An adjective is a word that describes or modifies a noun.
| A | student | wrote | a | letter. | |
| n | n | ||||
| A | tall | student | wrote | a | letter. |
| adj | n | n | |||
| A | student | wrote | a | long | letter. |
| n | adj | n |
In an English sentence, the subject (s) or the object (o) is usually a noun. An adjective can describe or modify both the subject and the object.
| A | tall | student | wrote | a | long | letter. |
| adj | n | adj | n |
| good | book | טוֹב | סֵפֶר | |
| adj | n | adj | n |
In English, the adjective comes before the noun it modifies (describes). In Hebrew, the adjuective follows the noun it modifies.
| m.s. | טוֹב | תַּלְמִיד |
| f.s. | טוֹבָה | תַּלְמִידָה |
| m.pl. | טוֹבִים | תַּלְמִידִים |
| f.pl. | טוֹבוֹת | תַּלְמִידוֹת |
| a large house | בַּיִת גָּדוֹל |
| the large house | הַבַּיִת הַגָּדוֹל |
If the noun is definite (has a ה before it), the adjective that modifies it must also be definite. It must also have a ה before it.
1. In Hebrew, adjectives always follow the noun they modify.
מוֹרֶה טוֹב
יַלְדָּה יָפָה
2. Adjectives must agree with the noun in number and gender.
יֶלֶד חָדָשׁ
כִּתָּה טוֹבָה
תַּלְמִידִים חֲכָמִים
מנוֹרוֹת גְּדוֹלוֹת
3. If the noun is indefinite, the adjective must also be indefinite.
בֵּן קָטָן
תְּפִלָּה יָפָה
If the noun is definite, the adjective must also be definite.
הַבֵּן הַקָּטָן
הַתְּפִלָּה הַיּפָה
| The house (is) big. | הַבַּיִת גָּדוֹל |
| the big house... | הַבַּיִת הַגָּדוֹל |