אֶרֶץ
éretsfeminine
In Hebrew, 'land' can be expressed in several ways. The default form is אֶרֶץ (érets). Wiktionary also lists אֲדָמָה (adamá) and יַבָּשָׁה (yabashá).
Meaning: part of Earth that is not covered by oceans or other bodies of water (noun)
Ways to say it
| Hebrew | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| אֶרֶץ | érets | feminine |
| אֲדָמָה | adamá | feminine |
| יַבָּשָׁה | yabashá | feminine |
You use אֶרֶץ for a country or territory, אֲדָמָה when discussing the physical substance of soil and יַבָּשָׁה to specify dry land in contrast to water.
What does it mean word for word?
The word יַבָּשָׁה is derived from a root meaning 'dry'.
Which one should you use?
The forms differ based on the specific type of land: אֶרֶץ refers to a country, a specific territory or is used in a poetic or biblical sense. אֲדָמָה refers to the physical substance of the ground or soil. יַבָּשָׁה is a geographical term used specifically to distinguish dry land from bodies of water like seas or oceans.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of אֶרֶץ is אֲרָצוֹת, meaning lands or countries. The plural form of אֲדָמָה is אֲדָמוֹת, meaning lands, soils or earths. All these nouns are feminine.
How do you pronounce it?
érets
Did you know?
- The word for soil, אֲדָמָה, shares a root with the name 'Adam', the first man in the Bible, implying a literal connection between the person and the earth.
- In Hebrew, the phrase 'to land' as in a plane arriving is expressed as לִנְחֹת, which is the same root used for a bird alighting on a branch.
- In many religious or poetic contexts, the word אֶרֶץ is used without a preceding article to refer specifically to 'The Land' of Israel.
Examples in context
- וַיְהִי בַּחֲצִי הַלַּיְלָה, וַיהוָה הִכָּה כָל-בְּכוֹר בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם.About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt, and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die.This sentence illustrates the use of אֶרֶץ in a biblical context regarding the land of Egypt.Tatoeba #6045921 by fekundulo, translation #2155920 by loghaD
Sources
- Wiktionary, “land” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
