# באיזה שעה



## sawyeric1

In unit 10 of phase 1 of Pimsleur Modern Hebrew, it teaches this phrase to mean "what time?" But if שעה is a feminine noun, shouldn't it be "איזו" instead? Did Pimsleur make a huge error?

Thanks


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## aavichai

You are right that it is more accurate to say איזו because השעה is feminine

but in the spoken hebrew, it is common to say also איזה

I guess that the איזה became through time the "general" form
and it is used especially in common wuestion
like
איזה שעה and איזה שנה as well

even in plural
In what years was...
באיזה שנים 

even though it is more accurate to say
באלו שנים /באלה שנים
באלו שעות / באלה שעות

but you right about what you said in the accurate way


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## slus

aavichai is correct, but it is important to stress that איזה שעה is not proper Hebrew, although quite common.
The correct form is באיזו שעה.


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## utopia

באלו שנים /באלה שנים
באלו שעות / באלה שעות

It's wrong.

*באילו שנים*

- EILU is the *only* plural form of both איזה and איזו.

Elu (ellu) and Ele (elle) are the plurals of ze and zo!!!


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## aavichai

You tight

I made a confusion with the two forms


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## sawyeric1

Would it sound weird to say באיזו שעה though?


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## aavichai

it wouldn't sound weird

just most people say באיזה

but if you hear באיזו - it goes smoothly as well


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## Ali Smith

sawyeric1: I've done the entire Pimsleur Hebrew course (90 lessons) twice, and I can tell you that this isn't the only place it teaches you substandard Hebrew. For instance, one lesson had something like the following dialogue:

X: אני לא רוצה לאכול איתך היום.
Y: ומחר?

The pronunciation for the last line was "ve-makhar", even though standard Hebrew would require "u-makhar".

So, take what Pimsleur teaches you with a grain of salt.


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## Drink

It's not "substandard". It's the most common way to pronounce it. You'll almost never "u-machar", even in formal settings, except from experienced newscasters or something.


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## Ali Smith

Also from Pimsleur: הקשיבו וענו (Listen and answer!). They pronounce וענו as ve-anu instead of va-anu.

Drink: Are both acceptable?


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## Drink

The same thing I said in my previous comment applies here too.


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