שור
shor/ʃoʁ/
The Hebrew word for bull is שור (shor).
A bull refers to an uncastrated adult male bovine.
Meaning: uncastrated adult male bovine (noun)
Which one should you use?
While שור is the standard term, פַּר is used in formal settings and can also specifically refer to an ox or a bovine animal.
How does it change in a sentence?
שור is a masculine noun. In its singular form, it does not change for grammatical gender. The plural form of שור is שורים.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ʃoʁ/ (shor).
Did you know?
- The phrase עובד כמו שור (working like a bull) is the Hebrew equivalent of 'working like a dog' or 'slogging away' to describe someone who works incredibly hard.
- In Jewish tradition, the 'Red Heifer' ritual involves a specific type of שור that is entirely red, used for a unique purification process.
- In the biblical context, the שור was often used as a legal unit of value for paying fines or debts.
Examples in context
- ביצה לאביון היא כמו שור לשוע.An egg to a pauper is like a bull to a rich man.This sentence is useful for seeing the word שור used in a metaphorical comparison.Tatoeba #5993822 by fekundulo, translation #2866056 by AlanF_US
- הפר גדול וחזקThe bull is big and strong.
- איזה שור גדול!What a big bull!
- ראינו שור חזק בחוות.ra'inu shor chazak ba-chavah.We saw a strong bull at the farm.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry שור, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
