Hebrew Numbers 1–1000: Complete Guide with Tables and Pronunciation
Hebrew numbers have one quirk that catches almost everyone off guard: they have gender.
The number "one" is אֶחָד (echad) with masculine nouns and אַחַת (achat) with feminine nouns. The number "two" is שְׁנַיִם (shnayim) and שְׁתַּיִם (shtayim). And it goes on like this through the teens.
Annoying? A little. Consistent? Completely. Once you learn the pattern, it clicks fast.
This guide covers everything: numbers 1–1000, the gender rules, ordinal numbers (first, second, third), and how counting works in practice.
Hebrew Numbers 1–10
These are the foundation. Learn them first — everything else builds on these.
| Number | Masc. | Fem. | Transliteration (m/f) | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | אֶחָד | אַחַת | echad / achat | e-KHAD / a-KHAT |
| 2 | שְׁנַיִם | שְׁתַּיִם | shnayim / shtayim | sh-NAH-yim / sh-TAH-yim |
| 3 | שְׁלוֹשָׁה | שָׁלוֹשׁ | shlosha / shalosh | shlo-SHA / sha-LOSH |
| 4 | אַרְבָּעָה | אַרְבַּע | arba'a / arba | ar-ba-AH / AR-ba |
| 5 | חֲמִישָּׁה | חָמֵשׁ | chamisha / chamesh | kha-mi-SHA / kha-MESH |
| 6 | שִׁשָּׁה | שֵׁשׁ | shisha / shesh | shi-SHA / shesh |
| 7 | שִׁבְעָה | שֶׁבַע | shiv'a / sheva | shiv-AH / SHE-va |
| 8 | שְׁמוֹנָה | שְׁמוֹנֶה | shmona / shmone | shmo-NA / shmo-NE |
| 9 | תִּשְׁעָה | תֵּשַׁע | tish'a / tesha | tish-AH / TE-sha |
| 10 | עֲשָׂרָה | עֶשֶׂר | asara / eser | a-sa-RA / E-ser |
The gender rule explained
When a noun is masculine, use the feminine-looking number. When a noun is feminine, use the masculine-looking number. Yes, it's backwards from what you'd expect. Yes, every Hebrew learner is confused by this at first. Yes, it becomes automatic.
- שְׁלוֹשָׁה יְלָדִים — three boys (masculine noun → use שְׁלוֹשָׁה)
- שָׁלוֹשׁ יְלָדוֹת — three girls (feminine noun → use שָׁלוֹשׁ)
💡 Practical tip for beginners: In casual conversation, Israelis often use one form regardless of noun gender and are completely understood. Don't let gender rules stop you from counting out loud.
Hebrew Numbers 11–19
The teens are formed by adding עָשָׂר (asar, masculine) or עֶשְׂרֵה (esre, feminine) after the ones digit. The same reversed-gender rule applies.
| Number | Masc. | Fem. | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | אַחַד עָשָׂר | אַחַת עֶשְׂרֵה | achad asar / achat esre |
| 12 | שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר | שְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה | shnem asar / shtem esre |
| 13 | שְׁלוֹשָׁה עָשָׂר | שְׁלוֹשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה | shlosha asar / shlosh esre |
| 14 | אַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר | אַרְבַּע עֶשְׂרֵה | arba'a asar / arba esre |
| 15 | חֲמִישָּׁה עָשָׂר | חָמֵשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה | chamisha asar / chamesh esre |
| 16 | שִׁשָּׁה עָשָׂר | שֵׁשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה | shisha asar / shesh esre |
| 17 | שִׁבְעָה עָשָׂר | שְׁבַע עֶשְׂרֵה | shiv'a asar / shva esre |
| 18 | שְׁמוֹנָה עָשָׂר | שְׁמוֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה | shmona asar / shmone esre |
| 19 | תִּשְׁעָה עָשָׂר | תְּשַׁע עֶשְׂרֵה | tish'a asar / tsha esre |
Hebrew Numbers 20–100 (Tens)
From 20 onwards, numbers are gender-neutral — no more two versions. Big relief.
| Number | Hebrew | Transliteration | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | עֶשְׂרִים | esrim | es-RIM |
| 30 | שְׁלוֹשִׁים | shloshim | shlo-SHIM |
| 40 | אַרְבָּעִים | arba'im | ar-ba-IM |
| 50 | חֲמִישִּׁים | chamishim | kha-mi-SHIM |
| 60 | שִׁשִּׁים | shishim | shi-SHIM |
| 70 | שִׁבְעִים | shiv'im | shiv-IM |
| 80 | שְׁמוֹנִים | shmonim | shmo-NIM |
| 90 | תִּשְׁעִים | tish'im | tish-IM |
| 100 | מֵאָה | me'a | me-AH |
Compound numbers (21–99)
Join tens and ones with ו (ve, meaning "and"):
- 21 = עֶשְׂרִים וְאֶחָד — esrim ve'echad
- 35 = שְׁלוֹשִׁים וְחָמֵשׁ — shloshim ve'chamesh
- 78 = שִׁבְעִים וּשְׁמוֹנֶה — shiv'im u'shmone
Hebrew Numbers 100–1000
| Number | Hebrew | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | מֵאָה | me'a |
| 200 | מָאתַיִם | matayim |
| 300 | שְׁלוֹשׁ מֵאוֹת | shlosh me'ot |
| 400 | אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת | arba me'ot |
| 500 | חֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת | chamesh me'ot |
| 600 | שֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת | shesh me'ot |
| 700 | שְׁבַע מֵאוֹת | shva me'ot |
| 800 | שְׁמוֹנֶה מֵאוֹת | shmone me'ot |
| 900 | תְּשַׁע מֵאוֹת | tsha me'ot |
| 1000 | אֶלֶף | elef |
Compound hundreds (example: 365)
שְׁלוֹשׁ מֵאוֹת שִׁשִּׁים וְחָמֵשׁ — shlosh me'ot shishim ve'chamesh
Rule: hundreds + tens + ones, all joined with ו (and).
Ordinal Numbers (First, Second, Third...)
Used for order and rankings. These also have masculine and feminine forms.
| Ordinal | Masc. | Fem. | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | רִאשׁוֹן | רִאשׁוֹנָה | rishon / rishona |
| 2nd | שֵׁנִי | שְׁנִיָּה | sheni / shniya |
| 3rd | שְׁלִישִׁי | שְׁלִישִׁית | shlishi / shlishit |
| 4th | רְבִיעִי | רְבִיעִית | revi'i / revi'it |
| 5th | חֲמִישִׁי | חֲמִישִׁית | chamishi / chamishit |
| 6th | שִׁשִּׁי | שִׁשִּׁית | shishi / shishit |
| 7th | שְׁבִיעִי | שְׁבִיעִית | shvi'i / shvi'it |
| 8th | שְׁמִינִי | שְׁמִינִית | shmini / shminit |
| 9th | תְּשִׁיעִי | תְּשִׁיעִית | tshi'i / tshi'it |
| 10th | עֲשִׂירִי | עֲשִׂירִית | asiri / asirit |
Ordinals come after the noun in Hebrew:
- הַקּוֹמָה הַשְּׁלִישִׁית — ha'koma ha'shlishit — the third floor
- הַדֶּלֶת הָרִאשׁוֹנָה — ha'delet ha'rishona — the first door
Numbers in Daily Life
Telling time
- שָׁעָה שֶׁבַע — seven o'clock (sha'a sheva)
- שָׁעָה שְׁלוֹשׁ וָחֵצִי — three thirty (sha'a shlosh va'chatsi)
- רֶבַע לְשֶׁבַע — quarter to seven (reva le'sheva)
Prices and money
- זֶה עוֹלֶה חֲמִישִּׁים שֶׁקֶל — ze ole chamishim shekel — this costs fifty shekels
- כַּמָּה זֶה עוֹלֶה? — kama ze ole? — how much does this cost?
Dates
Dates in Hebrew use ordinal numbers + month name:
- הָרִאשׁוֹן לְיָנוּאָר — ha'rishon le'yanuar — January 1st
- הָעֶשְׂרִים לְמַאי — ha'esrim le'mai — May 20th
Phone numbers
Phone numbers are read digit by digit, or sometimes in pairs. The number 054-123-4567 would be: אֶפֶס חֲמִישָּׁה אַרְבַּע — אֶחָד שְׁנַיִם שָׁלוֹשׁ — אַרְבַּע חָמֵשׁ שֵׁשׁ שֶׁבַע.
Quick Memory Tricks
3 and 5 are easy to mix up (שָׁלוֹשׁ vs חָמֵשׁ). Remember: שָׁלוֹשׁ has the same SH sound as "three" feels like it should. חָמֵשׁ sounds like "hamesh" — rhymes with "hamesh potatoes" if that helps you.
The gender reversal — think of it as Hebrew being contrarian. Masculine noun gets "feminine" number. You'll stop fighting it after a week.
Tens are all gender-neutral — memorize 20, 30, 40 and you never need to worry about gender again for the big numbers.
Practice: Numbers in Context
The fastest way to lock in numbers is to use them immediately in real situations:
- Look at the time and say it in Hebrew out loud
- Read prices on your next grocery receipt in Hebrew
- Count the steps when you climb stairs
- Say your apartment number, phone number, or PIN in Hebrew
Sounds silly. Works embarrassingly well.
For structured vocabulary practice, the HebrewGlot Trainer has a numbers set — it drills you on random numbers until you stop hesitating.
What's Next
- Hebrew Greetings & Common Phrases — practical language for day-one use
- How to Read Hebrew — if numbers are showing up as squiggles
- Hebrew Vocabulary Trainer — drill numbers until they're automatic
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