איש

Hebrew

Root
א־נ־שׁ (ʾ-n-sh)

Etymology

From Proto-Semitic *ʔinš- (“man, person”). See also *ʔināš- (“human”). Compare cognates in other Semitic languages (e.g. Moabite, Aramaic, etc.) ('šm in some).

Pronunciation

• (Biblical Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʔiːʃ/
• (Tiberian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈʔiːʃ/, [ˈʔiː.iʃ]
• (Yemenite Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈʔiʃ/, [ˈʔiːʃ]
• (Persian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /(ʔ)iʃ/
• (Ashkenazi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /iʃ/
• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /(ʔ)iʃ/

• Audio:

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Noun

אִישׁ • ('ish) m (plural indefinite אֲנָשִׁים, singular construct אִישׁ־, plural construct אַנְשֵׁי־, feminine counterpart אישה / אִשָּׁה)

1. A man, adult male human being.
2. A husband, a male spouse.
   • Tanach, 2 Kings 4:26, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     עַתָּה רוּץ נָא לִקְרָאתָהּ וֶאֱמָר לָהּ הֲשָׁלוֹם לָךְ הֲשָׁלוֹם לְאִישֵׁךְ הֲשָׁלוֹם לַיָּלֶד וַתֹּאמֶר שָׁלוֹם.

     atá rúts ná lik'ratáh ve'emár láh hashalóm lákh hashalóm l'ishékh hashalóm layéled vatómer shalóm

     Run, I pray thee, now to meet her, and say unto her: Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child?' And she answered: 'It is well.'

Declension

Declension of אִישׁ

Number	Isolated forms		With possessive pronouns
	State	Form	Person	singular		plural
				m.	f.	m.	f.
singular	indefinite	אִישׁ	first	אִישִׁי		אִישֵׁנוּ
	definite	הָאִישׁ	second	אִישְׁךָ	אִישֵׁךְ	אִישְׁכֶם	אִישְׁכֶן
	construct	אִישׁ־	third	אִישׁוֹ	אִישָׁהּ	אִישָׁם	אִישָׁן
plural	indefinite	אֲנָשִׁים	first	אנשיי / אֲנָשַׁי		אֲנָשֵׁינוּ
	definite	הָאֲנָשִׁים	second	אֲנָשֶׁיךָ	אנשייך / אֲנָשַׁיִךְ	אַנְשֵׁיכֶם	אַנְשֵׁיכֶן
	construct	אַנְשֵׁי־	third	אֲנָשָׁיו	אֲנָשֶׁיהָ	אַנְשֵׁיהֶם	אַנְשֵׁיהֶן

Synonyms

• (husband): בַּעַל (bá`al)
• (adult male): גֶּבֶר (géver)

Derived terms

• אישי (ishí)
• אישיות (ishiyút)
• אִישׁ דְּבָרִים (ísh dvarím)
• אִישׁוֹן (ishón)
• אִישׁ עֲסָקִים (ísh asakím)
• אִישׁ קַשׁ (ísh kash)
• אִישׁ שֶׁלֶג (ísh shéleg)
• אֵשֶׁת אִישׁ (éshet ísh)
• בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁאֵין אֲנָשִׁים, הִשְׁתַּדֵּל לִהְיוֹת אִישׁ (b'makóm she'én anashím, hishtadél lihyót ísh)

See also

• חבוב

Pronoun

אִישׁ • ('ish) m

1. (formal, in negative sentences) Anyone.

   רבים ניסו, אך איש לא הצליח.

   rabím nisú, akh ish lo hitzlíakh.

   Many tried, but none [literally not a man] succeeded.

   • Tanach, Exodus 16:19, with translation of the New International Version:

     וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֲלֵהֶם אִישׁ אַל־יוֹתֵר מִמֶּנּוּ עַד־בֹּקֶר׃

     Then Moses said to them, "No one is to keep any of it until morning."

References

• H376 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible