שעה

Hebrew

Root
שׁ־ע־ה (sh-ʿ-h)

Pronunciation

• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʃaˈ(ʔ)a/
• (Tiberian Hebrew) IPA^(key): [ʃɔːˈʕɔː]

Etymology 1

From Aramaic שעתא (šāʿəṯā). Cognate with Arabic سَاعَة (sāʕa).

Noun

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

1. hour: a period of time, defined variously (depending on time period, and on religious versus secular purposes), but currently usually sixty minutes.

   מָה הַשָּׁעָה? ― ma hasha'á? ― What time is it? (literally, “what is the hour?”)

2. (by extension) time
   • 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.

Derived terms

• השעות הקטנות (hasha'ót hak'tanót)
• שָׁעוֹן (sha'ón)

 

See also

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

 

Further reading

• H8160 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible

Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Verb

שָׁעָה • (sha'á) (pa'al construction)

1. (Biblical Hebrew or literary) To look, gaze at or about.
   • Tanach, 2 Samuel 22:42, with translation of the English Standard Version:

     יִשְׁעוּ וְאֵין מֹשִׁיעַ אֶל־יְהוָה וְלֹא עָנָֽם׃

     They looked, but there was none to save; they cried to the LORD, but he did not answer them.

2. (Biblical Hebrew) To have respect.
   • Tanach, Genesis 4:5, with translation of the King James Version:

     וְאֶל־קַיִן וְאֶל־מִנְחָתֹו לֹא שָׁעָה […]

     But unto Cain and to his offering He had not respect […]

Conjugation

Conjugation of שָׁעָה (see also Appendix:Hebrew verbs) 

non-finite forms		to-infinitive: לִשְׁעוֹת action noun: — passive participle: —
finite forms		singular		plural
		m.	f.	m.	f.
past	first	שָׁעִיתִי		שָׁעִינוּ
	second	שָׁעִיתָ	שָׁעִית	שְׁעִיתֶם1	שְׁעִיתֶן1
	third	שָׁעָה	שָׁעֲתָה	שָׁעוּ
present		שׁוֹעֶה	שׁוֹעָה	שׁוֹעִים	שׁוֹעוֹת
future	first	אֶשְׁעֶה		נִשְׁעֶה
	second	תִּשְׁעֶה	תִּשְׁעִי	תִּשְׁעוּ	תִּשְׁעֶינָה2
	third	יִשְׁעֶה	תִּשְׁעֶה	יִשְׁעוּ	תִּשְׁעֶינָה2
imperative		שְׁעֵה	שְׁעִי	שְׁעוּ	שְׁעֶינָה2
notes		Pronounced שָׁעִיתֶם and שָׁעִיתֶן in informal Modern Hebrew. Rare in Modern Hebrew.

Anagrams

• עשה

Yiddish

Alternative forms

• שאָ (sho) — Soviet phonetic spelling

Etymology

From Hebrew שָׁעָה.

Pronunciation

• (YIVO) IPA^(key): /ʃɔ/
• (Poylish) IPA^(key): /ʃʊ/, [ʃu]

Noun

שעה • (sho) f, plural שעהן (shoen)

1. hour

Derived terms

• שעהנווײַז (shoenvayz)