אלף
élef/ʔalpʰ/
The Hebrew word for thousand is אלף (élef).
אלף is the cardinal number for one thousand. When used in this context, it functions both as the specific number one thousand and as the general word for thousand.
Meaning: cardinal number 1000 (num)
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form for thousands is אלפים.
How do you pronounce it?
élef
Did you know?
- The word אלף shares its ancient roots with the word for 'cattle', a connection to the original Proto-Semitic meaning where 'thousand' likely referred to a large herd.
- While 'aleph' is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, the word for thousand אלף is spelled exactly the same way.
- In some traditional contexts, אלף can be used hyperbolically to mean 'countless' or 'myriad', rather than exactly one thousand.
Examples in context
- האם אלף ין יספיקו?Is one thousand yen enough?This sentence is useful for asking if a specific amount of yen is sufficient.Tatoeba #1984314 by MrShoval, translation #73497 by CK
- תמונה שווה אלף מילים.A picture is worth a thousand words.This sentence illustrates a common proverb about the value of a picture.Tatoeba #1411837 by MrShoval, translation #620887 by ulyssemc1
- אלף דולר הם סכום גדול.A thousand dollars is a large sum.This sentence shows how to describe a thousand dollars as a large sum.Tatoeba #2144531 by Eldad, translation #73499 by CK
- shnayim alafim (שְׁנַיִם אֲלָפִים)Two thousand
- 26 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry אלף, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries אלף, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
