שניים

Hebrew

Hebrew numbers ^(edit)

	20
←  1	ב׳ 2	3  →
Cardinal: שניים (sh'náyim)     Ordinal: שני (shení)

Etymology

Root
שׁ־נ־ה (sh-n-h)

From Proto-Semitic *ṯin-.

Pronunciation

• (Biblical Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʃiˈnajm/
• (Samaritan Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʃe.nem/, [ˈʃeː.nəm]
• (Tiberian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈʃnajim/, [ʃaˈnaːjim]
• (Yemenite Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʃəˈnajim/, [ʃæˈnæːjim]
• (Persian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʃeˈnæjim/
• (Iraqi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʃeˈnajim/
• (Sephardi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʃeˈnajim/
• (Ashkenazi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈʃnajim/
• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈʃnajim/

• Audio:

  (file)

Numeral

שְׁנַייִם • (sh'náyim) m (defective spelling שְׁנַיִם, construct שְׁנֵי (sh'néi), feminine שְׁתַּייִם (shtáyim))

1. two

Usage notes

• In Modern Hebrew, unlike the numbers three through ten, when the number two directly precedes the noun it modifies, the construct forms שְׁנֵי and שְׁתֵּי must be used regardless of whether the noun is definite:

  שְׁנֵי סְפָרִים ― sh'néi s'farím ― two books

  שְׁתֵּי נָשִׁים ― shtéi nashím ― two women

  שְׁנֵי הַסְּפָרִים ― sh'néi has'farím ― the two books

  שְׁתֵּי הַנָּשִׁים ― shtéi hanashím ― the two women

• The construct form is not used for higher numbers ending in two, such as twenty two:

  עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁנַיִם סְפָרִים ― 'esrím ush'náyim s'farím ― twenty-two books

  עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁנַיִם הַסְּפָרִים ― 'esrím ush'náyim has'farím ― the twenty-two books

Coordinate terms

• Last: אֶחָד ('ekhád)
• Next: שְׁלוֹשָׁה (sh'loshá)

See also

• דּוּ (du-)