שניים

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Hebrew[edit]

Hebrew cardinal numbers
<  1 2 3  >
    Cardinal : שְׁנַייִם (sh'náyim)
    Ordinal : שֵׁנִי(shení)

Etymology[edit]

Root
שׁ־נ־ה(š-n-h)

From Proto-Semitic *ṯin-.

Pronunciation[edit]

Numeral[edit]

שְׁנַייִם (sh'náyimm (defective spelling שְׁנַיִם‎, construct שְׁנֵי(sh'néi), feminine שְׁתַּייִם(shtáyim))

  1. two

Usage notes[edit]

  • In Modern Hebrew, unlike the numbers three through ten, when the number two directly precedes the noun it modifies, the construct forms שְׁנֵי‎ and שְׁתֵּי‎ must be used regardless of whether the noun is definite:
    שְׁנֵי סְפָרִים‎ ― sh'néi s'farímtwo books
    שְׁתֵּי נָשִׁים‎ ― shtéi nashímtwo women
    שְׁנֵי הַסְּפָרִים‎ ― sh'néi has'farímthe two books
    שְׁתֵּי הַנָּשִׁים‎ ― shtéi hanashímthe two women
  • The construct form is not used for higher numbers ending in two, such as twenty two:
    עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁנַיִם סְפָרִים‎ ― 'esrím ush'náyim s'farímtwenty-two books
    עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁנַיִם הַסְּפָרִים‎ ― 'esrím ush'náyim has'farímthe twenty-two books

Coordinate terms[edit]

See also[edit]