שעה

Hebrew

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʃaˈ(ʔ)a/

Noun

שָׁעָה • (sha'á) f (dual indefinite שעתיים / שְׁעָתַיִם, plural indefinite שָׁעוֹת, singular construct שְׁעַת־, plural construct שְׁעוֹת־)

1. An hour: a period of time, defined variously (depending on time period, and on religious versus secular purposes), but currently usually sixty minutes.
   • a. 217 C.E., Mishnah, Avot 2:3:

     הֱווּ זְהִירִין בָּרָשׁוּת, שֶׁאֵין מְקָרְבִין לוֹ לְאָדָם אֶלָּא לְצֹרֶךְ עַצְמָן; נִרְאִין כְּאוֹהֲבִין בִּשְׁעַת הֲנָאָתָן, וְאֵין עוֹמְדִין לוֹ לָאָדָם בִּשְׁעַת דָּחֳקוֹ.

     hevú z'hirín barashút, she'ein m'kar'vín ló l'adám 'elá l'tsórekh 'atsmán; nir'ín k'ohavín bish'át hana'atán, v'ein 'om'dín ló la'adám bish'át dokhokó.

     Beware of government, for they befriend a man only for their own benefit; they act friendly when it benefits them, but they do not stand by a man in his time of need.

2. The time.

   מה השעה?

   ma hasha'á?

   What time is it? (lit. what is the hour?)

See also

• דַּקָּה (daká, “minute”)
• שְׁנִיָּה (sh'niyá, “second”)

Anagrams

• עשה

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Yiddish

Alternative forms

• שאָ (sho) — Soviet phonetic spelling

Etymology

From Hebrew שָׁעָה.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʃɔ/

Noun

שעה • (sho) f, plural שעהן (shoen)

1. hour