# Ch11 Number Identification Drill — Hebrew Numbers

*For each Hebrew number-noun phrase: (1) identify the number word, (2) give its numeric value,
(3) note the gender polarity situation (if applicable), (4) provide a translation.*

*Gender Polarity column: write "yes — [noun gender] noun + [form used]" for items 1–10 where
polarity applies, "N/A (1–2)" for ones and twos, "N/A (tens)" for multiples of ten, or "yes"
for teen items that carry polarity.*

---

## Items

| # | Hebrew Phrase | Number Word | Value | Gender Polarity? | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | שִׁבְעָה יָמִים | | | | |
| 2 | שָׁלֹשׁ נָשִׁים | | | | |
| 3 | אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה | | | | |
| 4 | שְׁנֵי אֲנָשִׁים | | | | |
| 5 | עֶשֶׂר עָרִים | | | | |
| 6 | חֲמִשָּׁה שְׁבָטִים | | | | |
| 7 | שְׁתַּיִם עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה | | | | |
| 8 | שִׁשָּׁה בָּנִים | | | | |
| 9 | שְׁלֹשִׁים אִישׁ | | | | |
| 10 | תִּשְׁעָה אֲנָשִׁים | | | | |
| 11 | שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר שֵׁבֶט | | | | |
| 12 | אַרְבַּע בָּנוֹת | | | | |
| 13 | חֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר אִישׁ | | | | |
| 14 | שִׁבְעִים זָקֵן | | | | |
| 15 | שֵׁשׁ שָׁנִים | | | | |
| 16 | שְׁלֹשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה עִיר | | | | |
| 17 | בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי | | | | |
| 18 | בַּחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן | | | | |
| 19 | הַשַּׁעַר הַשֵּׁנִי | | | | |
| 20 | הַיּוֹם הָעֲשִׂירִי | | | | |

---

## Answer Key

### Items 1–8: Cardinals 1–10 (gender polarity)

| # | Hebrew Phrase | Number Word | Value | Gender Polarity? | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | שִׁבְעָה יָמִים | שִׁבְעָה | 7 | Yes — masc. noun (יָמִים) + ה-form | "seven days" |
| 2 | שָׁלֹשׁ נָשִׁים | שָׁלֹשׁ | 3 | Yes — fem. noun (נָשִׁים) + non-ה-form | "three women" |
| 3 | אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה | אַרְבָּעִים | 40 | N/A (tens — no polarity) | "forty years" |
| 4 | שְׁנֵי אֲנָשִׁים | שְׁנֵי | 2 | N/A (1–2 agree normally; construct form) | "two men" |
| 5 | עֶשֶׂר עָרִים | עֶשֶׂר | 10 | Yes — fem. noun (עָרִים) + non-ה-form | "ten cities" |
| 6 | חֲמִשָּׁה שְׁבָטִים | חֲמִשָּׁה | 5 | Yes — masc. noun (שְׁבָטִים) + ה-form | "five tribes" |
| 7 | שְׁתַּיִם עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה | שְׁתַּיִם עֶשְׂרֵה | 12 | N/A (teens — 12 uses dual form, no unit polarity) | "twelve years" |
| 8 | שִׁשָּׁה בָּנִים | שִׁשָּׁה | 6 | Yes — masc. noun (בָּנִים) + ה-form | "six sons" |

### Items 9–16: Tens and Teens

| # | Hebrew Phrase | Number Word | Value | Gender Polarity? | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | שְׁלֹשִׁים אִישׁ | שְׁלֹשִׁים | 30 | N/A (tens — invariable form) | "thirty men" |
| 10 | תִּשְׁעָה אֲנָשִׁים | תִּשְׁעָה | 9 | Yes — masc. noun (אֲנָשִׁים) + ה-form | "nine men" |
| 11 | שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר שֵׁבֶט | שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר | 12 | N/A (teens with masculine noun; עָשָׂר is the masculine form of ten) | "twelve tribes" |
| 12 | אַרְבַּע בָּנוֹת | אַרְבַּע | 4 | Yes — fem. noun (בָּנוֹת) + non-ה-form | "four daughters" |
| 13 | חֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר אִישׁ | חֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר | 15 | Yes (unit portion) — masc. noun + ה-form unit + עָשָׂר | "fifteen men" |
| 14 | שִׁבְעִים זָקֵן | שִׁבְעִים | 70 | N/A (tens — invariable form) | "seventy elders" |
| 15 | שֵׁשׁ שָׁנִים | שֵׁשׁ | 6 | Yes — fem. noun (שָׁנִים) + non-ה-form | "six years" |
| 16 | שְׁלֹשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה עִיר | שְׁלֹשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה | 13 | Yes (unit portion) — fem. noun (עִיר) + non-ה-form unit + עֶשְׂרֵה | "thirteen cities" |

### Items 17–20: Ordinals

| # | Hebrew Phrase | Number Word | Value | Gender Polarity? | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי | הַשְּׁבִיעִי | 7th | N/A (ordinal; agrees normally as adjective) | "on the seventh day" |
| 18 | בַּחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן | הָרִאשׁוֹן | 1st | N/A (ordinal; agrees normally as adjective) | "in the first month" |
| 19 | הַשַּׁעַר הַשֵּׁנִי | הַשֵּׁנִי | 2nd | N/A (ordinal; agrees normally as adjective) | "the second gate" |
| 20 | הַיּוֹם הָעֲשִׂירִי | הָעֲשִׂירִי | 10th | N/A (ordinal; agrees normally as adjective) | "the tenth day" |

---

## Notes on Selected Items

**Item 1 (שִׁבְעָה יָמִים):** יָמִים is the masculine plural of יוֹם ("day"). Because the noun is masculine, we use שִׁבְעָה (the ה-form). This is gender polarity in action.

**Item 2 (שָׁלֹשׁ נָשִׁים):** נָשִׁים is the suppletive plural of אִשָּׁה ("woman") — a feminine noun. Because the noun is feminine, we use שָׁלֹשׁ (without ה), the apparent "masculine" form.

**Item 5 (עֶשֶׂר עָרִים):** עָרִים is feminine plural (from עִיר, "city," a feminine noun). The non-ה-form עֶשֶׂר is therefore used. Note that עֲשָׂרָה would be used with masculine plural nouns.

**Item 7 / Item 11 (שְׁתַּיִם עֶשְׂרֵה / שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר):** The number 12 uses the dual of שְׁנַיִם for its unit portion, not the regular polarity pattern of 13–19. Nevertheless, the "ten" element still agrees: עָשָׂר with masculine nouns, עֶשְׂרֵה with feminine nouns.

**Item 16 (שְׁלֹשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה עִיר):** A teen number with a feminine noun. The noun עִיר appears in the **singular** (not plural) — the standard syntax for nouns after teens. The unit portion שְׁלֹשׁ is the non-ה-form, matching the feminine noun; עֶשְׂרֵה is the feminine form of "ten."

**Items 17–20 (ordinals):** All ordinals function as attributive adjectives — they follow the noun and take the definite article when the noun is definite. No gender polarity applies; ordinals agree normally.

---

## Reflection Questions

1. A student writes שָׁלֹשׁ אֲנָשִׁים for "three men." What is wrong, and what should it be?

2. How do you determine which form of the number 7 to use — שִׁבְעָה or שֶׁבַע — when translating "seven cities" (עָרִים)?

3. What is the difference between שִׁשָּׁה ("six," with a masculine noun) and שִׁשִּׁי ("sixth")? How does their syntactic behavior differ?

---

### Answers to Reflection Questions

**Question 1:** The student used the non-ה-form (שָׁלֹשׁ), which is used with **feminine** nouns. Since אֲנָשִׁים is **masculine** plural, the correct form is שְׁלֹשָׁה (the ה-form): שְׁלֹשָׁה אֲנָשִׁים.

**Question 2:** עָרִים (cities) is the plural of עִיר, which is a **feminine** noun. Because the noun is feminine, gender polarity requires the non-ה-form: שֶׁבַע עָרִים ("seven cities").

**Question 3:** שִׁשָּׁה is a **cardinal number** ("six") used to express quantity; it precedes or follows the noun and exhibits gender polarity (used with masculine nouns). שִׁשִּׁי is an **ordinal number** ("sixth"); it functions as an attributive adjective, always follows the noun, and agrees normally in gender and definiteness with its noun (e.g., בַּיּוֹם הַשִּׁשִּׁי, "on the sixth day").
