Free lessonLevel A112 min read12 practice words

Big Numbers, Prices and Ordinals

From 100 to a million, what a price tag sounds like, how to say a year or a phone number, and first, second, third: the numbers you need every day, built on 1–100 from the numbers lesson.

Two nouns decide almost everything: מֵאָה (hundred) is feminine and אֶלֶף (thousand) is masculine. That is why it's שְׁלוֹשׁ מֵאוֹת but שְׁלוֹשֶׁת אֲלָפִים.

The hundreds: 100 to 999the core rule

A hundred is a feminine noun

In Hebrew מֵאָה (a hundred) is a noun, and a feminine one; its plural is מֵאוֹת. So 300 to 900 are literally “three hundreds”, “four hundreds” and so on, and the number in front is feminine: שְׁלוֹשׁ מֵאוֹת, אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת, חֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת.

Two hundred is a single word, the dual מָאתַיִם, like יוֹמַיִם (two days) in the nouns lesson. And 100 is just מֵאָה: there is no “one” in front, as in English “a hundred”.

Four feminine numbers shorten before מֵאוֹת: שָׁלוֹשׁ becomes שְׁלוֹשׁ, חָמֵשׁ becomes חֲמֵשׁ, שֶׁבַע becomes שְׁבַע and תֵּשַׁע becomes תְּשַׁע. It's the same short form you met in the teens: שְׁלוֹשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה, חֲמֵשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה.

100 to 900

100 to 900
Number	In Hebrew	Pronunciation
100	מֵאָה	me’a
200	מָאתַיִם	matayim
300	שְׁלוֹשׁ מֵאוֹת	shlosh me’ot
400	אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת	arba me’ot
500	חֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת	khamesh me’ot
600	שֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת	shesh me’ot
700	שְׁבַע מֵאוֹת	shva me’ot
800	שְׁמוֹנֶה מֵאוֹת	shmone me’ot
900	תְּשַׁע מֵאוֹת	tsha me’ot

In casual speech you will also hear the full forms, as in שָׁלוֹשׁ מֵאוֹת or תֵּשַׁע מֵאוֹת. The short forms are the standard ones, and the ones you hear on the news.

Big to small, with וְ before the last part

Say the parts from the biggest down, as in English, and put וְ (and) only before the last one: מֵאָה וְעֶשְׂרִים, but מָאתַיִם חֲמִשִּׁים וְשָׁלוֹשׁ. With no noun after the number, the units are the feminine counting forms you already use.

The וְ changes its sound: as in the numbers lesson it is וּ before a shva (וּשְׁמוֹנֶה); it is also וּ before מ (וּמֵאָה), and וַ before חֲ or עֲ (וַחֲמִשִּׁים).

From 101 to 999

מֵאָה וְעֶשְׂרִים

me’a ve-esrim

120 (a hundred and twenty)

מָאתַיִם חֲמִשִּׁים וְשָׁלוֹשׁ

matayim khamishim ve-shalosh

253 (two hundred and fifty-three)

שְׁלוֹשׁ מֵאוֹת וַחֲמִשִּׁים

shlosh me’ot va-khamishim

350 (three hundred and fifty)

תְּשַׁע מֵאוֹת תִּשְׁעִים וְתֵשַׁע

tsha me’ot tish’im ve-tesha

999 (nine hundred and ninety-nine)

Hundreds with a noun

Masculine noun (סְפָרִים)

שְׁלוֹשׁ מֵאוֹת סְפָרִים

shlosh me’ot sfarim

300 books

מֵאָה עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁלוֹשָׁה סְפָרִים

me’a esrim u-shlosha sfarim

123 books

Feminine noun (מַחְבָּרוֹת)

שְׁלוֹשׁ מֵאוֹת מַחְבָּרוֹת

shlosh me’ot makhbarot

300 notebooks

מֵאָה עֶשְׂרִים וְשָׁלוֹשׁ מַחְבָּרוֹת

me’a esrim ve-shalosh makhbarot

123 notebooks

The hundreds agree with מֵאָה, never with the noun you count, so they stay the same. Only the last unit agrees with the noun: וּשְׁלוֹשָׁה for books, וְשָׁלוֹשׁ for notebooks.

Thousands and millionsmasculine

A thousand is masculine

אֶלֶף (a thousand) is a masculine noun, plural אֲלָפִים, and 2,000 is again a dual: אַלְפַּיִם. From 3,000 to 10,000 the number is masculine, in a short form that ends in ־ֶת or ־ַת and is used only right before a noun, the same idea as שְׁנֵי for שְׁנַיִם: שְׁלוֹשֶׁת אֲלָפִים, חֲמֵשֶׁת אֲלָפִים, עֲשֶׂרֶת אֲלָפִים.

From 11,000 up, the number simply goes in front of a singular אֶלֶף, and it is masculine, to match: אַחַד עָשָׂר אֶלֶף, עֶשְׂרִים אֶלֶף, מֵאָה אֶלֶף. A million, מִילְיוֹן, is masculine too and also stays singular: שְׁנֵי מִילְיוֹן, עֲשָׂרָה מִילְיוֹן.

So the two big nouns pull in opposite directions: שְׁלוֹשׁ מֵאוֹת is feminine because מֵאָה is, and שְׁלוֹשֶׁת אֲלָפִים is masculine because אֶלֶף is. Like a hundred, a thousand needs no “one”: just אֶלֶף.

1,000 to 10,000

1,000 to 10,000
Number	In Hebrew	Pronunciation
1,000	אֶלֶף	elef
2,000	אַלְפַּיִם	alpayim
3,000	שְׁלוֹשֶׁת אֲלָפִים	shloshet alafim
4,000	אַרְבַּעַת אֲלָפִים	arba’at alafim
5,000	חֲמֵשֶׁת אֲלָפִים	khameshet alafim
6,000	שֵׁשֶׁת אֲלָפִים	sheshet alafim
7,000	שִׁבְעַת אֲלָפִים	shiv’at alafim
8,000	שְׁמוֹנַת אֲלָפִים	shmonat alafim
9,000	תִּשְׁעַת אֲלָפִים	tish’at alafim
10,000	עֲשֶׂרֶת אֲלָפִים	aseret alafim

Like the hundreds, the thousands don't change with the noun you count: שְׁלוֹשֶׁת אֲלָפִים סְפָרִים, and also שְׁלוֹשֶׁת אֲלָפִים מַחְבָּרוֹת.

Bigger round numbers

אַחַד עָשָׂר אֶלֶף

akhad asar elef

11,000

עֶשְׂרִים אֶלֶף

esrim elef

20,000

מֵאָה אֶלֶף

me’a elef

100,000

מִילְיוֹן

milyon

1,000,000 (a million)

שְׁנֵי מִילְיוֹן

shnei milyon

2,000,000

מִילְיַארְד

milyard

1,000,000,000 (a billion)

Half a million is חֲצִי מִילְיוֹן, and one and a half million is מִילְיוֹן וָחֵצִי (before חֵצִי the וְ is pronounced va-).

Reading a long number

שְׁלוֹשֶׁת אֲלָפִים וַחֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת

shloshet alafim va-khamesh me’ot

3,500

אַרְבַּעַת אֲלָפִים שְׁלוֹשׁ מֵאוֹת שְׁמוֹנִים וּשְׁתַּיִם

arba’at alafim shlosh me’ot shmonim u-shtayim

4,382

חֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר אֶלֶף

khamisha asar elef

15,000

מֵאָה וְעֶשְׂרִים אֶלֶף

me’a ve-esrim elef

120,000

The same order as in English: millions, thousands, hundreds, tens and units, with וְ only before the last part.

What you will hear

In casual speech the feminine counting forms creep in here as well: you'll hear שָׁלוֹשׁ מִילְיוֹן or חֲמֵשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה אֶלֶף. Understand them, but learn the standard forms above first; they are never wrong.

Quick check

1 of 5

Three hundred.

Prices: shekels and agorotstandard · everyday

Two ways to say a price

The shekel, שֶׁקֶל, is masculine (plural שְׁקָלִים) and is split into 100 agorot; אֲגוֹרָה is feminine (plural אֲגוֹרוֹת). By the rule of the numbers lesson, a price is a masculine number + שְׁקָלִים: עֲשָׂרָה שְׁקָלִים. That is the standard form, the one you hear on the news and read in writing.

In a shop or at the market, though, almost everyone says it another way: the counting number (the feminine form) + a singular שֶׁקֶל, as in עֶשֶׂר שֶׁקֶל or עֶשְׂרִים וְחָמֵשׁ שֶׁקֶל. It's informal, not textbook Hebrew, but it's what you will hear every day, and you will sound natural using it.

You know the question from the lesson on questions: כַּמָּה זֶה עוֹלֶה? On tags and receipts the shekel is written ₪ or ש״ח, short for שֶׁקֶל חָדָשׁ, “new shekel”.

The same price, two registers

Standard (news, writing)

חֲמִשָּׁה שְׁקָלִים

khamisha shkalim

₪5

עֲשָׂרָה שְׁקָלִים

asara shkalim

₪10

עֶשְׂרִים וַחֲמִשָּׁה שְׁקָלִים

esrim va-khamisha shkalim

₪25

Everyday (shops, friends)

חָמֵשׁ שֶׁקֶל

khamesh shekel

₪5

עֶשֶׂר שֶׁקֶל

eser shekel

₪10

עֶשְׂרִים וְחָמֵשׁ שֶׁקֶל

esrim ve-khamesh shekel

₪25

The mix עֶשֶׂר שְׁקָלִים, a feminine number with the masculine plural, is a common slip but not standard. From 11 up, a singular noun is standard too with money, time and people (מֵאָה שֶׁקֶל, עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה): there only a feminine number, as in עֶשְׂרִים וְחָמֵשׁ שֶׁקֶל, marks shop Hebrew.

Reading a price tag

Reading a price tag
On the price tag	In Hebrew	Pronunciation
₪12	שְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה שֶׁקֶל	shteim esre shekel
₪4.50	אַרְבַּע וָחֵצִי	arba va-khetsi
₪29.90	עֶשְׂרִים וְתֵשַׁע תִּשְׁעִים	esrim ve-tesha tish’im
₪0.50	חֲצִי שֶׁקֶל	khatsi shekel
₪1,499	אֶלֶף אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת תִּשְׁעִים וְתֵשַׁע	elef arba me’ot tish’im ve-tesha

Say the shekels, then the agorot as a bare number, with no word for either: 29.90 is עֶשְׂרִים וְתֵשַׁע תִּשְׁעִים, just like “twenty-nine ninety” in English. The formal version spells it all out: עֶשְׂרִים וְתִשְׁעָה שְׁקָלִים וְתִשְׁעִים אֲגוֹרוֹת.

At the till

כַּמָּה זֶה עוֹלֶה?

kama ze ole?

How much is this?

זֶה עוֹלֶה עֶשְׂרִים שֶׁקֶל.

ze ole esrim shekel

It costs twenty shekels.

הַחֻלְצָה עוֹלָה תִּשְׁעִים וְתֵשַׁע תִּשְׁעִים.

ha-khultsa ola tish’im ve-tesha tish’im

The shirt costs 99.90.

עוֹלָה: the verb agrees with what is being sold, and חֻלְצָה (shirt) is feminine.

הַדִּירָה עוֹלָה חֲמֵשֶׁת אֲלָפִים שֶׁקֶל בַּחֹדֶשׁ.

ha-dira ola khameshet alafim shekel ba-khodesh

The apartment costs 5,000 shekels a month.

סַךְ הַכֹּל מֵאָה שְׁלוֹשִׁים וְשָׁלוֹשׁ שֶׁקֶל.

sakh ha-kol me’a shloshim ve-shalosh shekel

That's 133 shekels altogether.

Agorot and half a shekel

אֲגוֹרָה is feminine, so agorot take the feminine number in every register: עֶשֶׂר אֲגוֹרוֹת. Fifty agorot is usually חֲצִי שֶׁקֶל, half a shekel, and a price like 4.50 is often said אַרְבַּע וָחֵצִי, “four and a half”. Notice the two halves: חֲצִי right before a noun, חֵצִי after וָ.

Years and phone numbers

A year is one whole number

Hebrew reads a year as a single number, never in pairs as English does: 1990 is אֶלֶף תְּשַׁע מֵאוֹת וְתִשְׁעִים, “one thousand nine hundred and ninety”. The hidden noun is שָׁנָה (year), which is feminine, so the units are feminine: 2026 is אַלְפַּיִם עֶשְׂרִים וְשֵׁשׁ.

“In 2026” is בְּ + the year: written בְּ־2026, said בְּאַלְפַּיִם עֶשְׂרִים וְשֵׁשׁ. Formal Hebrew often adds the word for year: בִּשְׁנַת 2026, “in the year 2026”.

The first years of the century work the same way: 2001 is אַלְפַּיִם וְאַחַת and 2007 is אַלְפַּיִם וְשֶׁבַע.

Years out loud

אֶלֶף תְּשַׁע מֵאוֹת אַרְבָּעִים וּשְׁמוֹנֶה

elef tsha me’ot arba’im u-shmone

1948, the year the State of Israel was founded

אֶלֶף תְּשַׁע מֵאוֹת וְתִשְׁעִים

elef tsha me’ot ve-tish’im

1990

בִּשְׁנַת אַלְפַּיִם עֶשְׂרִים וְשֵׁשׁ

bi-shnat alpayim esrim ve-shesh

in the year 2026 (formal)

אֲנִי גָּר בָּאָרֶץ מֵאָז אַלְפַּיִם וְעֶשֶׂר.

ani gar ba-arets me’az alpayim ve-eser

I've lived in Israel since 2010.

Hebrew uses the present tense, גָּר (live), for something that started in the past and is still true, where English needs “have lived”. בָּאָרֶץ, literally “in the land”, is how Israelis say “in Israel”.

Phone numbers: one digit at a time

A phone number is usually read digit by digit (you'll also hear the prefix as one number: אֶפֶס חֲמִשִּׁים וְאַרְבַּע), with the counting forms from the numbers lesson, and zero is אֶפֶס. Pause between the groups: 054-123-4567 is אֶפֶס חָמֵשׁ אַרְבַּע, אַחַת שְׁתַּיִם שָׁלוֹשׁ, אַרְבַּע חָמֵשׁ שֵׁשׁ שֶׁבַע.

Zero is always אֶפֶס: Hebrew has no short “oh” for it.

The ten digits

אֶפֶס0אַחַת1שְׁתַּיִם2שָׁלוֹשׁ3אַרְבַּע4חָמֵשׁ5שֵׁשׁ6שֶׁבַע7שְׁמוֹנֶה8תֵּשַׁע9

These are the feminine counting forms from the numbers lesson; only אֶפֶס is new.

Giving your number

מָה הַמִּסְפָּר שֶׁלְּךָ?

ma ha-mispar shelkha

What's your number?

אֶפֶס חָמֵשׁ אַרְבַּע, אַחַת שְׁתַּיִם שָׁלוֹשׁ, אַרְבַּע חָמֵשׁ שֵׁשׁ שֶׁבַע.

efes khamesh arba, akhat shtayim shalosh, arba khamesh shesh sheva

054-123-4567.

Numbers as names

A number after a noun is a label, not an amount: a room, a bus line, a page, a house in the street. Labels take the counting forms whatever the noun's gender: חֶדֶר שָׁלוֹשׁ is room 3 and קַו חָמֵשׁ is bus line 5. Compare שְׁלוֹשָׁה חֲדָרִים, three rooms.

First to tenth: the ordinalsafter the noun

Ordinals are adjectives

From first to tenth Hebrew has special words. Most are built on the number and end in ־ִי, like שְׁלִישִׁי (third) from שָׁלוֹשׁ; only first is different, רִאשׁוֹן, from רֹאשׁ (head). They are adjectives, so they do what the adjectives lesson taught: they come after the noun and agree with it in gender and number.

When the noun is definite the ordinal takes ה as well, as in הַבַּיִת הַגָּדוֹל: הַקּוֹמָה הַשְּׁלִישִׁית is the third floor, literally “the floor the third”, and הַפַּעַם הָרִאשׁוֹנָה is the first time. The feminine ends in ־ִית, except for רִאשׁוֹנָה and שְׁנִיָּה.

The opposite of first, אַחֲרוֹן (last), works the same way: הַפַּעַם הָאַחֲרוֹנָה, the last time.

First to tenth

First to tenth
Number	masc.	fem.	Pronunciation
1	רִאשׁוֹן	רִאשׁוֹנָה	rishon / rishona
2	שֵׁנִי	שְׁנִיָּה	sheni / shniya
3	שְׁלִישִׁי	שְׁלִישִׁית	shlishi / shlishit
4	רְבִיעִי	רְבִיעִית	revi’i / revi’it
5	חֲמִישִׁי	חֲמִישִׁית	khamishi / khamishit
6	שִׁשִּׁי	שִׁשִּׁית	shishi / shishit
7	שְׁבִיעִי	שְׁבִיעִית	shvi’i / shvi’it
8	שְׁמִינִי	שְׁמִינִית	shmini / shminit
9	תְּשִׁיעִי	תְּשִׁיעִית	tshi’i / tshi’it
10	עֲשִׂירִי	עֲשִׂירִית	asiri / asirit

The plural is regular, as for any adjective: הַיָּמִים הָרִאשׁוֹנִים (the first days) and, since שָׁנָה is feminine, הַשָּׁנִים הָרִאשׁוֹנוֹת (the first years).

Ordinals in sentences

אֲנִי גָּר בַּקּוֹמָה הַשְּׁלִישִׁית.

ani gar ba-koma ha-shlishit

I live on the third floor.

זֹאת הַפַּעַם הָרִאשׁוֹנָה שֶׁלִּי בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל.

zot ha-pa’am ha-rishona sheli be-Yisra’el

This is my first time in Israel.

זֶה כְּבָר הַקָּפֶה הַשֵּׁנִי שֶׁלִּי הַיּוֹם.

ze kvar ha-kafe ha-sheni sheli ha-yom

That's already my second coffee today.

יֵשׁ לִי שְׁאֵלָה שְׁנִיָּה.

yesh li she’ela shniya

I have a second question.

No ה here: the noun is indefinite, “a second question”, so the ordinal has none either.

The days of the week

Six days are named with these words: יוֹם רִאשׁוֹן, “first day”, is Sunday, יוֹם שֵׁנִי is Monday, and so on up to יוֹם שִׁשִּׁי, Friday. As names they take no ה. We'll put them to work in the lesson on time and dates. Dates, though, use the regular numbers: the first of May is אֶחָד בְּמַאי, not רִאשׁוֹן בְּמַאי.

Above tenth, halves and percent

From eleventh on: the plain number

Hebrew has ordinals only up to tenth. From eleventh on, the ordinary number does the job: it goes after the noun, takes ה when the noun is definite, and agrees in gender the way numbers do. הַקּוֹמָה הָאַחַת עֶשְׂרֵה is the eleventh floor; הַפֶּרֶק הָאַחַד עָשָׂר is the eleventh chapter.

In writing you'll mostly see digits, as in בַּקּוֹמָה ה־12, which you read as בַּקּוֹמָה הַשְּׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה. You'll also hear it without the second ה; then the number is a label, like חֶדֶר שָׁלוֹשׁ, in the counting form: בַּקּוֹמָה שְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה, בְּפֶרֶק אַחַת עֶשְׂרֵה.

מֵאָה also means a century, so the 21st century is הַמֵּאָה הָעֶשְׂרִים וְאַחַת: feminine, like every hundred.

Eleventh, twentieth, twenty-first

הַקּוֹמָה הָאַחַת עֶשְׂרֵהfem.

ha-koma ha-akhat esre

the eleventh floor

הַפֶּרֶק הָאַחַד עָשָׂרmasc.

ha-perek ha-akhad asar

the eleventh chapter

הַיּוֹם הָעֶשְׂרִיםmasc.

ha-yom ha-esrim

the twentieth day

הַמֵּאָה הָעֶשְׂרִים וְאַחַתfem.

ha-me’a ha-esrim ve-akhat

the 21st century

Half, a third, a quarter, a percent

A half is חֵצִי; right before a noun it shortens to חֲצִי: חֲצִי שֶׁקֶל, חֲצִי מִילְיוֹן. A third is שְׁלִישׁ and a quarter is רֶבַע, both masculine, so two thirds are שְׁנֵי שְׁלִישִׁים and three quarters are שְׁלוֹשָׁה רְבָעִים. From a fifth to a tenth Hebrew borrows the feminine ordinal: חֲמִישִׁית is a fifth, עֲשִׂירִית a tenth.

A percent is אָחוּז, masculine, plural אֲחוּזִים. Standard Hebrew counts it like any masculine noun, עֲשָׂרָה אֲחוּזִים; everyday speech treats it like the shekel, with the counting number and a singular noun: עֶשֶׂר אָחוּז הֲנָחָה, ten percent off.

מֵאָה אָחוּז! (a hundred percent!) is also how Israelis say “absolutely!”.

Parts of a whole

חֵצִי

khetsi

a half (½)

שְׁלִישׁ

shlish

a third (⅓)

רֶבַע

reva

a quarter (¼)

שְׁנֵי שְׁלִישִׁים

shnei shlishim

two thirds (⅔)

שְׁלוֹשָׁה רְבָעִים

shlosha reva’im

three quarters (¾)

עֲשִׂירִית

asirit

a tenth (1/10)

Percent, two registers

Standard (news, writing)

עֲשָׂרָה אֲחוּזִים

asara akhuzim

10%

חֲמִשָּׁה אֲחוּזִים

khamisha akhuzim

Everyday (shops, friends)

עֶשֶׂר אָחוּז

eser akhuz

10%

חָמֵשׁ אָחוּז

khamesh akhuz

Quick check

1 of 5

The price tag says 29.90. How do you say it?

Common mistakes and summary

Six mistakes worth avoiding

שְׁלוֹשָׁה מֵאוֹתשְׁלוֹשׁ מֵאוֹת
מֵאָה is feminine: the hundreds take the feminine number, שְׁלוֹשׁ מֵאוֹת.
שָׁלוֹשׁ אֲלָפִיםשְׁלוֹשֶׁת אֲלָפִים
אֶלֶף is masculine: 3,000 to 10,000 take the short masculine form, שְׁלוֹשֶׁת אֲלָפִים.
עֶשְׂרִים אֲלָפִיםעֶשְׂרִים אֶלֶף
From 11,000 up, אֶלֶף stays singular.
עֶשֶׂר שְׁקָלִיםעֲשָׂרָה שְׁקָלִים
With the plural שְׁקָלִים use the masculine number; the shop form is עֶשֶׂר שֶׁקֶל, with the singular.
תְּשַׁע עֶשְׂרֵה תִּשְׁעִיםאֶלֶף תְּשַׁע מֵאוֹת וְתִשְׁעִים
Hebrew reads a year as one whole number, never in pairs.
הַשְּׁלִישִׁית קוֹמָההַקּוֹמָה הַשְּׁלִישִׁית
The ordinal comes after the noun, and both take ה.

What to remember

מֵאָה is feminine: 200 is מָאתַיִם, then שְׁלוֹשׁ מֵאוֹת up to תְּשַׁע מֵאוֹת.
אֶלֶף is masculine: 2,000 is אַלְפַּיִם, then שְׁלוֹשֶׁת אֲלָפִים up to עֲשֶׂרֶת אֲלָפִים, and from 11,000 the number + a singular אֶלֶף.
Read big to small with וְ only before the last part; only the last unit agrees with the noun.
Prices: עֲשָׂרָה שְׁקָלִים is standard, עֶשֶׂר שֶׁקֶל is the shop; 29.90 is עֶשְׂרִים וְתֵשַׁע תִּשְׁעִים. Years and phone numbers use the feminine counting forms.
רִאשׁוֹן to עֲשִׂירִי are adjectives: after the noun, agreeing with it, with ה when it is definite. From eleventh on, the plain number does the job.

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Frequently asked questions

How do you say 200 and 2,000 in Hebrew?: Each is a single word, a dual form: 200 is מָאתַיִם (matayim) and 2,000 is אַלְפַּיִם (alpayim). From 300 on it's the feminine number + מֵאוֹת (שְׁלוֹשׁ מֵאוֹת), and from 3,000 the short masculine form + אֲלָפִים (שְׁלוֹשֶׁת אֲלָפִים).
Is it עֶשֶׂר שֶׁקֶל or עֲשָׂרָה שְׁקָלִים?: Both, in different places. עֲשָׂרָה שְׁקָלִים is standard Hebrew: the news, writing, formal speech. עֶשֶׂר שֶׁקֶל, the counting number with a singular שֶׁקֶל, is what almost everyone says in shops and among friends. Avoid the mix עֶשֶׂר שְׁקָלִים.
How do you say a year, like 1990 or 2026?: As one whole number with feminine units, because שָׁנָה (year) is feminine: אֶלֶף תְּשַׁע מֵאוֹת וְתִשְׁעִים, אַלְפַּיִם עֶשְׂרִים וְשֵׁשׁ. Never in pairs like “nineteen ninety”. “In 2026” is בְּ־2026, or formally בִּשְׁנַת 2026.
How do you say first, second and third in Hebrew?: רִאשׁוֹן, שֵׁנִי, שְׁלִישִׁי, feminine רִאשׁוֹנָה, שְׁנִיָּה, שְׁלִישִׁית. They are adjectives, so they follow the noun and take ה along with it: הַקּוֹמָה הַשְּׁלִישִׁית, the third floor. Above tenth Hebrew uses the ordinary number: הַקּוֹמָה הָאַחַת עֶשְׂרֵה.

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Big Numbers, Prices and Ordinals

From 100 to a million, what a price tag sounds like, how to say a year or a phone number, and first, second, third: the numbers you need every day, built on 1–100 from the numbers lesson.

Two nouns decide almost everything: מֵאָה (hundred) is feminine and אֶלֶף (thousand) is masculine. That is why it's שְׁלוֹשׁ מֵאוֹת but שְׁלוֹשֶׁת אֲלָפִים.

Number

In Hebrew

Pronunciation

100

מֵאָה

me’a

200

מָאתַיִם

matayim

300

שְׁלוֹשׁ מֵאוֹת

shlosh me’ot

400

אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת

arba me’ot

500

חֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת

khamesh me’ot

600

שֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת

shesh me’ot

700

שְׁבַע מֵאוֹת

shva me’ot

800

שְׁמוֹנֶה מֵאוֹת

shmone me’ot

900

תְּשַׁע מֵאוֹת

tsha me’ot

Number

In Hebrew

Pronunciation

1,000

אֶלֶף

elef

2,000

אַלְפַּיִם

alpayim

3,000

שְׁלוֹשֶׁת אֲלָפִים

shloshet alafim

4,000

אַרְבַּעַת אֲלָפִים

arba’at alafim

5,000

חֲמֵשֶׁת אֲלָפִים

khameshet alafim

6,000

שֵׁשֶׁת אֲלָפִים

sheshet alafim

7,000

שִׁבְעַת אֲלָפִים

shiv’at alafim

8,000

שְׁמוֹנַת אֲלָפִים

shmonat alafim

9,000

תִּשְׁעַת אֲלָפִים

tish’at alafim

10,000

עֲשֶׂרֶת אֲלָפִים

aseret alafim

On the price tag

In Hebrew

Pronunciation

₪12

שְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה שֶׁקֶל

shteim esre shekel

₪4.50

אַרְבַּע וָחֵצִי

arba va-khetsi

₪29.90

עֶשְׂרִים וְתֵשַׁע תִּשְׁעִים

esrim ve-tesha tish’im

₪0.50

חֲצִי שֶׁקֶל

khatsi shekel

₪1,499

אֶלֶף אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת תִּשְׁעִים וְתֵשַׁע

elef arba me’ot tish’im ve-tesha

Number

masc.

fem.

Pronunciation

רִאשׁוֹן

רִאשׁוֹנָה

rishon / rishona

שֵׁנִי

שְׁנִיָּה

sheni / shniya

שְׁלִישִׁי

שְׁלִישִׁית

shlishi / shlishit

רְבִיעִי

רְבִיעִית

revi’i / revi’it

חֲמִישִׁי

חֲמִישִׁית

khamishi / khamishit

שִׁשִּׁי

שִׁשִּׁית

shishi / shishit

שְׁבִיעִי

שְׁבִיעִית

shvi’i / shvi’it

שְׁמִינִי

שְׁמִינִית

shmini / shminit

תְּשִׁיעִי

תְּשִׁיעִית

tshi’i / tshi’it

עֲשִׂירִי

עֲשִׂירִית

asiri / asirit

Frequently asked questions

How do you say 200 and 2,000 in Hebrew?

Each is a single word, a dual form: 200 is מָאתַיִם (matayim) and 2,000 is אַלְפַּיִם (alpayim). From 300 on it's the feminine number + מֵאוֹת (שְׁלוֹשׁ מֵאוֹת), and from 3,000 the short masculine form + אֲלָפִים (שְׁלוֹשֶׁת אֲלָפִים).

Is it עֶשֶׂר שֶׁקֶל or עֲשָׂרָה שְׁקָלִים?

Both, in different places. עֲשָׂרָה שְׁקָלִים is standard Hebrew: the news, writing, formal speech. עֶשֶׂר שֶׁקֶל, the counting number with a singular שֶׁקֶל, is what almost everyone says in shops and among friends. Avoid the mix עֶשֶׂר שְׁקָלִים.

How do you say a year, like 1990 or 2026?

As one whole number with feminine units, because שָׁנָה (year) is feminine: אֶלֶף תְּשַׁע מֵאוֹת וְתִשְׁעִים, אַלְפַּיִם עֶשְׂרִים וְשֵׁשׁ. Never in pairs like “nineteen ninety”. “In 2026” is בְּ־2026, or formally בִּשְׁנַת 2026.

How do you say first, second and third in Hebrew?

רִאשׁוֹן, שֵׁנִי, שְׁלִישִׁי, feminine רִאשׁוֹנָה, שְׁנִיָּה, שְׁלִישִׁית. They are adjectives, so they follow the noun and take ה along with it: הַקּוֹמָה הַשְּׁלִישִׁית, the third floor. Above tenth Hebrew uses the ordinary number: הַקּוֹמָה הָאַחַת עֶשְׂרֵה.