Adjectives — AQA GCSE Modern Hebrew
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Adjectives explained
Adjectives covers 2 specification points, including A selection of most common adjectives, eg ,יפה… and Positive, comparative and superlative (הכי ,….
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Open a point below for its explanation and revision guidance.
A selection of most common adjectives, eg ,יפה , חזק , גדול קטן , לבן , אדום Plurals Masculine יםX Feminine וֹתX, always.
This row requires Foundation and Higher candidates to know a selection of the most common Modern Hebrew adjectives, including יפה (beautiful, nice), חזק (strong), גדול (big), קטן (small), לבן (white) and אדום (red). Each adjective must agree with the noun it describes in gender and number. The plural endings are regular: masculine plural adjectives take the ending ים, and feminine plural adjectives take the ending וֹת, always. So גדול becomes גדולים for masculine plural and גדולה becomes גדולות for feminine plural. Learn each adjective in all four forms and test them inside noun phrases, for example a big house and big houses, checking the noun's gender before you choose the ending. Assessment is by multiple-choice recognition of the correct agreeing form.
Elative: positive, comparative and superlative (הכי , יותר , כמו )
Modern Hebrew expresses degree with three core patterns. The positive simply states a quality: הספר מעניין (the book is interesting). The comparative uses יותר (more) before the adjective, often followed by מ־ (than): הספר הזה יותר מעניין מהספר ההוא (this book is more interesting than that book). The superlative uses הכי (most) before the adjective: זה הספר הכי מעניין (this is the most interesting book). Equality uses כמו (like/as): הוא חכם כמו אחיו (he is clever like his brother). These forms do not change for gender or number; the adjective itself still agrees with its noun. In an MCQ you choose the form that matches the intended degree and the correct preposition.
Your focus
- Give the English meaning of the common adjectives listed in the specification row.
- Select the adjective form that agrees with a given noun in gender and number.
- Form masculine plural adjectives with ים and feminine plural adjectives with וֹת.
Show all 6 objectives
- Students can select the correct degree marker for a given context.
- Students can place יותר and הכי correctly before an adjective.
- Students can match an adjective's gender and number to its noun while using a degree marker.
Adjectives exam tips
Marking Points
- Gives the correct English meaning of common adjectives such as יפה, חזק, גדול, קטן, לבן and אדום.
- Matches an adjective to its noun in gender, choosing masculine or feminine singular forms correctly.
- Forms the masculine plural with the ending ים, for example גדולים.
- Forms the feminine plural with the ending וֹת, for example גדולות.
- Rejects an option whose ending does not agree with the noun in the sentence.
- Recognise that the positive degree states a quality without comparison, e.g. הספר מעניין.
- Identify יותר as the comparative marker placed before the adjective, with מ־ introducing the standard of comparison.
- Identify הכי as the superlative marker placed before the adjective.
- Recognise כמו as the marker of equality, meaning 'like' or 'as'.
- Apply correct adjective agreement in gender and number alongside the degree marker.
Examiner Tips
- 💡Find the noun first, decide its gender and number, then choose the adjective ending that agrees with it.
- 💡Say the whole noun phrase silently to test whether the ending sounds and looks right.
- 💡Eliminate any option that mixes a masculine ending with a feminine noun or the reverse.
- 💡Underline the degree word in the question before selecting an option, then check whether the sentence needs positive, comparative, superlative or equality.
- 💡Check the adjective ending against the noun's gender and number, because the degree marker does not carry agreement.
- 💡Eliminate options that place הכי or יותר after the adjective or omit מ־ before a stated standard of comparison.
Common Mistakes
- Using one adjective form for every noun; the correction is to check the noun's gender and number first and then add the matching ending.
- Adding the masculine plural ending ים to a feminine noun; the correction is to use the feminine plural ending וֹת for feminine nouns.
- Assuming the feminine singular ending is always the same shape; the correction is to learn each adjective's feminine singular form as part of the word.
- Ignoring number when the noun is plural; the correction is to make both the noun and its adjective plural.
- Placing הכי after the adjective; the correct order is הכי before the adjective, as in הכי מעניין.
- Using יותר without the preposition מ־ when a standard of comparison is expressed; the standard is introduced by מ־, as in יותר מעניין מהספר.
- Confusing כמו (equality) with יותר (comparative); כמו signals 'as/like', not 'more'.
- Changing הכי or יותר for gender or number; these markers are invariable, while the adjective agrees.