Hebrew grammar relies heavily on a strict system for singular and plural nouns.

Every single noun you learn is either masculine or feminine.

Masculine words typically get one type of plural ending, while feminine words get another.

However, there’s a large group of everyday words that completely ignore these standard rules.

These rule-breakers are known as irregular plural nouns.

I’ll show you exactly how to identify and use these exceptions correctly in Modern Hebrew.

Regular plural noun rules in Hebrew

To understand the exceptions, you first need to know the standard rules.

Regular masculine nouns in Hebrew form their plural by adding the suffix ים- (-im).

Regular feminine nouns form their plural by dropping their final letter (usually ה-) and adding the suffix ות- (-ot).

Here’s a quick look at how regular plural nouns behave.

Masculine nouns with feminine endings

Many common masculine nouns in Hebrew take the feminine ות- (-ot) ending in the plural.

Even though these words look feminine in their plural form, their underlying gender is still strictly masculine.

You simply have to memorize these words as you encounter them.

Here are the most common masculine nouns that use a feminine plural ending.

Feminine nouns with masculine endings

Just as masculine words can borrow feminine endings, the reverse is also true.

Several feminine nouns take the masculine ים- (-im) ending when pluralized.

Despite sounding masculine, these words remain grammatically feminine.

A few of these words also change their root vowels significantly in the plural form.

Here are the most common feminine nouns that use a masculine plural ending.

The dual plural ending

Hebrew has a third, less common plural ending used specifically for pairs of things.

This suffix is יים- (-ayim) and is called the dual plural.

You’ll mostly see this ending attached to body parts that come in pairs.

It’s also used for specific time-related words to express “two of” something.

Here are common examples of the dual plural ending in action.

Adjectives and irregular plural nouns

This is the most critical rule to remember about irregular plurals.

Adjectives must always match the actual gender of the noun, completely ignoring the deceptive plural ending.

If a masculine word ends in ות- (-ot), the adjective describing it will still take the regular masculine ים- (-im) ending.

The exact same rule applies to feminine words that have a masculine ending.

If a feminine word ends in ים- (-im), the accompanying adjective must still take the regular feminine ות- (-ot) ending.

This mismatch between noun and adjective endings can feel unnatural at first.