What does "two" mean in Hebrew?
Hebrew has one number two, and it comes in several shapes. Standing alone, it is שניים (shnayim) when it goes with a masculine noun and שתיים (shtayim) when it goes with a feminine one. Before a noun the number shortens to שני (shnei) with masculine nouns and שתי (shtei) with feminine nouns: שני ילדים (shnei yeladim), "two children"; שתי בנות (shtei banot), "two daughters." The full forms end in the old Hebrew dual ending, -ayim, the ending that marks a pair. Of the small numbers, two is the only one that carries it, and it can be used on its own like a noun: אנחנו שניים (anakhnu shnayim), "we are two."
The first thing a learner must see is that the form of the number is decided by where it stands:
- Standing alone, in counting, in answering "how many?", in telling the time, or as a noun: שניים (m.), שתיים (f.). Counting with no noun uses the feminine: אחת, שתיים, שלוש (akhat, shtayim, shalosh). - Before a noun: שני (m.) or שתי (f.), and the noun is in the plural: שני ספרים, שתי מילים. The article, if there is one, belongs to the noun and not to the number: שני הספרים (shnei ha-sfarim), "the two books." - With a pronoun ending: שנינו (shneinu), "the two of us," שניהם (shneihem), "both of them." Section D gives the set.
Unlike the numbers three to ten, two does not turn the gender around. The feminine number goes with feminine nouns and the masculine with masculine nouns, as one would expect.
Time words are the second great surprise. For "two days" Hebrew does not say "two days" at all: it has a single dual word, יומיים (yomayim). The same is true of שבועיים (shavu'ayim), "two weeks," חודשיים (khodshayim), "two months," שנתיים (shnatayim), "two years," שעתיים (sha'atayim), "two hours," and פעמיים (pa'amayim), "twice." These words already contain the number, so one does not put שני in front of them. For minutes, which have no dual word in ordinary use, the number is used in the usual way: שתי דקות (shtei dakot).
A note on spelling, because two words are easily confused. The Academy of the Hebrew Language's full spelling writes the number "two" with a doubled yod: שניים and שתיים. The older spelling שנים and שתים is still printed in the Bible and the Mishnah and is kept in the compounds of twelve (Section D, rule 10). A bare שנים (shanim) is the word for "years," plural of שנה. In the full spelling the two cannot be mistaken for each other: שניים is "two" and שנים is "years." The bound forms שני and שתי are written the same in both spellings, and שני is also the word for "second" (m.), so it is the context that tells whether a text says "two" or "second."
The word has an ancient family. The number two is shared by the Semitic languages (Arabic has ithnān), and a Hebrew learner can link it with the verb שנה (shana), "to repeat," which gives the name of the Mishnah (משנה), "teaching by repetition," and the word שני, "second." The link is a memory aid and not a claim about how the words were formed: to repeat a thing is to say it a second time. The feminine שתיים has a ת where the masculine has a נ, and the learner should simply memorise the two shapes.
Do not mix שניים with its neighbours:
- זוג (zug) — "a pair, a couple": זוג נעליים (zug na'alayim), "a pair of shoes." A זוג is two things that belong together; שניים is only the number. - כפול (kaful) — "double": מחיר כפול (mekhir kaful), "a double price." - שני as an ordinal — "second": הבן השני (ha-ben ha-sheni), "the second son"; יום שני (yom sheni), "Monday." - שנייה (shniya) — "a second" of time, and the feminine "second": רק שנייה (rak shniya), "just a second."
- שניים (shnayim) m. and שתיים (shtayim) f. = "two" standing alone; שני (shnei) m. and שתי (shtei) f. = "two" before a plural noun - The number agrees with the gender of the noun: שני ילדים but שתי בנות (the reversed agreement of 3 to 10 does not apply to two) - The article goes on the noun: שני הספרים, שתי הבנות - Time words use their own dual form: יומיים, שבועיים, חודשיים, שנתיים, שעתיים, פעמיים; never "שני יומיים" - With endings: שנינו (the two of us), שניכם (the two of you), שניהם (both of them, m.), שתיהן (both of them, f.) - Telling the time: השעה שתיים (it is two o'clock), בשתיים (at two), שתיים וחצי (half past two) - שני is also "second" and "Monday" (יום שני); שנייה is "a second"; "twice as much" is פי שניים (always masculine) - Proverb of the lesson: טובים השניים מן האחד, "two are better than one" (Ecclesiastes 4:9)
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58.1a אנחנו we שניים two
58.1b anakhnu (a-NAKH-nu) we shnayim (shna-YEEM) two-M
58.2a יש there-is לי to-me שני two ילדים children
58.2b yesh (YESH) there-is li (LEE) to-1SG shnei (SHNEI) two-M.CONSTR yeladim (ye-la-DEEM) child-M.PL
58.3a יש there-is לה to-her שתי two בנות daughters
58.3b yesh (YESH) there-is la (LA) to-3F.SG shtei (SHTEI) two-F.CONSTR banot (ba-NOT) daughter-F.PL
58.4a אחת one שתיים two שלוש three
58.4b akhat (a-KHAT) one-F shtayim (shta-YEEM) two-F shalosh (sha-LOSH) three-F
58.5a השעה the-hour שתיים two וחצי and-half
58.5b ha-sha'a (ha-sha-A) the-hour-F.SG shtayim (shta-YEEM) two-F ve-khetsi (ve-KHE-tsi) and-half-M.SG
58.6a אני I צריך need שני two כרטיסים tickets
58.6b ani (a-NEE) I tsarikh (tsa-REEKH) need-PRES.M.SG shnei (SHNEI) two-M.CONSTR kartisim (kar-ti-SEEM) ticket-M.PL
58.7a הם they גרים live כאן here כבר already יומיים two-days
58.7b hem (HEM) they-M garim (ga-REEM) live-PRES.M.PL kan (KAN) here kvar (KVAR) already yomayim (yo-MA-yim) two-days-DUAL
58.8a שני two הספרים the-books על on השולחן the-table
58.8b shnei (SHNEI) two-M.CONSTR ha-sfarim (ha-sfa-REEM) the-book-M.PL al (AL) on ha-shulkhan (ha-shul-KHAN) the-table-M.SG
58.9a שתי two הבנות the-girls לומדות study יחד together
58.9b shtei (SHTEI) two-F.CONSTR ha-banot (ha-ba-NOT) the-girl-F.PL lomdot (lom-DOT) study-PRES.F.PL yakhad (ya-KHAD) together
58.10a שנינו both-of-us אוהבים like קפה coffee
58.10b shneinu (shne-NU) two-1PL ohavim (o-ha-VEEM) like-PRES.M.PL kafe (ka-FE) coffee-M.SG
58.11a הוא he קנה bought שתי two כוסות glasses ושני and-two ספלים cups
58.11b hu (HOO) he kana (ka-NA) buy-PAST.3M.SG shtei (SHTEI) two-F.CONSTR kosot (ko-SOT) glass-F.PL u-shnei (u-SHNEI) and-two-M.CONSTR sfalim (sfa-LEEM) cup-M.PL
58.12a אחרי after שעתיים two-hours של of נסיעה driving הגענו we-arrived לים to-the-sea
58.12b akhrei (a-kha-REI) after sha'atayim (sha-a-TA-yim) two-hours-DUAL shel (SHEL) of nesi'a (ne-SEE-a) driving-F.SG higanu (hi-GA-nu) arrive-PAST.1PL la-yam (la-YAM) to-the-sea-M.SG
58.13a הפגישה the-meeting ביום on-day שני second בשתיים at-two
58.13b ha-pgisha (ha-pgi-SHA) the-meeting-F.SG ba-yom (ba-YOM) on-day-M.SG sheni (she-NEE) second-M.SG bi-shtayim (bish-ta-YEEM) at-two-F
58.14a פעמיים twice בשבוע in-the-week הם they נפגשים meet בבית in-house הקפה the-coffee
58.14b pa'amayim (pa-a-MA-yim) twice-DUAL ba-shavua (ba-sha-VU-a) in-the-week-M.SG hem (HEM) they-M nifgashim (nif-ga-SHEEM) meet-PRES.M.PL be-veit (be-VEIT) in-house-M.SG.CONSTR ha-kafe (ha-ka-FE) the-coffee-M.SG
58.15a קיבלו received אותי me בשתי with-two ידיים hands
58.15b kiblu (kib-LU) receive-PAST.3PL oti (o-TEE) me-ACC.1SG bi-shtei (bish-TEI) with-two-F.CONSTR yadayim (ya-DA-yim) hand-F.DUAL
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58.1 אנחנו שניים — anakhnu shnayim — "We are two." (There are two of us.)
58.2 יש לי שני ילדים — yesh li shnei yeladim — "I have two children."
58.3 יש לה שתי בנות — yesh la shtei banot — "She has two daughters."
58.4 אחת, שתיים, שלוש — akhat, shtayim, shalosh — "One, two, three." (counting)
58.5 השעה שתיים וחצי — ha-sha'a shtayim ve-khetsi — "It is half past two."
58.6 אני צריך שני כרטיסים — ani tsarikh shnei kartisim — "I need two tickets." (a man speaking)
58.7 הם גרים כאן כבר יומיים — hem garim kan kvar yomayim — "They have already been living here for two days."
58.8 שני הספרים על השולחן — shnei ha-sfarim al ha-shulkhan — "The two books are on the table."
58.9 שתי הבנות לומדות יחד — shtei ha-banot lomdot yakhad — "The two girls study together."
58.10 שנינו אוהבים קפה — shneinu ohavim kafe — "We both like coffee."
58.11 הוא קנה שתי כוסות ושני ספלים — hu kana shtei kosot u-shnei sfalim — "He bought two glasses and two cups."
58.12 אחרי שעתיים של נסיעה הגענו לים — akhrei sha'atayim shel nesi'a higanu la-yam — "After two hours of driving we reached the sea."
58.13 הפגישה ביום שני בשתיים — ha-pgisha ba-yom sheni bi-shtayim — "The meeting is on Monday at two."
58.14 פעמיים בשבוע הם נפגשים בבית הקפה — pa'amayim ba-shavua hem nifgashim be-veit ha-kafe — "Twice a week they meet at the café."
58.15 קיבלו אותי בשתי ידיים — kiblu oti bi-shtei yadayim — "They welcomed me with open arms."
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58.1 אנחנו שניים
58.2 יש לי שני ילדים
58.3 יש לה שתי בנות
58.4 אחת, שתיים, שלוש
58.5 השעה שתיים וחצי
58.6 אני צריך שני כרטיסים
58.7 הם גרים כאן כבר יומיים
58.8 שני הספרים על השולחן
58.9 שתי הבנות לומדות יחד
58.10 שנינו אוהבים קפה
58.11 הוא קנה שתי כוסות ושני ספלים
58.12 אחרי שעתיים של נסיעה הגענו לים
58.13 הפגישה ביום שני בשתיים
58.14 פעמיים בשבוע הם נפגשים בבית הקפה
58.15 קיבלו אותי בשתי ידיים
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1. The two shapes of the number: alone and before a noun. The free forms are שניים (shnayim, m.) and שתיים (shtayim, f.). They are used when no noun follows: counting (58.4), the time (58.5, 58.13), the answer to a question ("how many?" — "שניים"), and a number standing for people or things already named (58.1, 58.23). The bound forms are שני (shnei, m.) and שתי (shtei, f.), the shapes the number takes when it stands directly before the noun it counts (58.2, 58.3, 58.6, 58.8, 58.9, 58.11). The two sets belong to the old distinction between the absolute and the construct state, which Hebrew keeps for this number and for nouns such as בית / בית־ (bayit / beit), "house / house of."
2. The noun is plural, and the number agrees in gender. After שני and שתי the noun is in the plural: שני ילדים, not "שני ילד." The number is masculine with a masculine noun (שני ילדים, שני ספלים, שני כרטיסים) and feminine with a feminine noun (שתי בנות, שתי כוסות, שתי מנות). Take the gender from the noun and not from its ending. Many masculine nouns have a plural in -ot, and many feminine ones have a plural in -im: שולחן is masculine (שני שולחנות, "two tables") and עיר is feminine (שתי ערים, "two cities"). The numbers three to ten behave the other way round, with the "wrong" ending on the number, but two follows the noun in the plain way.
3. The article stands on the noun. "The two books" is שני הספרים (58.8), and "the two girls" is שתי הבנות (58.9). One never puts the article on the number in this construction.
4. The prepositions. Prepositions and the conjunction ו־ attach to the number in front of the shva, and their vowel changes: ל + שניים gives לשניים (li-shnayim), "for two" (58.16); ב + שתיים gives בשתיים (bi-shtayim), "at two" (58.13); ב + שתי gives בשתי (bi-shtei), "with two" (58.15). The conjunction "and" becomes the vowel u- before the shva: ושני (u-shnei, 58.11), ושניים (u-shnayim), ושנינו (u-shneinu, 58.25). The Academy of the Hebrew Language gives the same u- for ושתיים and ושנים עשר.
5. The dual words of time. The dual ending has been kept in a few nouns, and these are the commonest ways of saying "two" for time:
- יומיים (yomayim) — two days (from יום, yom); 58.7 - שבועיים (shavu'ayim) — two weeks (from שבוע, shavua) - חודשיים (khodshayim) — two months (from חודש, khodesh) - שנתיים (shnatayim) — two years (from שנה, shana) - שעתיים (sha'atayim) — two hours (from שעה, sha'a); 58.12, 58.22 - פעמיים (pa'amayim) — twice (from פעם, pa'am); 58.14
These words already say "two." Do not add שני: "שני יומיים" is wrong. For minutes and seconds there is no such word in use, and the number goes before the plural noun: שתי דקות (shtei dakot, 58.22), שתי שניות (shtei shniyot). The same ending marks hundreds and thousands: מאתיים (matayim), "two hundred," and אלפיים (alpayim), "two thousand."
6. Natural pairs. The ending -ayim is found in the names of things that come in twos: עיניים (einayim), "eyes"; אוזניים (oznayim), "ears"; ידיים (yadayim), "hands"; רגליים (raglayim), "legs, feet"; כנפיים (kanfayim), "wings." These nouns are plural in form, and adjectives agree with them in the plural: עיניים יפות, "beautiful eyes." To count them one says שתי ידיים (58.15), "two hands," using the feminine number, because the noun is feminine. Pairs that are sold as one thing take זוג: זוג משקפיים (zug mishkafayim), "a pair of glasses."
7. The number with pronoun endings. To say "the two of us," "both of them," Hebrew attaches the pronoun to the bound form:
- שנינו (shneinu, shne-NU) — the two of us (m., or a mixed pair); 58.10, 58.19, 58.29 - שתינו (shteinu) — the two of us (two women) - שניכם (shneikhem) — the two of you, m. or mixed (58.28) - שתיכן (shteikhen) — the two of you, f. (rare in speech) - שניהם (shneihem, shne-HEM) — both of them, m. or mixed (58.27) - שתיהן (shteihen, shte-HEN) — both of them, f. (58.25)
The set says "both," and English "both" is the most natural translation: "We both like coffee." The pronoun can be the subject (שנינו אוהבים קפה, 58.10) or the object, introduced by את (et): ונאכל את שניהם (58.27). Dana and Yoni are a mixed pair, so they say שנינו; two women would say שתינו. The pair "both … and …" is גם … וגם … (gam … ve-gam …): גם דנה וגם יוני, "both Dana and Yoni."
8. "The two" as a noun. With the article, the number is a noun: השניים (ha-shnayim), "the two (of them)": השניים נפגשו (ha-shnayim nifgeshu), "the two met." Alone it also means "two of them" before מ־ (me-), "of, from": שניים מהם (shnayim mehem), "two of them." Without a noun, שניים means "two persons" in a sentence like אנחנו שניים (58.1) or שולחן לשניים (58.16). Two women say אנחנו שתיים.
9. Telling the time. The hour is given with the feminine number: השעה שתיים (ha-sha'a shtayim), "it is two o'clock"; "at two" is בשתיים (58.13); "half past two" is שתיים וחצי (58.5); "a quarter past two" is שתיים ורבע (shtayim va-reva). The feminine is used because the hour (שעה) is feminine.
10. The number in longer numbers. After the tens, "two" follows ו־: עשרים ושניים (esrim u-shnayim), "twenty-two" (m.), and עשרים ושתיים (esrim u-shtayim) (f.). Twelve is built on it: שנים עשר (shneim asar) for masculine nouns and שתים עשרה (shteim esre) for feminine ones. In these compounds the Academy writes the single-yod spelling שנים and שתים, and the words are pronounced shneim and shteim.
11. "Twice as much." "Twice as big, twice as many" is פי שניים (pi shnayim), as in גדול פי שניים (gadol pi shnayim), "twice as big." The Academy says that this phrase always takes the masculine form, so "פי שתיים" is wrong, even when the noun is feminine. "Twice" meaning two occasions is פעמיים (58.14); "double" is כפול (kaful).
12. The ordinal שני. The ordinal "second" is שני (sheni, she-NEE) m. and שנייה (shniya, shni-YA) f.; it is written like the bound form of the number, and only context tells them apart: שני ילדים (shnei yeladim) is "two children," and הילד השני (ha-yeled ha-sheni) is "the second child." The ordinals up to ten follow the noun and agree in gender and in definiteness with it: הקומה השנייה (ha-koma ha-shniya), "the second floor" (58.18). Floors are counted as in British English: קומת קרקע is the ground floor, and the "first floor" is the one above, so the second floor is two flights up. The days of the week are numbered, and יום שני is "Monday" (58.13). The feminine שנייה is also the noun "a second" of time: רק שנייה, "just a second" (58.21). The adverb "secondly, again" is שנית (shenit).
13. Two and one. The counted noun is plural after two, but with "one" it is singular and the number follows it like an adjective: ילד אחד, "one child"; בת אחת, "one daughter"; קינוח אחד (58.26). So "one dessert or two" is קינוח אחד או שניים, with the second noun understood.
- The wrong gender. "שני בנות" is wrong. Say שתי בנות, because בנות is feminine. "שתי ילדים" is wrong too: שני ילדים. - The free form before a noun. "שניים ילדים" is wrong. Before a noun the number takes its bound form: שני ילדים. - The singular noun. "שני ילד" is wrong. After two the noun is plural. - The number plus a dual noun. "שני יומיים" and "שתי שעתיים" are wrong. The dual word is already "two": יומיים, שעתיים. - The article on the number. "השני ספרים" is wrong for "the two books." The article goes on the noun: שני הספרים. - שנים and שניים. In modern full spelling, שנים means "years" (shanim) and שניים means "two." The pair is easily mixed up on the page. - "פי שתיים." The set phrase is always פי שניים (pi shnayim), the masculine. - Cardinal and ordinal. "Monday" is יום שני, and "two days" is יומיים. The first is "second day," and the second is a single dual word. - The conjunction. "And" before שני is pronounced u-: ושני (u-shnei), and not "ve-shnei."
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"Two" is one of the commonest words in the language, and it is neutral in register: the forms of this lesson are used in speech and in writing alike. The single-yod spellings (שנים, שתים) belong to the Bible, the Mishnah and the compounds of twelve.
The Hebrew week is numbered. יום ראשון (yom rishon), "the first day," is Sunday, יום שני (yom sheni), "the second day," is Monday, and so on to יום שישי (yom shishi), "Friday." Only the seventh day has its own name, שבת (Shabbat). A learner who has seen ראשון and שני written on the board of a school or a bus station knows the week without further help. The sentence "the meeting is on Monday at two" (58.13) puts the ordinal sheni and the cardinal bi-shtayim side by side.
Hebrew uses the small numbers for "a short time." רק שנייה (rak shniya), "just a second," and שתי דקות (shtei dakot), "two minutes," both mean "a moment." The phrase "a day or two" is יום־יומיים (yom-yomayim), and "two or three" is שניים־שלושה (shnayim-shlosha). These are habits, and there is no need for the real number in them.
The dual survives in the names of the body and in several idioms. לקבל בשתי ידיים (lekabel bi-shtei yadayim), "to receive with two hands," means to receive something willingly and with joy, and so to welcome someone, as in 58.15. The warp and weft of a weave are called שתי וערב (shti va-erev); here שתי is a different noun, "warp," which happens to be spelled like the bound form of "two."
The Mishnah opens its tractate on lost and disputed property, Bava Metzia, with a case of two claimants: שנים אוחזין בטלית (shnayim okhazin be-talit), "two people hold a cloak." Each says "I found it," and each says "all of it is mine"; each swears that he has no less than half, and they divide it (Mishnah Bava Metzia 1:1). Its opening words are the traditional name of the case, which is the standard example of two claimants to one object.
An old rule of the synagogue is that a man should complete the weekly portion of the Torah with the congregation, reading it twice in the Hebrew and once in the Aramaic translation: שניים מקרא ואחד תרגום (shnayim mikra ve-ekhad targum), "two of Scripture and one of translation." The Talmud gives the rule in the name of Rav Huna bar Yehuda, who had it from Rabbi Ami (Berakhot 8a–b). It is the same pairing of "two" and "one" that the lesson's citation uses.
- טובים השניים מן האחד (tovim ha-shnayim min ha-ekhad) — "two are better than one" - שניים אוחזין בטלית (shnayim okhazin be-talit) — a dispute between two claimants - לקבל בשתי ידיים (lekabel bi-shtei yadayim) — "to welcome gladly, willingly" - שני צדדים למטבע (shnei tsdadim la-matbe'a) — "two sides to a coin" - יום־יומיים (yom-yomayim) — "a day or two" - רק שנייה (rak shniya) — "just a second" - פי שניים (pi shnayim) — "twice as much" - שתי וערב (shti va-erev) — "warp and weft"
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The citation is Ecclesiastes (Kohelet) 4:9, the opening of a short passage in praise of company (4:9–12). The text was checked against Sefaria's edition and the Hebrew Wikisource edition (Mikra al pi ha-mesora), and the two agree word for word. The cantillation marks are not given here. The consonantal text, which is the same in both, is: טובים השנים מן האחד אשר יש להם שכר טוב בעמלם. The Bible spells "two" with a single yod, שנים; in the lesson's modern spelling it is שניים, and the pointed text vocalises it as הַשְּׁנַיִם (ha-shnayim), the word of this lesson.
F.1a טובים good השנים the-two מן than האחד the-one
F.1b tovim (to-VEEM) good-M.PL ha-shnayim (ha-shna-YEEM) the-two-M min (MIN) than ha-ekhad (ha-e-KHAD) the-one-M.SG
F.2a אשר because יש there-is להם to-them שכר reward טוב good בעמלם in-their-labour
F.2b asher (a-SHER) because yesh (YESH) there-is lahem (la-HEM) to-3M.PL sakhar (sa-KHAR) reward-M.SG tov (TOV) good-M.SG ba-amalam (ba-a-ma-LAM) in-labour-M.SG-their
טובים השנים מן האחד אשר יש להם שכר טוב בעמלם
tovim ha-shnayim min ha-ekhad asher yesh lahem sakhar tov ba-amalam
"Two are better than the one, because they have a good reward for their labour."
— Ecclesiastes 4:9 (translation: Latinum Institute, kept close to the Hebrew)
טובים השנים מן האחד אשר יש להם שכר טוב בעמלם
The verse is a whole sentence of ten words, and its words show how the number is used:
- טובים (tovim). "Good," in the plural, in the sense of "better." Biblical Hebrew has no separate comparative: the adjective stands first and the thing it is compared with follows with מן (min), "from, than." Modern Hebrew keeps the pattern in the form טוב מ־ (tov me-) and adds יותר (yoter), "more," as in "יותר טוב." - השנים (ha-shnayim). "The two." The number takes the article and acts as a noun, as in rule 8 of Section D. The sense is "the pair, two people together." The verse speaks of partners and does not name a thing counted. - מן האחד (min ha-ekhad). "Than the one," that is, than the person alone. The numbers "two" and "one" are set against each other: in Hebrew אחד comes after the noun like an adjective, and here it is a noun too. - אשר (asher). The common word for "that, which"; here it gives the reason, "because, in that." - יש להם (yesh lahem). "They have," literally "there is to them." It is the same way of saying "have" as in 58.2, יש לי, "I have." - שכר טוב בעמלם (sakhar tov ba-amalam). "A good reward in their labour." The ending -ם (-am) on עמל (amal), "toil," is the possessive "their."
The printed text with vowel signs, without cantillation, is: טוֹבִים הַשְּׁנַיִם מִן־הָאֶחָד אֲשֶׁר יֵשׁ־לָהֶם שָׂכָר טוֹב בַּעֲמָלָם.
The verse stands in the fourth chapter of Ecclesiastes, after verses that describe a man who works alone, with no second person beside him. The author then gives four reasons why a pair is better: the two share the reward of their labour; if one falls, the other lifts him (4:10); two lying together are warm (4:11); and one may be overpowered, but two can stand against him (4:12). Verse 10 ends with a line that shows the second meaning of our word: ואין שני להקימו (ve-ein sheni lehakimo), "and there is no second to lift him up," in which שני is "a second person." The passage closes with the saying that "a threefold cord is not quickly broken" (4:12).
For a learner, the verse puts the lesson in a sentence: two together, as against the one. The same pair of ideas is behind the cloak in the Mishnah, where two people hold the same thing and it is divided between them. The Bible's two have a shared reward, and the Mishnah's two have a shared claim. The same number covers a partnership in one place and a dispute in the other.
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The speakers are the waiter (המלצר, ha-meltsar), Dana (דנה, dana) and Yoni (יוני, yoni). The lines are spoken in this order: 16 waiter, 17 Dana, 18 waiter, 19 Yoni, 20 waiter, 21 Yoni, 22 Dana, 23 Yoni, 24 waiter, 25 Dana, 26 waiter, 27 Dana, 28 waiter, 29 Yoni, 30 Dana.
58.16a שלום hello שולחן table לשניים for-two
58.16b shalom (sha-LOM) hello shulkhan (shul-KHAN) table-M.SG li-shnayim (li-shna-YEEM) for-two-M
58.17a כן yes שולחן table לשניים for-two ליד beside החלון the-window בבקשה please
58.17b ken (KEN) yes shulkhan (shul-KHAN) table-M.SG li-shnayim (li-shna-YEEM) for-two-M leyad (le-YAD) beside ha-khalon (ha-kha-LON) the-window-M.SG bevakasha (be-va-ka-SHA) please
58.18a יש there-is שולחן table פנוי free בקומה on-the-floor השנייה the-second
58.18b yesh (YESH) there-is shulkhan (shul-KHAN) table-M.SG panui (pa-NUY) free-M.SG ba-koma (ba-ko-MA) on-the-floor-F.SG ha-shniya (ha-shni-YA) the-second-F.SG
58.19a טוב fine שנינו both-of-us אוהבים love את ACC הנוף the-view מלמעלה from-above
58.19b tov (TOV) fine shneinu (shne-NU) two-1PL ohavim (o-ha-VEEM) love-PRES.M.PL et (ET) ACC ha-nof (ha-NOF) the-view-M.SG mi-lemala (mi-le-MA-la) from-above
58.20a הנה here-is שתי two כוסות glasses מים water ושני and-two תפריטים menus
58.20b hine (hi-NE) here-is shtei (SHTEI) two-F.CONSTR kosot (ko-SOT) glass-F.PL mayim (MA-yim) water-M.PL u-shnei (u-SHNEI) and-two-M.CONSTR tafritim (taf-ri-TEEM) menu-M.PL
58.21a תודה thanks רק only שנייה second עוד yet לא not החלטנו we-decided
58.21b toda (to-DA) thanks-F.SG rak (RAK) only shniya (shni-YA) second-F.SG od (OD) yet lo (LO) not hekhlatnu (hekh-lat-NU) decide-PAST.1PL
58.22a יוני Yoni אנחנו we כאן here רק only שתי two דקות minutes לא not שעתיים two-hours
58.22b yoni (YO-ni) Yoni anakhnu (a-NAKH-nu) we kan (KAN) here rak (RAK) only shtei (SHTEI) two-F.CONSTR dakot (da-KOT) minute-F.PL lo (LO) not sha'atayim (sha-a-TA-yim) two-hours-DUAL
58.23a אני I רעב hungry אני I אוכל eat בשביל for שניים two
58.23b ani (a-NEE) I ra'ev (ra-EV) hungry-M.SG ani (a-NEE) I okhel (o-KHEL) eat-PRES.M.SG bishvil (bish-VEEL) for shnayim (shna-YEEM) two-M
58.24a אין there-is-no בעיה problem הערב this-evening יש there-is מבצע special-offer שתי two מנות dishes במחיר at-price של of אחת one
58.24b ein (EIN) there-is-no be'aya (be-a-YA) problem-F.SG ha-erev (ha-E-rev) the-evening-M.SG yesh (YESH) there-is mivtsa (miv-TSA) offer-M.SG shtei (SHTEI) two-F.CONSTR manot (ma-NOT) dish-F.PL be-mekhir (be-me-KHEER) at-price-M.SG.CONSTR shel (SHEL) of akhat (a-KHAT) one-F
58.25a אז so אנחנו we לוקחים take את ACC שתיהן both-of-them ושנינו and-both-of-us מרוצים pleased
58.25b az (AZ) so anakhnu (a-NAKH-nu) we lokekhim (lo-ke-KHEEM) take-PRES.M.PL et (ET) ACC shteihen (shte-HEN) two-3F.PL u-shneinu (ush-ne-NU) and-two-1PL meruTsim (me-ru-TSEEM) pleased-M.PL
58.26a וקינוח and-dessert אחד one או or שניים two
58.26b u-kinu'akh (u-ki-NU-akh) and-dessert-M.SG ekhad (e-KHAD) one-M o (O) or shnayim (shna-YEEM) two-M
58.27a שני two קינוחים desserts ונאכל and-we-will-eat את ACC שניהם both-of-them
58.27b shnei (SHNEI) two-M.CONSTR kinukhim (ki-nu-KHEEM) dessert-M.PL u-nokhal (u-no-KHAL) and-eat-FUT.1PL et (ET) ACC shneihem (shne-HEM) two-3M.PL
58.28a ואיך and-how תשלמו you-will-pay שניכם both-of-you יחד together או or כל each אחד one לחוד separately
58.28b ve-ekh (ve-EKH) and-how teshalmu (te-shal-MU) pay-FUT.2PL shneikhem (shne-KHEM) two-2M.PL yakhad (ya-KHAD) together o (O) or kol (KOL) each ekhad (e-KHAD) one-M le-khod (le-KHOD) apart
58.29a שנינו both-of-us יחד together בכרטיס on-card אחד one
58.29b shneinu (shne-NU) two-1PL yakhad (ya-KHAD) together be-khartis (be-khar-TEES) on-card-M.SG ekhad (e-KHAD) one-M
58.30a יופי lovely שולחן table לשניים for-two ארוחה meal לשניים for-two וערב and-evening טוב good לשניים for-two
58.30b yofi (YO-fi) lovely shulkhan (shul-KHAN) table-M.SG li-shnayim (li-shna-YEEM) for-two-M arukha (a-ru-KHA) meal-F.SG li-shnayim (li-shna-YEEM) for-two-M ve-erev (ve-E-rev) and-evening-M.SG tov (TOV) good-M.SG li-shnayim (li-shna-YEEM) for-two-M
58.16 המלצר: שלום, שולחן לשניים? — ha-meltsar: shalom, shulkhan li-shnayim? — "Waiter: Hello, a table for two?"
58.17 דנה: כן, שולחן לשניים ליד החלון, בבקשה — dana: ken, shulkhan li-shnayim leyad ha-khalon, bevakasha — "Dana: Yes, a table for two by the window, please."
58.18 המלצר: יש שולחן פנוי בקומה השנייה — ha-meltsar: yesh shulkhan panui ba-koma ha-shniya — "Waiter: There is a free table on the second floor."
58.19 יוני: טוב, שנינו אוהבים את הנוף מלמעלה — yoni: tov, shneinu ohavim et ha-nof mi-lemala — "Yoni: Fine, we both love the view from above."
58.20 המלצר: הנה שתי כוסות מים ושני תפריטים — ha-meltsar: hine shtei kosot mayim u-shnei tafritim — "Waiter: Here are two glasses of water and two menus."
58.21 יוני: תודה, רק שנייה, עוד לא החלטנו — yoni: toda, rak shniya, od lo hekhlatnu — "Yoni: Thank you, just a second, we haven't decided yet."
58.22 דנה: יוני, אנחנו כאן רק שתי דקות, לא שעתיים — dana: yoni, anakhnu kan rak shtei dakot, lo sha'atayim — "Dana: Yoni, we have been here only two minutes, not two hours."
58.23 יוני: אני רעב, אני אוכל בשביל שניים — yoni: ani ra'ev, ani okhel bishvil shnayim — "Yoni: I'm hungry, I eat for two."
58.24 המלצר: אין בעיה, הערב יש מבצע: שתי מנות במחיר של אחת — ha-meltsar: ein be'aya, ha-erev yesh mivtsa: shtei manot be-mekhir shel akhat — "Waiter: No problem, tonight there is an offer: two dishes for the price of one."
58.25 דנה: אז אנחנו לוקחים את שתיהן, ושנינו מרוצים — dana: az anakhnu lokekhim et shteihen, u-shneinu meruTsim — "Dana: So we'll take both of them, and both of us are pleased."
58.26 המלצר: וקינוח אחד או שניים? — ha-meltsar: u-kinu'akh ekhad o shnayim? — "Waiter: And one dessert or two?"
58.27 דנה: שני קינוחים, ונאכל את שניהם — dana: shnei kinukhim, u-nokhal et shneihem — "Dana: Two desserts, and we'll eat both of them."
58.28 המלצר: ואיך תשלמו? שניכם יחד, או כל אחד לחוד? — ha-meltsar: ve-ekh teshalmu? shneikhem yakhad, o kol ekhad le-khod? — "Waiter: And how will you pay? The two of you together, or each one separately?"
58.29 יוני: שנינו יחד, בכרטיס אחד — yoni: shneinu yakhad, be-khartis ekhad — "Yoni: The two of us together, on one card."
58.30 דנה: יופי. שולחן לשניים, ארוחה לשניים, וערב טוב לשניים — dana: yofi. shulkhan li-shnayim, arukha li-shnayim, ve-erev tov li-shnayim — "Dana: Lovely. A table for two, a meal for two, and a good evening for two."
58.16 המלצר: שלום, שולחן לשניים?
58.17 דנה: כן, שולחן לשניים ליד החלון, בבקשה
58.18 המלצר: יש שולחן פנוי בקומה השנייה
58.19 יוני: טוב, שנינו אוהבים את הנוף מלמעלה
58.20 המלצר: הנה שתי כוסות מים ושני תפריטים
58.21 יוני: תודה, רק שנייה, עוד לא החלטנו
58.22 דנה: יוני, אנחנו כאן רק שתי דקות, לא שעתיים
58.23 יוני: אני רעב, אני אוכל בשביל שניים
58.24 המלצר: אין בעיה, הערב יש מבצע: שתי מנות במחיר של אחת
58.25 דנה: אז אנחנו לוקחים את שתיהן, ושנינו מרוצים
58.26 המלצר: וקינוח אחד או שניים?
58.27 דנה: שני קינוחים, ונאכל את שניהם
58.28 המלצר: ואיך תשלמו? שניכם יחד, או כל אחד לחוד?
58.29 יוני: שנינו יחד, בכרטיס אחד
58.30 דנה: יופי. שולחן לשניים, ארוחה לשניים, וערב טוב לשניים
- "For two" (58.16, 58.17, 58.30). The preposition ל־ before שניים becomes לִ־ (li-): לשניים. The phrase "table for two" has no verb and no article, as on a menu or a sign. In 58.30 the same phrase repeats three times, with שולחן, ארוחה and ערב טוב. - The second floor (58.18). בקומה השנייה is the noun with the article and then the ordinal with the article, and both are feminine. The ב־ and the article of בקומה are fused: ba-koma. - Both of us (58.19, 58.25, 58.29). Dana and Yoni are a mixed pair, so the form is the masculine שנינו, followed by the plural verb or adjective: שנינו אוהבים, ושנינו מרוצים. In 58.25 the conjunction is u-: ושנינו. - Two glasses and two menus (58.20). כוסות is feminine, so שתי; תפריטים is masculine, so שני. The conjunction in ושני is u-, as in rule 4. The word מים (mayim), "water," is plural in form and is used with a plural verb, but a "glass of water" is simply כוס מים. - Just a second (58.21). שנייה is the noun "second" (rule 12). "Just a second" asks for a moment's patience, as does "two minutes" in 58.22. - Two minutes, not two hours (58.22). שתי דקות takes the number before the plural; שעתיים is one dual word. The contrast between them is the point of the joke. - Eating for two (58.23). אוכל בשביל שניים has the free form after בשביל, "for." It is the same joke as in English, said by a man who is hungry. The sentence has no direct object, so there is no את. - Two dishes for the price of one (58.24). שתי מנות is feminine because מנה (dish) is feminine. אחת (feminine "one") stands alone at the end and refers back to מנה; במחיר של אחת is "at the price of one." The offer is a מבצע (mivtsa), a "special offer, sale." - Both of them (58.25, 58.27). שתיהן (feminine) refers to the dishes, and שניהם (masculine) to the desserts. With a definite object the pronoun number takes את: לוקחים את שתיהן, נאכל את שניהם. The verb in 58.27, נאכל (nokhal), is the first-person plural future of לאכול, "to eat." - One or two (58.26). אחד follows the noun and agrees with it: קינוח אחד. After או (o), "or," the number שניים stands alone, because the noun is understood: "one dessert or two." - "The two of you" (58.28). The question is addressed to a couple, so the pronoun is שניכם (shneikhem). The waiter offers two ways of paying, שניכם יחד and כל אחד לחוד (kol ekhad le-khod), "each one by himself." - On one card (58.29). בכרטיס אחד is the single card, with "one" after the noun. The reply echoes the waiter's question and uses שנינו in place of שניכם, because the speaker now says "we."
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- IPA: /ʃnaˈjim/, three syllables, stress on the last: shna-YIM. The respelling in this course is shna-YEEM. - ש (shin) = /ʃ/, as in English shop, followed at once by נ (nun) = /n/. There is no vowel between them: shn-, as at the start of English schnitzel. English speakers tend to put a vowel there, and the Hebrew word has none. - The vowel of the second syllable (-a-) is pronounced as in father, and the ending -yim is /jim/, as in yeem in the respelling. - The double yod in the spelling שניים shows the consonant /j/ between the vowels. The older spelling שנים has one yod, and the number is pronounced the same; the word for "years," שנים, is pronounced shanim.
- שתיים (shtayim) /ʃtaˈjim/ — shta-YEEM - שני (shnei) /ʃnej/ — SHNEI, one syllable, as in English shnay - שתי (shtei) /ʃtej/ — SHTEI, one syllable - שנינו (shneinu) /ʃneˈnu/ — shne-NU. The ei of the spelling stands for the vowel /e/ here. - שניהם (shneihem) /ʃneˈhem/ — shne-HEM - שתיהן (shteihen) /ʃteˈhen/ — shte-HEN - שניכם (shneikhem) /ʃneˈχem/ — shne-KHEM - יומיים (yomayim) /joˈmajim/ — yo-MA-yim, stress on the second syllable - שעתיים (sha'atayim) /ʃaʔaˈtajim/ — sha-a-TA-yim - פעמיים (pa'amayim) /paʔaˈmajim/ — pa-a-MA-yim - ידיים (yadayim) /jaˈdajim/ — ya-DA-yim - שני (sheni) /ʃeˈni/ — she-NEE, the ordinal "second" - שנייה (shniya) /ʃniˈja/ — shni-YA - לשניים (li-shnayim) /liʃnaˈjim/ — li-shna-YEEM - בשתיים (bi-shtayim) /biʃtaˈjim/ — bish-ta-YEEM
- ח (khet) in אחד, אחת, שולחן, החלון, לחוד, לוקחים, ארוחה: /χ/, the rough sound of the ch in Scottish loch. - כ (khaf) in שניכם and in בכרטיס (be-khartis, after the prefix): also /χ/. The same letter at the start of a word, or after a pause, is /k/ (כרטיס, כוסות, כל), as in English k. - ר (resh) in רק, רעב, ארוחה, כרטיסים, פעמיים: a uvular /ʁ/, made at the back of the throat, close to the French r. - צ (tsadi) in מבצע, מרוצים, וחצי: /ts/, as in English cats. - ע and א between vowels in שעתיים, פעמיים, שעה, בעיה, נסיעה: a light break between the vowels, marked ' in the transliteration (sha'atayim, pa'amayim, sha'a, nesi'a).- The cluster sh+consonant at the start of a word. Hebrew allows two consonants together at the start of a word: שני (shnei), שתי (shtei), שנינו (shneinu), שניים (shnayim), ספרים (sfarim), ספלים (sfalim). - Final stress. Most of the forms of this lesson are stressed on the last syllable: shna-YEEM, shta-YEEM, shne-NU, shne-HEM. The dual words of time are stressed on the middle syllable: yo-MA-yim, sha-a-TA-yim, pa-a-MA-yim. The bound forms שני and שתי are one syllable.
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