Free lessonLevel A210 min read12 practice words

Smikhut: the Construct State

Two nouns, one idea. This is how Hebrew builds בֵּית סֵפֶר and כּוֹס קָפֶה, how the first noun changes, and where “the” goes.

Say every pair as one word, with the stress on the second noun. That one habit explains why the first noun so often gets shorter.

Two nouns, one ideaMain noun first

No word for “of”

At a café you ask for כּוֹס קָפֶה, a cup of coffee. Hebrew simply puts two nouns side by side, with no word for “of” between them, and the pair works as a single idea. This is smikhut (סְמִיכוּת, literally “leaning”): the first noun leans on the second.

The order is the reverse of English “coffee cup”. The main noun, the thing itself, comes first; the second noun says what kind, what it holds or what it is for. כּוֹס קָפֶה is a kind of cup, and בֵּית סֵפֶר, literally “house of book”, is a school.

You met smikhut briefly in the nouns lesson; here it gets the full treatment. Grammar books call the first noun the נִסְמָךְ and the second the סוֹמֵךְ, but you can use the structure without the terms.

Read it from the first word

Read it from the first word
Pair	Word for word	Meaning
כּוֹס קָפֶה	cup + coffee	a cup of coffee
מִיץ תַּפּוּזִים	juice + oranges	orange juice
סֵפֶר בִּשּׁוּל	book + cooking	a cookbook
כַּרְטִיס אַשְׁרַאי	card + credit	a credit card
בֵּית סֵפֶר	house + book	a school

Start with the first noun, the thing itself, then add what kind of thing it is.

Say it as one word

A smikhut pair is pronounced like one long word, with the main stress on the second noun. The first noun loses its stress, and that is exactly why it often gets shorter, as the next two chapters show.

At the café and at home

אֶפְשָׁר כּוֹס קָפֶה, בְּבַקָּשָׁה?

efshar kos kafe, bevakasha?

Can I have a cup of coffee, please?

אֲנִי שׁוֹתָה מִיץ תַּפּוּזִים כָּל בֹּקֶר.

ani shota mits tapuzim kol boker

I drink orange juice every morning.

קִבַּלְתִּי סֵפֶר בִּשּׁוּל בְּמַתָּנָה.

kibalti sefer bishul be-matana

I got a cookbook as a present.

How the first noun changes-a to -at · -im to -ei

Only the first noun changes

The second noun never changes. The first one takes a special construct form, and most of the time you can predict it from the ending.

In the singular, the feminine ending ־ָה becomes ־ַת: שִׂיחָה, a conversation, gives שִׂיחַת טֶלֶפוֹן, a phone call. In the plural, ־ִים drops its ם and becomes ־ֵי: סְפָרִים gives סִפְרֵי יְלָדִים, children's books. Endings that already have a ת, like ־ֶת, ־ִית, ־וּת and the plural ־וֹת, stay as they are.

The ת is not new: it is the old feminine ending, and it comes back whenever the noun leans on another one.

Singular: ־ָה becomes ־ַת

Singular: ־ָה becomes ־ַת
Noun	Construct form	Example	Meaning
שִׂיחָה	שִׂיחַת	שִׂיחַת טֶלֶפוֹן	a phone call
אֲרוּחָה	אֲרוּחַת	אֲרוּחַת בֹּקֶר	breakfast
תַּחֲנָה	תַּחֲנַת	תַּחֲנַת אוֹטוֹבּוּס	a bus stop
עוּגָה	עוּגַת	עוּגַת גְּבִינָה	a cheesecake
מְכוֹנִית	מְכוֹנִית	מְכוֹנִית מִשְׁטָרָה	a police car (no change)
חֲנוּת	חֲנוּת	חֲנוּת בְּגָדִים	a clothes shop (no change)

Watch out for מְכוֹנִית: it already ends in ת, so it stays. מְכוֹנַת is a different word, the construct form of מְכוֹנָה (machine), as in מְכוֹנַת כְּבִיסָה, a washing machine.

Plural: ־ִים becomes ־ֵי, ־וֹת stays

The plural is marked on the first noun, so that is where the change happens. The second noun stays singular or plural according to its own meaning.

Plural: ־ִים becomes ־ֵי, ־וֹת stays
Noun	Construct form	Example	Meaning
סְפָרִים	סִפְרֵי	סִפְרֵי יְלָדִים	children's books
חֲבֵרִים	חַבְרֵי	חַבְרֵי כִּתָּה	classmates
בָּתִּים	בָּתֵּי	בָּתֵּי קָפֶה	cafés
שָׂדוֹת	שְׂדוֹת	שְׂדוֹת תְּעוּפָה	airports
תַּחֲנוֹת	תַּחֲנוֹת	תַּחֲנוֹת דֶּלֶק	gas stations (no change)

Without nikud you only see the ם disappear: ספרים, ספרי. With nikud you also notice vowels shifting inside the word; the next chapter explains why.

Pairs work the same way

The dual ending ־ַיִם, the one for things that come in pairs, behaves like ־ִים and becomes ־ֵי.

מִשְׁקָפַיִםמִשְׁקְפֵי שֶׁמֶשׁglasses, sunglasses

In everyday sentences

יֵשׁ לִי שִׂיחַת טֶלֶפוֹן בְּעוֹד חָמֵשׁ דַּקּוֹת.

yesh li sikhat telefon be-od khamesh dakot

I have a phone call in five minutes.

סְלִיחָה, יֵשׁ פֹּה תַּחֲנַת אוֹטוֹבּוּס?

slikha, yesh po takhanat otobus?

Excuse me, is there a bus stop here?

אֲנִי מְחַפֵּשׂ סִפְרֵי יְלָדִים בְּעִבְרִית.

ani mekhapes sifrei yeladim be-ivrit

I'm looking for children's books in Hebrew.

בְּתֵל אָבִיב יֵשׁ הַרְבֵּה בָּתֵּי קָפֶה.

be-Tel Aviv yesh harbe batei kafe

There are lots of cafés in Tel Aviv.

Vowel changes to recogniseRecognise, don't memorise

Why the first noun gets shorter

Because the stress moves to the second noun, long vowels in the first noun tend to shrink or change. בַּיִת becomes בֵּית, מָקוֹם becomes מְקוֹם, and שָׂדֶה becomes שְׂדֵה.

You don't need to build these forms from rules. Learn to recognise a few patterns, and learn the most frequent pairs as whole words, the way Israelis do.

Without nikud most of these changes are invisible: בית, מקום and דבר look exactly the same in both forms. What you do see in print is ה turning into ת and ים turning into י.

Five patterns you will meet often

Five patterns you will meet often
Noun	Construct form	Example	Pattern
בַּיִת	בֵּית	בֵּית חוֹלִים	-ayi- becomes -ei-
מָקוֹם	מְקוֹם	מְקוֹם חֲנָיָה	the first a becomes e: makom, mekom
שָׂדֶה	שְׂדֵה	שְׂדֵה תְּעוּפָה	the first a drops: sade, sde
שָׁנָה	שְׁנַת	שְׁנַת לִמּוּדִים	-a becomes -at, and the first a drops
חֶדֶר	חֲדַר	חֲדַר שֵׁנָה	a handful of words, like kheder, khadar

More pairs you will see

דָּבָרדְּבַרthing, word

חָלָבחֲלֵבmilk, as in soy milk

מִסְפָּרמִסְפַּרnumber, as in phone number

שָׂפָהשְׂפַתlanguage, as in mother tongue

עַיִןעֵיןeye or spring, as in Ein Gedi

מִשְׁפָּחָהמִשְׁפַּחַתfamily, as in the Cohen family

Many of these live in names and signs: עֵין גֶּדִי on a road sign, מִשְׁפַּחַת כֹּהֵן on a front door, מִסְפַּר טֶלֶפוֹן on every form.

Quick check

1 of 5

“A phone call”. שִׂיחָה means a conversation.

Adding “the” and an adjectiveה on the second noun

One ה, on the second noun

To say “the school”, put ה on the second noun only: בֵּית הַסֵּפֶר. That single ה makes the whole pair definite. The first noun never takes it.

A preposition attaches to the first noun as usual, and the ה stays where it is: בְּבֵית הַסֵּפֶר, at school; לְתַחֲנַת הָאוֹטוֹבּוּס, to the bus stop. The first noun has no ה for the preposition to swallow, so it is בְּבֵית, never בַּבֵּית.

In casual speech you will hear הַבֵּית סֵפֶר. It is very common, but it is not standard: write and say בֵּית הַסֵּפֶר.

From “a” to “the”

From “a” to “the”
Indefinite	Definite	Meaning
בֵּית סֵפֶר	בֵּית הַסֵּפֶר	a school, the school
תַּחֲנַת אוֹטוֹבּוּס	תַּחֲנַת הָאוֹטוֹבּוּס	a bus stop, the bus stop
סִפְרֵי יְלָדִים	סִפְרֵי הַיְלָדִים	children's books, the children's books
שְׂדֵה תְּעוּפָה	שְׂדֵה הַתְּעוּפָה	an airport, the airport

A name is already definite

When the second noun is a name, the pair is definite without any ה: Tel Aviv University, Herzl Street, the Cohen family.

אוּנִיבֶרְסִיטַת תֵּל אָבִיברְחוֹב הֶרְצְלמִשְׁפַּחַת כֹּהֵן

The adjective agrees with the first noun

An adjective comes after the whole pair, never between the two nouns. It agrees in gender and number with the first noun, because that is what the phrase is about, and it takes ה when the pair is definite.

The adjective agrees with the first noun
Phrase	First noun	Meaning
בֵּית סֵפֶר חָדָשׁ	בַּיִת	a new school
בֵּית הַסֵּפֶר הֶחָדָשׁ	בַּיִת	the new school: the adjective takes ה too
תַּחֲנַת הָאוֹטוֹבּוּס הַחֲדָשָׁה	תַּחֲנָה	the new bus stop: feminine, like the stop
עוּגַת שׁוֹקוֹלָד טְעִימָה	עוּגָה	a tasty chocolate cake: feminine, like the cake
בָּתֵּי קָפֶה טוֹבִים	בָּתִּים	good cafés: plural, like the “houses”
יוֹם הֻלֶּדֶת שָׂמֵחַ	יוֹם	happy birthday: masculine, like the day

That is why Israelis say יוֹם הֻלֶּדֶת שָׂמֵחַ: it is the day that is happy, so the adjective is masculine like יוֹם, even though הֻלֶּדֶת is feminine.

In real sentences

הַיְלָדִים בְּבֵית הַסֵּפֶר עַד אַרְבַּע.

ha-yeladim be-veit ha-sefer ad arba

The kids are at school until four.

תַּחֲנַת הָאוֹטוֹבּוּס הַחֲדָשָׁה מוּל הַבַּיִת.

takhanat ha-otobus ha-khadasha mul ha-bayit

The new bus stop is opposite the house.

אֲנִי לוֹמֶדֶת בְּאוּנִיבֶרְסִיטַת תֵּל אָבִיב.

ani lomedet be-universitat Tel Aviv

I study at Tel Aviv University.

Smikhut or של?What kind vs whose

What kind, or whose?

Smikhut names a kind of thing: סֵפֶר יְלָדִים is a children's book, a type of book. של says who something belongs to: הַסֵּפֶר שֶׁל הַיְלָדִים is the book that belongs to the children.

In everyday speech ownership is almost always של, with ה on the thing owned: הַסֵּפֶר שֶׁל דָּנִי, Dani's book. Smikhut for ownership, like בֵּית הַמּוֹרֶה, is correct but sounds formal or literary.

The two often work together: בֵּית הַסֵּפֶר שֶׁל דָּנִי, Dani's school. You met של and its forms, like שֶׁלִּי, in the possession lesson.

Smikhut: what kind

סֵפֶר יְלָדִים

sefer yeladim

a children's book, a type of book

כּוֹס קָפֶה

kos kafe

a cup of coffee

של: whose

הַסֵּפֶר שֶׁל הַיְלָדִים

ha-sefer shel ha-yeladim

the children's book: it is theirs

הַכּוֹס שֶׁל אַבָּא

ha-kos shel aba

Dad's cup

Choosing in practice

Choosing in practice
You mean	Natural Hebrew	Why
a children's book	סֵפֶר יְלָדִים	a kind of book: smikhut
the book that belongs to the kids	הַסֵּפֶר שֶׁל הַיְלָדִים	an owner: של
Dani's school	בֵּית הַסֵּפֶר שֶׁל דָּנִי	a fixed compound plus an owner: both together
the President's Residence	בֵּית הַנָּשִׂיא	an official name: formal smikhut for ownership

Both in one conversation

קָנִיתִי סֵפֶר יְלָדִים לְיוֹם הַהֻלֶּדֶת שֶׁל נוֹעָה.

kaniti sefer yeladim le-yom ha-huledet shel No’a

I bought a children's book for Noa's birthday.

בֵּית הַסֵּפֶר שֶׁל דָּנִי קָרוֹב לַבַּיִת.

beit ha-sefer shel Dani karov la-bayit

Dani's school is close to home.

זֶה הַבַּיִת שֶׁל הַהוֹרִים שֶׁלִּי.

ze ha-bayit shel ha-horim sheli

This is my parents' house.

Quick check

1 of 5

“The school”.

Everyday compoundsLearn them as words

Pairs that became vocabulary

Many smikhut pairs are simply words: עוֹרֵךְ דִּין, literally “arranger of law”, is a lawyer, and nobody thinks about the parts. Learn each one as a single item, together with its plural and its “the” form.

Everything from this lesson still applies. The plural changes only the first noun (עוֹרְכֵי דִּין, lawyers), ה goes on the second (עוֹרֵךְ הַדִּין, the lawyer), and the first noun even changes for gender: עוֹרֶכֶת דִּין is a woman lawyer.

To say whose it is, put של after the whole compound, with ה on the second noun: יוֹם הַהֻלֶּדֶת שֶׁלִּי, my birthday; עוֹרֵךְ הַדִּין שֶׁלָּנוּ, our lawyer.

Nine compounds you will hear every day

אֲרוּחַת בֹּקֶר

arukhat boker

breakfast

תַּחֲנַת אוֹטוֹבּוּס

takhanat otobus

bus stop

יוֹם הֻלֶּדֶת

yom huledet

birthday

חֲדַר אֹכֶל

khadar okhel

dining hall

עוֹרֵךְ דִּין

orekh din

lawyer

רוֹפֵא שִׁנַּיִם

rofe shinayim

dentist

מִסְפַּר טֶלֶפוֹן

mispar telefon

phone number

שְׁעוֹת פְּתִיחָה

she’ot ptikha

opening hours

כַּדּוּרֶגֶל

kaduregel

football (soccer)

One pair, three forms

One pair, three forms
Compound	Plural	With “the”	Meaning
יוֹם הֻלֶּדֶת	יְמֵי הֻלֶּדֶת	יוֹם הַהֻלֶּדֶת	birthday
עוֹרֵךְ דִּין	עוֹרְכֵי דִּין	עוֹרֵךְ הַדִּין	lawyer
חֲדַר אֹכֶל	חַדְרֵי אֹכֶל	חֲדַר הָאֹכֶל	dining hall
אֲרוּחַת בֹּקֶר	אֲרוּחוֹת בֹּקֶר	אֲרוּחַת הַבֹּקֶר	breakfast
תַּחֲנַת אוֹטוֹבּוּס	תַּחֲנוֹת אוֹטוֹבּוּס	תַּחֲנַת הָאוֹטוֹבּוּס	bus stop

Lunch and dinner work just like breakfast: אֲרוּחַת צָהֳרַיִם, אֲרוּחַת עֶרֶב.

Fused into one word

A few pairs have merged into a single word: כַּדּוּר רֶגֶל became כַּדּוּרֶגֶל, though you will still see it written as two words. Once fused, it behaves like any noun, with ה at the front: הַכַּדּוּרֶגֶל.

כַּדּוּרֶגֶלfootballכַּדּוּרְסַלbasketballרַמְזוֹרtraffic light

Around town

הִיא עוֹרֶכֶת דִּין, וְהוּא רוֹפֵא שִׁנַּיִם.

hi orekhet din, ve-hu rofe shinayim

She is a lawyer, and he is a dentist.

מָה מִסְפַּר הַטֶּלֶפוֹן שֶׁלְּךָ?

ma mispar ha-telefon shelkha?

What's your phone number?

מָה שְׁעוֹת הַפְּתִיחָה שֶׁל הַחֲנוּת?

ma she’ot ha-ptikha shel ha-khanut?

What are the shop's opening hours?

הָעֶרֶב יֵשׁ מִשְׂחַק כַּדּוּרֶגֶל.

ha-erev yesh miskhak kaduregel

There's a football match tonight.

Common mistakes and summary

Five mistakes learners really make

הַבֵּית סֵפֶרבֵּית הַסֵּפֶר
ה goes on the second noun only. הַבֵּית סֵפֶר is heard in casual speech, but it is not standard.
שִׂיחָה טֶלֶפוֹןשִׂיחַת טֶלֶפוֹן
When a ־ָה noun leans on another noun, its ending becomes ־ַת.
בָּתֵּי סְפָרִיםבָּתֵּי סֵפֶר
In the plural only the first noun changes. A school is still a “house of book”, so the plural is בָּתֵּי סֵפֶר.
תַּחֲנַת הָאוֹטוֹבּוּס הֶחָדָשׁתַּחֲנַת הָאוֹטוֹבּוּס הַחֲדָשָׁה
The adjective agrees with the first noun: it is the stop (feminine) that is new, not the bus.
סֵפֶר שֶׁל יְלָדִיםסֵפֶר יְלָדִים
For a kind of book, smikhut is the clear choice. סֵפֶר שֶׁל יְלָדִים is heard in casual speech, but it is looser and can also sound like a book that some children own.

What to remember

Smikhut joins two nouns into one idea, main noun first: כּוֹס קָפֶה, a cup of coffee.
Only the first noun changes: ־ָה becomes ־ַת and ־ִים becomes ־ֵי, while ־ֶת, ־ִית, ־וּת and ־וֹת stay.
Vowels in the first noun often shrink, as in בֵּית and מְקוֹם. Recognise the patterns and learn the common pairs as words.
ה goes on the second noun; an adjective follows the pair and agrees with the first noun.
A kind of thing is smikhut; whose it is, is של.

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Frequently asked questions

What is smikhut in Hebrew?: Smikhut, the construct state, joins two nouns into one idea with no word for “of”: כּוֹס קָפֶה is a cup of coffee and בֵּית סֵפֶר is a school. The main noun comes first and may change its form; the second noun stays exactly as it is.
Is it הַבֵּית סֵפֶר or בֵּית הַסֵּפֶר?: Standard Hebrew puts ה only on the second noun: בֵּית הַסֵּפֶר, תַּחֲנַת הָאוֹטוֹבּוּס. You will hear הַבֵּית סֵפֶר in casual speech, but in writing and in careful speech it counts as a mistake.
When do I use smikhut and when של?: Use smikhut for a kind of thing or a fixed name, like סֵפֶר יְלָדִים or בֵּית חוֹלִים, and של for who owns something: הַסֵּפֶר שֶׁל דָּנִי. Smikhut for ownership, like בֵּית הַמּוֹרֶה, is correct but formal.
How do I make a smikhut phrase plural?: Change only the first noun: ־ִים becomes ־ֵי, as in בָּתֵּי סֵפֶר and עוֹרְכֵי דִּין, while ־וֹת stays, as in תַּחֲנוֹת אוֹטוֹבּוּס. The second noun keeps whatever form its meaning needs.

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Pair

Word for word

Meaning

כּוֹס קָפֶה

cup + coffee

a cup of coffee

מִיץ תַּפּוּזִים

juice + oranges

orange juice

סֵפֶר בִּשּׁוּל

book + cooking

a cookbook

כַּרְטִיס אַשְׁרַאי

card + credit

a credit card

בֵּית סֵפֶר

house + book

a school

Noun

Construct form

Example

Meaning

שִׂיחָה

שִׂיחַת

שִׂיחַת טֶלֶפוֹן

a phone call

אֲרוּחָה

אֲרוּחַת

אֲרוּחַת בֹּקֶר

breakfast

תַּחֲנָה

תַּחֲנַת

תַּחֲנַת אוֹטוֹבּוּס

a bus stop

עוּגָה

עוּגַת

עוּגַת גְּבִינָה

a cheesecake

מְכוֹנִית

מְכוֹנִית מִשְׁטָרָה

a police car (no change)

חֲנוּת

חֲנוּת בְּגָדִים

a clothes shop (no change)

Noun

Construct form

Example

Meaning

סְפָרִים

סִפְרֵי

סִפְרֵי יְלָדִים

children's books

חֲבֵרִים

חַבְרֵי

חַבְרֵי כִּתָּה

classmates

בָּתִּים

בָּתֵּי

בָּתֵּי קָפֶה

cafés

שָׂדוֹת

שְׂדוֹת

שְׂדוֹת תְּעוּפָה

airports

תַּחֲנוֹת

תַּחֲנוֹת דֶּלֶק

gas stations (no change)

Noun

Construct form

Example

Pattern

בַּיִת

בֵּית

בֵּית חוֹלִים

-ayi- becomes -ei-

מָקוֹם

מְקוֹם

מְקוֹם חֲנָיָה

the first a becomes e: makom, mekom

שָׂדֶה

שְׂדֵה

שְׂדֵה תְּעוּפָה

the first a drops: sade, sde

שָׁנָה

שְׁנַת

שְׁנַת לִמּוּדִים

-a becomes -at, and the first a drops

חֶדֶר

חֲדַר

חֲדַר שֵׁנָה

a handful of words, like kheder, khadar

Indefinite

Definite

Meaning

בֵּית סֵפֶר

בֵּית הַסֵּפֶר

a school, the school

תַּחֲנַת אוֹטוֹבּוּס

תַּחֲנַת הָאוֹטוֹבּוּס

a bus stop, the bus stop

סִפְרֵי יְלָדִים

סִפְרֵי הַיְלָדִים

children's books, the children's books

שְׂדֵה תְּעוּפָה

שְׂדֵה הַתְּעוּפָה

an airport, the airport

Phrase

First noun

Meaning

בֵּית סֵפֶר חָדָשׁ

בַּיִת

a new school

בֵּית הַסֵּפֶר הֶחָדָשׁ

בַּיִת

the new school: the adjective takes ה too

תַּחֲנַת הָאוֹטוֹבּוּס הַחֲדָשָׁה

תַּחֲנָה

the new bus stop: feminine, like the stop

עוּגַת שׁוֹקוֹלָד טְעִימָה

עוּגָה

a tasty chocolate cake: feminine, like the cake

בָּתֵּי קָפֶה טוֹבִים

בָּתִּים

good cafés: plural, like the “houses”

יוֹם הֻלֶּדֶת שָׂמֵחַ

יוֹם

happy birthday: masculine, like the day

You mean

Natural Hebrew

Why

a children's book

סֵפֶר יְלָדִים

a kind of book: smikhut

the book that belongs to the kids

הַסֵּפֶר שֶׁל הַיְלָדִים

an owner: של

Dani's school

בֵּית הַסֵּפֶר שֶׁל דָּנִי

a fixed compound plus an owner: both together

the President's Residence

בֵּית הַנָּשִׂיא

an official name: formal smikhut for ownership

Compound

Plural

With “the”

Meaning

יוֹם הֻלֶּדֶת

יְמֵי הֻלֶּדֶת

יוֹם הַהֻלֶּדֶת

birthday

עוֹרֵךְ דִּין

עוֹרְכֵי דִּין

עוֹרֵךְ הַדִּין

lawyer

חֲדַר אֹכֶל

חַדְרֵי אֹכֶל

חֲדַר הָאֹכֶל

dining hall

אֲרוּחַת בֹּקֶר

אֲרוּחוֹת בֹּקֶר

אֲרוּחַת הַבֹּקֶר

breakfast

תַּחֲנַת אוֹטוֹבּוּס

תַּחֲנוֹת אוֹטוֹבּוּס

תַּחֲנַת הָאוֹטוֹבּוּס

bus stop

Frequently asked questions

What is smikhut in Hebrew?

Smikhut, the construct state, joins two nouns into one idea with no word for “of”: כּוֹס קָפֶה is a cup of coffee and בֵּית סֵפֶר is a school. The main noun comes first and may change its form; the second noun stays exactly as it is.

Is it הַבֵּית סֵפֶר or בֵּית הַסֵּפֶר?

Standard Hebrew puts ה only on the second noun: בֵּית הַסֵּפֶר, תַּחֲנַת הָאוֹטוֹבּוּס. You will hear הַבֵּית סֵפֶר in casual speech, but in writing and in careful speech it counts as a mistake.

When do I use smikhut and when של?

Use smikhut for a kind of thing or a fixed name, like סֵפֶר יְלָדִים or בֵּית חוֹלִים, and של for who owns something: הַסֵּפֶר שֶׁל דָּנִי. Smikhut for ownership, like בֵּית הַמּוֹרֶה, is correct but formal.

How do I make a smikhut phrase plural?

Change only the first noun: ־ִים becomes ־ֵי, as in בָּתֵּי סֵפֶר and עוֹרְכֵי דִּין, while ־וֹת stays, as in תַּחֲנוֹת אוֹטוֹבּוּס. The second noun keeps whatever form its meaning needs.