Numerals — AQA GCSE Modern Hebrew
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Numerals explained
Numerals covers 2 specification points, including Masculine and feminine (1–20; 30, 40, 50, 60,… and Composite numbers (21, 37 etc) 10,000,….
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Open a point below for its explanation and revision guidance.
Cardinal numbers: masculine and feminine (1–20; 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100; 1000) Ordinal numbers: 1–10 (from 11 onward cardinal preceded by the article) Date and time
This section requires you to recognise and use Modern Hebrew numerals in context. Cardinal numbers are the counting numbers: you need the masculine and feminine forms for 1–20, then the tens 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100 and 1000. Hebrew numerals agree in gender with the noun they count, so the same value can have two forms, for example masculine שְׁלוֹשָׁה and feminine שָׁלוֹשׁ for 'three'. Ordinal numbers are the 'first, second, third' forms for 1–10; from 11 onward Hebrew uses the cardinal number preceded by the definite article to express ordinals. You also need to read and write dates and times, for example telling the time with שָׁעָה and expressing a date with יוֹם, חֹדֶשׁ and שָׁנָה. In an MCQ you will choose the form that agrees correctly with the noun and fits the context.
Composite numbers (21, 37 etc) 10,000, 100,000, 1,000,000
In Modern Hebrew, compound numbers connect the tens and units with ו- (and). The gender of the units digit must match the noun counted: with feminine nouns, 37 is שְׁלוֹשִׁים וָשֶׁבַע (e.g. שְׁלוֹשִׁים וָשֶׁבַע דְּלָתוֹת); with masculine nouns, 37 is שְׁלוֹשִׁים וְשִׁבְעָה (e.g. שְׁלוֹשִׁים וְשִׁבְעָה סְפָרִים). For large numbers: 1,000 is אֶלֶף, 2,000 is the dual form אַלְפַּיִם, and numbers from 3,000 to 10,000 use the construct number plus the plural noun אֲלָפִים, such as עֲשֶׂרֶת אֲלָפִים (10,000). Notice that אֲלָפִים is a plural noun, not a dual. 100,000 is מֵאָה אֶלֶף (literally a hundred thousand), and 1,000,000 is מִילְיוֹן. In exam items, always check the gender of the noun being counted.
Your focus
- Students can select the correct masculine or feminine cardinal numeral for a given noun in a multiple-choice item.
- Students can recognise and form ordinal numbers 1–10 and explain how ordinals from 11 onward are expressed.
- Students can interpret and produce simple date and time expressions using appropriate Modern Hebrew vocabulary.
Show all 6 objectives
- Form composite numbers correctly in both masculine and feminine forms.
- Recognise and use the large numbers 10,000, 100,000 and 1,000,000.
- Apply gender agreement when using numbers with nouns.
Numerals exam tips
Marking Points
- Recognise and select the correct masculine or feminine cardinal form for a given noun, for example masculine שְׁלוֹשָׁה סְפָרִים and feminine שָׁלוֹשׁ שָׁעוֹת.
- Recall the cardinal numbers 1–20 and the tens 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100 and 1000 in both genders where the form exists.
- Identify ordinal numbers 1–10, for example רִאשׁוֹן, שֵׁנִי, שְׁלִישִׁי, and recognise that from 11 onward the cardinal is used with the definite article to express an ordinal.
- Interpret and produce date and time expressions, for example telling the time with שָׁעָה and expressing a date with יוֹם, חֹדֶשׁ and שָׁנָה.
- Apply gender agreement between the numeral and the counted noun when selecting an option in context.
- Forms composite numbers with ו- connector and correct gender on units (שְׁלוֹשִׁים וָשֶׁבַע f. vs שְׁלוֹשִׁים וְשִׁבְעָה m.).
- Uses אַלְפַּיִם for 2,000 as a dual form.
- Identifies אֲלָפִים as plural in compound thousands like עֲשֶׂרֶת אֲלָפִים (10,000).
- Accurately reads large numbers: מֵאָה אֶלֶף (100,000) and מִילְיוֹן (1,000,000).
Examiner Tips
- 💡Read the whole MCQ option set before choosing: eliminate any option whose numeral gender does not match the noun in the question.
- 💡For date and time items, identify the key noun first (day, month, year, hour) and then check that the number attached to it is in the correct form.
- 💡Practise writing the numerals 1–20, the tens to 100, 1000 and the ordinals 1–10 from memory, then test yourself by matching each numeral to a noun of known gender.
- 💡When you see a number in a text, check the noun it describes to decide whether the number should be masculine or feminine.
- 💡For large numbers, break them into familiar parts: 100,000 is 'one hundred thousand' (מאה אלף), and 1,000,000 is 'million' (מיליון).
- 💡Practise writing composite numbers in both genders so you can recognise them quickly in multiple-choice questions.
Common Mistakes
- Using the masculine numeral with a feminine noun or the feminine numeral with a masculine noun. Correction: check the gender of the counted noun and choose the matching numeral form.
- Treating ordinal numbers above 10 as separate lexical items. Correction: from 11 onward use the cardinal number preceded by the definite article to express the ordinal.
- Confusing the tens with the units when reading a number aloud. Correction: practise the tens 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100 and 1000 separately from 1–20 so each value is secure.
- Mixing up date and time vocabulary, for example using a word for 'year' when a word for 'hour' is needed. Correction: learn the date words יוֹם, חֹדֶשׁ, שָׁנָה and the time word שָׁעָה as distinct sets.
- Using the wrong gender form for composite numbers. Correction: check the gender of the noun and choose the matching number form, e.g. עשרים ואחד for masculine, עשרים ואחת for feminine.
- Writing 10,000 as עשר אלפים instead of עשרת אלפים. Correction: the correct form is עשרת אלפים.
- Treating 100,000 as עשרת אלפים. Correction: 100,000 is מאה אלף, while 10,000 is עשרת אלפים.
- Forgetting the conjunction 'ו' before the units in composite numbers. Correction: include 'ו' before the last unit, e.g. שלושים ושבע for 37.