# Forming plural in Hebrew



## Apus

I have noticed that the suffix -im is (sometimes ?) a plural form in Hebrew (have no example at present). Is this form the usual plural ?


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## utopia

x-im and x-ot  are the only plurals we have, and they are used USUALLY but not always as - the first for male and the second female plurals.


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## JLanguage

utopia said:
			
		

> x-im and x-ot are the only plurals we have, and they are used USUALLY but not always as - the first for male and the second female plurals.


 
But what about the ones like בני מיכל?


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## amikama

JLanguage said:
			
		

> But what about the ones like בני מיכל?


 What do you mean by בני מיכל? "My son Michal"? "Michal's sons"? Something else?


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## JLanguage

amikama said:
			
		

> What do you mean by בני מיכל? "My son Michal"? "Michal's sons"? Something else?


 
Michael's sons. That's a bad example. מה שרציתי לומר זה על רבים כמו בית-כנסת/בתי-כנסת ובית-קוברות/בתי-קוברות.

תודה מראש,
-יונתן


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## elroy

In that case the ם of the plural suffix is dropped because of the genitive construction.


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## Apus

Thanks a many, *Utopia* !


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## Ali Smith

utopia said:


> x-im and x-ot  are the only plurals we have, and they are used USUALLY but not always as - the first for male and the second female plurals.


Here's an example of a cross-dresser: לְבֵנִים (plural of לְבֵנָה 'sun-baked brick'), as in

וְעַתָּה֙ לְכ֣וּ עִבְד֔וּ וְתֶ֖בֶן לֹא־יִנָּתֵ֣ן לָכֶ֑ם וְתֹ֥כֶן לְבֵנִ֖ים תִּתֵּֽנוּ׃
(שמות ה יח)


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## Abaye

Ali Smith said:


> Here's an example of a cross-dresser: לְבֵנִים (plural of לְבֵנָה 'sun-baked brick'), as in
> 
> וְעַתָּה֙ לְכ֣וּ עִבְד֔וּ וְתֶ֖בֶן לֹא־יִנָּתֵ֣ן לָכֶ֑ם וְתֹ֥כֶן לְבֵנִ֖ים תִּתֵּֽנוּ׃
> (שמות ה יח)


There are many many examples.
Read also סיומת הרבים – בין קביעוּת להתרוצצוּת - האקדמיה ללשון העברית.


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## JAN SHAR

The most famous example of a "cross dresser" by far is שנה (year) whose plural is שנים, not שנות.


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