שמים

Hebrew

Etymology

From Proto-Semitic *šamāy- (“sky, heaven”). Cognate with Arabic سَمَاء (samāʔ, “sky”).

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -im
• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʃaˈmajim/
• (Tiberian Hebrew) IPA^(key): [ʃɔːˈmaːjim]

Noun

שמיים / שָׁמַיִם • (shamáyim) m pl (singular construct שְׁמֵי־, Biblical Hebrew pausal form שָׁמָיִם)

1. (dual tantum) The sky, skies, heavens, heaven.

Usage notes

• Like its English translations, the word is usually found in the definite form הַשָּׁמַיִם (hashamáyim).

Declension

Declension of שָׁמַיִם

Number	Isolated forms		With possessive pronouns
	State	Form	Person	singular		plural
				m.	f.	m.	f.
plural	indefinite	שָׁמַיִם	first	שמיי / שָׁמַי		שָׁמֵינוּ
	definite	הַשָּׁמַיִם	second	שָׁמֶיךָ	שמייך / שָׁמַיִךְ	שְׁמֵיכֶם	שְׁמֵיכֶן
	construct	שְׁמֵי־	third	שָׁמָיו	שָׁמֶיהָ	שְׁמֵיהֶם	שְׁמֵיהֶן

Synonyms

• שְׁחָקִים m pl (sh'khakím)

Derived terms

• יִרְאַת שָׁמַיִם (yir'át shamáyim)
• שְׁמֵימִי (shmeymí)

Further reading

• שמים on the Hebrew Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^he