שְׁתֵּים־עֶשְׂרֵה
shteim esrefeminine
Twelve in Hebrew is expressed as שְׁתֵּים־עֶשְׂרֵה (shteim esre) or שְׁנֵים־עָשָׂר.
Meaning: cardinal number 12 (num)
Ways to say it
| Hebrew | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| שְׁתֵּים־עֶשְׂרֵה | shteim esre | feminine |
| שְׁנֵים־עָשָׂר | shneim asar | masculine |
The term is the cardinal number 12.
Which one should you use?
Hebrew uses different forms for twelve depending on the gender of the noun being counted. Use שְׁנֵים־עָשָׂר for masculine nouns and שְׁתֵּים־עֶשְׂרֵה for feminine nouns.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine form שְׁנֵים־עָשָׂר is used when counting masculine nouns, while the feminine form שְׁתֵּים־עֶשְׂרֵה is used when counting feminine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
shteim esre
Did you know?
- In Jewish tradition, the number 12 is deeply symbolic, representing the שְׁבָטִים or 'twelve tribes' of Israel, which organizes much of the biblical narrative.
- The word עֶשְׂרֵה inside the phrase for twelve is the same root used for the word עֲשָׂרָה, which relates to the concept of 'ten' across many Semitic languages.
- In some traditional Hebrew contexts, the number 12 is associated with the 'twelve months' of the lunar calendar, which differs from the solar calendar used in English.
Examples in context
- שְׁתֵּים־עֶשְׂרֵה שעות ביום.shteym-esre sha'ot bayom.Twelve hours in a day.
Example conversation
Rotem and Noam are counting items for a party.
- רוטם Rotemנועם, כמה כוסות יש לנו?Noam, kama kosot yesh lanu?Noam, how many cups do we have?
- נועם Noamספרתי כבר, יש שְׁתֵּים־עֶשְׂרֵה.Safarti kvar, yesh shteim-esre.I already counted, there are twelve.
- רוטם Rotemזה לא מספיק לאורחים.Ze lo maspik la'orachim.That is not enough for the guests.
- נועם Noamאני אקנה עוד כמה.Ani ekne od kama.I will buy a few more.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “twelve” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
