Gender in Hebrew Nouns

How can I tell the gender of a noun?

You can tell the gender of a noun is by looking at the gender of the word used to describe it (the adjective).

 

In the singular

If the adjective ends in an ah vowel followed by the letter ה – or if the adjective ends in an eh vowel followed by the letter ת – the word is feminine.

For example:

דֶּרֶךְ אֲרֻכָּה – a long way (דרך is feminine)

יַלְדָּה טוֹבָה – a good girl (ילדה is feminine)

רוּחַ נוֹשֶׁבֶת – a blowing wind (רוח is feminine)

עָצִיץ קָטָן – a small plant (עציץ is masculine)

אֶרֶץ קְטַנָּה – a small country (ארץ is feminine)

חַלּוֹן פָּתוּחַ – an open window (חלון is masculine)

דֶּלֶת סְגוּרָה – a closed door (דלת is feminine)

 

In the plural

If the adjective ends in ות-, the word is feminine. If it ends in ים-, the word is masculine.

For example:

דִּירוֹת חָמוֹת – warm apartments (we know that דירות is feminine because the adjective, חמות, ends in ות-)

אֲנָשִׁים טוֹבִים – good people (we know that אנשים is masculine because the adjective, טובים, ends in ים-)

מְקוֹמוֹת יָפִים – nice places (we know that מקומות is masculine because the adjective, יפים, ends in ים-)

עָרִים גְּדוֹלוֹת – big cities (we know that ערים is feminine because the adjective, גדולות, ends in ות-)