how to say “generation” in Hebrew
דּוֹר
Most Hebrew nouns appear masculine in both singular and plural forms, or feminine in singular and plural forms.
For example, שָׁעוֹן is a clock, while שְׁעוֹנִים are clocks; and חַיָּה is an animal, while חַיּוֹת are animals.
is a clock, while שְׁעוֹנִים are clocks; and חַיָּה is an animal, while חַיּוֹת are animals.Some words, however, can be deceiving. One of those words is the one for generation – דּוֹר – an ancient Hebrew word of masculine gender, whose plural form is דּוֹרוֹת, sporting a feminine ending.
– an ancient Hebrew word of masculine gender, whose plural form is דּוֹרוֹת, sporting a feminine ending.But the gender of the word is determined by its singular form (with a couple of exceptions), which is masculine in this case.
Thus, for example, in…
כָּל הַדּוֹרוֹת הַקּוֹדְמִים כְּבָר יָדְעוּ אֶת זֶה.
All the previous generations already knew this.
…הדורות appears with its feminine-plural ending, but the word describing it, הקודמים, uses a masculine ending, since the noun itself is masculine.
appears with its feminine-plural ending, but the word describing it, הקודמים, uses a masculine ending, since the noun itself is masculine.Another notorious example of such a noun is the word for place – מָקוֹםin the singular and מְקוֹמוֹת in the plural.
in the singular and מְקוֹמוֹת in the plural.