שלושה

Hebrew

Hebrew numbers ^(edit)

	30
←  2	ג׳ 3	4  →
Cardinal: שלושה (sh'loshá)     Ordinal: שלישי (sh'lishí)

Etymology

Root
שׁ־ל־שׁ (sh-l-sh)

From Proto-Canaanite *šalōšat, from Proto-Northwest Semitic *ṯalāṯatu, from Proto-Semitic *ṯalāṯatum. Compare Phoenician 𐤔𐤋𐤔𐤕 (šlšt) and Arabic ثَلَاثَة (ṯalāṯa).

Pronunciation

• (Biblical Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʃa.loːˈʃaː/
• (Samaritan Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʃe.lɒ.ʃa/, [ʃeːˈlɒː.ʃæˑ]
• (Tiberian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʃ.loːˈʃɔː/, [ʃa.loˑˈʃɔː]
• (Yemenite Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʃə.løˈʃɔ/, [ʃæ.løːˈʃɔː]
• (Persian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʃe.loˈʃɒ/
• (Iraqi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʃe.loˈʃa/
• (Sephardi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʃe.loˈʃa/
• (Ashkenazi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʃlojˈʃɔ/
• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʃloˈʃa/

• Audio:

  (file)

Numeral

שְׁלוֹשָׁה • (sh'loshá) m (defective spelling שְׁלֹשָׁה, construct שְׁלוֹשֶׁת (sh'lóshet), feminine שָׁלוֹשׁ (shalósh))

1. three

Usage notes

• In Modern Hebrew, when the numbers three through ten modify a definite masculine noun and are directly preceding it, the construct form is used:

  שְׁלוֹשָׁה סְפָרִים ― sh'loshá s'farím ― three books

  שְׁלֹשֶׁת הַסְּפָרִים ― sh'lóshet has'farím ― the three books

• The construct form is not used for higher numbers ending in three, such as twenty-three:

  עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁלוֹשָׁה הַסְּפָרִים ― 'esrím ush'loshá has'farím ― the twenty-three books

• In colloquial Modern Hebrew, the form שָׁלוֹשׁ (shalósh) is often used regardless of gender.

Coordinate terms

• Last: שניים / שְׁנַיִם (sh'náyim)
• Next: אַרְבָּעָה ('arba'á)