Jill Suzanne Jacobs - Hebrew For Dummies

To count by thousands, first you say the feminine number of the quantity of thousands and then follow it with the word for thousands, אֲלָפִי (ah-lah -feem ). This pattern continues to 1 million. The Hebrew word for 1,000 is אֶלֶף(eh- lehf ), and the word for 2,000 is אַלְפַּיִם(ahl- pah- yeem):

Several chapters in this book give you an opportunity to practice using numbers. Check out Chapter 9to find out how to ask for and give phone numbers. Also see Chapter 14, which is all about money. Don’t you love counting money?

Hebrew is no ordinary language. Quite the contrary. Hebrew dates back more than 3,500 years to antiquity, and the Hebrew alphabet is quite possibly the first alphabet known to humankind. Hebrew was the language of King David and King Solomon, and the Bible’s original language. Furthermore, ancient people called the Phoenicians based their alphabet on the Hebrew alphabet. The Greeks based their alphabet on the Phoenicians’ letters. And the Latin letters you’re reading right now are derived from the Greeks’ letters! So, although the Hebrew language may look a little different, only four degrees separate it from what you’re used to.

In Jewish circles, using the terms CE (Common Era) and BCE (Before the Common Era) instead of the terms AD ( Anno Domini, or year of our Lord) and B. (Before Christ) is customary. In Hebrew, you say לִפְנֵי הַסְּפִירָה(leef- nahy hah-sfee- rah; before the counting ) and אַחֲרֵיהַסְּפִירָה (ah-chah- ray hah-sfee- rah; after the counting ) . 2021/22 is 5782, dated from the time of Creation, placed at 3761 BCE.

The Hebrew alphabet is one of the oldest alphabets still in use today. Even though the letters look different from the Latin characters that comprise the English alphabet, don’t be intimidated! Just spend some time memorizing the shapes and sounds of these Hebrew letters and reading Hebrew will be easier!

Like many ancient alphabets, the Hebrew alphabet is written from right to left. Hebrew consists of 22 letters, all of which are consonants. Vowels aren’t written within the consonant letters; rather, they’re written in the form of dots and dashes below the consonant letters. For a more complete discussion of Hebrew vowels, see “ Those dots and dashes they call vowels” later in this chapter.

The pronunciation I provide in this book is the Sephardic (Mediterranean) pronunciation, which is spoken in Israel today. Ashkenazi (European) pronunciation differs slightly; the vowels, for example, have different pronunciations, and a few consonants are different as well. I use Sephardic pronunciation in this book.

Table 1-5shows the Hebrew letters and their sounds.

TABLE 1-5The Hebrew Alphabet