The Hebrew word for the singular word “sister” is אָחוֹת, pronounced /ACHOT/.

Typically, to pluralize a feminine noun in Hebrew, you add the suffix –וֹת, pronounced /OT/.

The word ACHOT already has an -OT ending though, in its singular form – so how do we pluralize it to say “sisters” in Hebrew? Is it ACHOTOT? ACHOTIM? ACHOTIS? I’ve seen all of these, and more – but none of them are correct. Don’t worry, in just a minute you’ll learn how to say sisters in Hebrew, and have a better understanding of the “why” behind it. Prefer to watch? Check out the 60-second Hebrew video version below.

Generally, when you have a Hebrew word that ends in a ת’’ו (Tav), it means: (1) the noun is probably feminine, and (2) to pluralize it, you’ll remove the final Tav, and add a  יוֹת (-YOT) suffix. It’s not a perfect science, but it comes pretty close. For instance:

  • TOCHNIT (תכנית) – plan; TOCHNIYOT (תכניות) – plans
  • HIZDAMNUT (הזדמנות) – opportunity; HIZDAMNUYOT (הזדמנויות) – opportunities
  • ACHYANIT (אחיינית) – niece; ACHYANIYOT (אחייניות) – nieces
  • YADIT (ידית) – handle; YADIYOT (ידיות) – handles

So how DO you say sisters in Hebrew? It’s ACHAYOT (אחיות). There’s a slight change in the second vowel sound – from O to A (remember I said it’s not a perfect science?), but our -YOT suffix is there!

👇🏾Pin this handy Hebrew cheat sheet👇🏾

Are there other Hebrew words whose plurals you’re unsure of? Let me know in the comments!
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