	לְךָ / - ְךָ	lekha / -ekha	(to) you
Pronomial suffix, second person feminine singular	לָךְ / - ָךְ	lakh / -akh	(to) you
Pronomial suffix, third person masculine singular	לוֹ / -וֹ	lo / -o	(to) him
Pronomial suffix, third person feminine singular	לָהּ / - ָהּ	lah / -ah	(to) her

Function

Noun

Normal singular

• ISA 1:3

יָדַ֥ע שֹׁור֙ קֹנֵ֔הוּ וַחֲמֹ֖ור אֵב֣וּס בְּעָלָ֑יו

yada' **showr qonehu wahamowr 'evus be'alayw**

He-knows **ox his-owner and-the-donkey manger-of his-master**

The **ox** knows **his owner**, **and the donkey his master's feeding trough**

Proper nouns (names) are always singular, even if the referent is plural:

• OBA 1:1

חֲזֹ֖ון עֹֽבַדְיָ֑ה

hazown **'ovadyah**

Vision-of **Obadiah**

The vision of **Obadiah**

• 1SA 29:1

וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל חֹנִ֔ים בַּעַ֖יִן אֲשֶׁ֥ר **בְּיִזְרְעֶֽאל**׃

**weyisra'el** honim ba'ayin 'asher **beyizre'el**

**and-Israel** camped at-the-spring which-is **in-Jezreel**.

**the Israelites** camped by the spring that is **in Jezreel**.

Collective

Some nouns can be singular or plural even though they look singular. For example, עוֹף֙ can mean bird or birds.

• GEN 1:21 singular

וְאֵ֨ת כָּל־ע֤וֹף **כָּנָף֙** לְמִינֵ֔הוּ

we'eth kol-'of **kanaf** leminehu

and-[dir.obj] every_winged **bird** after-its-kind.

every kind of **bird** that has wings

• GEN 40:17 plural

וְהָע֗וֹף אֹכֵ֥ל אֹתָ֛ם מִן־הַסַּ֖ל מֵעַ֥ל רֹאשִֽׁי

**weha'of** 'okhel 'otham min-hassal me'al roshi

**and-the-birds** ate them out-of_the-basket from-on my-head.

**but birds** were eating them from the top basket that was on my head

אֱלֹהִים

Name

אֱלֹהִים looks like a plural, but every time God is the subject of a sentence, the verb is singular, and so are the adjectives that are connected with it.

• GEN 1:1

בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית בָּרָ֣א אֱלֹהִ֑ים

bereshith bara **'elohim**

In-beginning he-created **God**

In the beginning **God** created

plural

אֱלֹהִים can also mean "gods"

• JDG 5:8

יִבְחַר֙ **אֱלֹהִ֣ים** חֲדָשִׁ֔ים

yivhar **'elohim** hadashim

And-they-chose **gods** new

When they chose new **gods**

Adjectives

If the noun or person to which the adjective relates is singular, the adjective is also singular.

• 2KI 20:19

טֹ֥וב דְּבַר־יְהוָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר דִּבַּ֑רְתָּ

**towv** devar-yehwah 'asher dibbarta

**Good** word-of_Yahweh that you-spoke.

The word of Yahweh that you have spoken is **good**.

Verbs

If the noun or person to which the verb relates is singular, the verb is also singular.

• GEN 13:1

וַיַּעַל֩ אַבְרָ֨ם מִמִּצְרַ֜יִם

**wayya'al** 'avram mimmitsrayim

**and-he-went-up** Abram from-Egypt

**So** Abram **went up** from Egypt

Personal pronouns and suffixes

• JER 37:2

וְלֹ֥א שָׁמַ֛ע **ה֥וּא** וַעֲבָדָ֖יו וְעַ֣ם הָאָ֑רֶץ

welo shama' **hu** wa'avadayw we'am ha'arets

and-not he-listened **he** and-his-servants and-people-of the-land

but he, his servants, and the people of the land did not listen

• 2SA 19:4 (2SA 19:1 in Hebrew)

בְּנִ֤י אַבְשָׁלֹום֙ בְּנִ֣י בְנִ֣י

**beni** 'avshalowm **beni veni**

**My-son** Absalom **my-son my-son**

**My son** Absalom, **my son**, **my son**!