איש

Hebrew

Etymology

Root
א־נ־שׁ (ʾ-n-sh)

From Proto-Semitic *ʾš (“man, person”). Compare cognates in other Semitic languages (e.g. Moabite, Aramaic, etc.) ('šm in some).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʔiʃ/

Noun

אִישׁ • ('ish) m (plural indefinite אֲנָשִׁים, singular construct אִישׁ־, plural construct אַנְשֵׁי־, feminine counterpart אישה / אִשָּׁה)

1. A man, adult male human being.
2. A husband, a male spouse.
   • Tanach, 2 Kings 4:26:

     (please add the primary text of this quotation)

     JPS

     
     

     עַתָּה רוּץ נָא לִקְרָאתָהּ וֶאֱמָר לָהּ הֲשָׁלוֹם לָךְ הֲשָׁלוֹם לְאִישֵׁךְ הֲשָׁלוֹם לַיָּלֶד וַתֹּאמֶר שָׁלוֹם.

     atá rúts ná lik'ratáh ve'emár láh hashalóm lákh hashalóm l'ishékh hashalóm layéled vatómer shalóm

     Run, I pray thee, now to meet her, and say unto her: Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child?' And she answered: 'It is well.'

3. (slang) Man, dude, used as a term of address.

Declension

Declension of אִישׁ

Number	Isolated forms		With possessive pronouns
	State	Form	Person	singular		plural
				m.	f.	m.	f.
singular	indefinite	אִישׁ	first	אִישִׁי		אִישֵׁנוּ
	definite	הָאִישׁ	second	אִישְׁךָ	אִישֵׁךְ	אִישְׁכֶם	אִישְׁכֶן
	construct	אִישׁ־	third	אִישׁוֹ	אִישָׁהּ	אִישָׁם	אִישָׁן
plural	indefinite	אֲנָשִׁים	first	אנשיי / אֲנָשַׁי		אֲנָשֵׁינוּ
	definite	הָאֲנָשִׁים	second	אֲנָשֶׁיךָ	אנשייך / אֲנָשַׁיִךְ	אַנְשֵׁיכֶם	אַנְשֵׁיכֶן
	construct	אַנְשֵׁי־	third	אֲנָשָׁיו	אֲנָשֶׁיהָ	אַנְשֵׁיהֶם	אַנְשֵׁיהֶן

Synonyms

• (husband): בעל (ba`al)

Derived terms

• אישי (ishí)
• אישיות (ishiyút)

See also

• חבוב

Pronoun

אִישׁ • ('ish) m

1. (formal, in negative sentences) Anyone.

   רבים ניסו, אך איש לא הצליח.

   rabím nisú, akh ish lo hitzlíakh.

   Many tried, but none [literally not a man] succeeded.

References

• H376 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible