שנים
shanim
The Hebrew word for "years" is שנים, romanized as shanim.
שנים is used to refer to multiple periods of twelve months.
How do you pronounce it?
shanim
Did you know?
- The root of שנים is shared with the word for 'tooth' שן. While they seem unrelated, some linguists suggest a connection to the idea of 'cycles' or 'incremental growth'.
- The Hebrew calendar uses a 'leap year' system involving an entire extra month rather than a single extra day.
- In modern Israeli slang, people often use שנים hyperbolically to mean 'a very long time', even if only a few months have passed. Saying זה שנים ('it has been years') is a common way to exaggerate a wait.
Examples in context
- זה היה לפני שנים.That was years ago.This sentence shows how to express that something happened many years ago using שנים.Tatoeba #6133260 by fekundulo, translation #442962 by CK
- עשר שנים עברו להן.Ten years have gone by.This sentence illustrates using שנים when counting a specific number of years.Tatoeba #1809610 by MrShoval, translation #73401 by CK
- זה עלול לקחת שנים.It might take years.This sentence shows how to express that a duration of many years might be required using שנים.Tatoeba #5456928 by fekundulo, translation #3727433 by CM
- 334 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Maya and Itay are talking about their friendship.
- מאיה Mayaכמה שנים אנחנו מכירים?Kama shanim anachnu makirim?How many years have we known each other?
- איתי Itayאני חושב שחמש שנים.Ani choshev shechamish shanim.I think five years.
- מאיה Mayaהזמן עף, כבר שנים לא היינו שם.Hazman af, kvar shanim lo hayinu sham.Time flies, it's been years since we were there.
- איתי Itayבוא נחזור לשם בקרוב.Bo nachzor linesham bekrav.Let's go back there soon.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
