Hebrew numbers: counting from 1 to 100 with pronunciation and gender rules

1 to 10 — feminine form (the everyday one)

When Israelis count out loud, give a phone number or read a price, they use the feminine forms. Learn these first.

• 1 אַחַת achat
• 2 שְׁתַּיִם shtayim
• 3 שָׁלוֹשׁ shalosh
• 4 אַרְבַּע arba
• 5 חָמֵשׁ chamesh
• 6 שֵׁשׁ shesh
• 7 שֶׁבַע sheva
• 8 שְׁמוֹנֶה shmone
• 9 תֵּשַׁע tesha
• 10 עֶשֶׂר eser

1 to 10 — masculine form

Used when counting masculine nouns: three boys, five books, seven days.

• 1 אֶחָד echad
• 2 שְׁנַיִם shnayim
• 3 שְׁלוֹשָׁה shlosha
• 4 אַרְבָּעָה arba'a
• 5 חֲמִשָּׁה chamisha
• 6 שִׁשָּׁה shisha
• 7 שִׁבְעָה shiv'a
• 8 שְׁמוֹנָה shmona
• 9 תִּשְׁעָה tish'a
• 10 עֲשָׂרָה asara

11 to 19

Teens are the unit plus esre (feminine) or asar (masculine): achat-esre 11, shteim-esre 12, shlosh-esre 13, arba-esre 14, chamesh-esre 15, shesh-esre 16, shva-esre 17, shmone-esre 18, tsha-esre 19.

Tens, hundreds and thousands

Tens have a single form for both genders — a small mercy.

• 20 עֶשְׂרִים esrim
• 30 שְׁלוֹשִׁים shloshim
• 40 אַרְבָּעִים arba'im
• 50 חֲמִשִּׁים chamishim
• 60 שִׁשִּׁים shishim
• 70 שִׁבְעִים shiv'im
• 80 שְׁמוֹנִים shmonim
• 90 תִּשְׁעִים tish'im
• 100 מֵאָה me'a · 1,000 אֶלֶף elef · 1,000,000 מִילְיוֹן million

Putting numbers together

Combine with ve- ('and'): 21 is esrim ve-achat, 47 is arba'im ve-sheva, 365 is shlosh me'ot shishim ve-chamesh. Zero is אֶפֶס efes — also what Israelis shout at a football match.

Numbers you will actually use

A few high-frequency phrases worth memorising whole.

• כַּמָּה זֶה עוֹלֶה kama ze ole — how much does it cost
• בֶּן כַּמָּה אַתָּה ben kama ata — how old are you (to a man)
• מָה הַשָּׁעָה ma hasha'a — what time is it
• פַּעַם אַחַת pa'am achat — one time · פַּעֲמַיִם pa'amayim — twice
• רִאשׁוֹן / שֵׁנִי / שְׁלִישִׁי rishon / sheni / shlishi — first / second / third

Letters as numbers

Hebrew letters double as numerals: א=1, ב=2, י=10, ק=100. That is why Jewish years look like תשפ״ו and why chai (חי) means 18 — the reason gifts are so often given in multiples of 18.

Hear them in real Hebrew

Numbers appear constantly in Israeli songs — years, ages, counting refrains. Shir-ly syncs the lyrics word by word with nikud and transliteration so you hear how numbers are stressed in natural speech, then practise them in the vocabulary games.

Frequently asked questions