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 (ha-shamáyim).

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

• שְׁמֵימִי (shmeymiy)

Further reading

• שמים on the Hebrew Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^he