The feminine noun is a noun that belongs to a grammatically gender category in Biblical Hebrew. It is used to distinguish a group of nouns—not necessarily related to biological sex—that are formed and inflected in similar grammatical patterns, especially in how they agree with adjectives, verbs, and pronouns.
The strong noun סוּס (sūs), meaning “horse,” appears in feminine endings across singular, plural, and dual, in both absolute and construct states.
Note: ־ is used as a place holder.
Number | State | Ending | Hebrew Form | Meaning
Singular Absolute ־ָה (Qamets + He) סוּסָה (sūsāh) a mare (female horse)
Construct ־ַת (Pathach + Tav) סוּסַת (sūsat) mare of...
Plural Absolute ־וֹת (Holem + Tav) סוּסוֹת (sūsōt) mares
Construct ־וֹת (Holem + Tav) סוּסוֹת (sūsōt) mares of...
Dual Absolute ־ַיִם (Pathach + Yod + Hirek + Mem Sofit) סוּסַיִם (sūsayim) a pair of mares
Construct ־ֵי (Tsere + Yod) סוּסֵי (sūsê) pair of mares of...
־ָה (Qamets + He) is the most common feminine singular ending.
־ַת (Pathach + Tav) is the corresponding construct form for most ־ָה feminines.
־ֶת (Segol + Tav) is often seen in inherently feminine nouns like מַלְכֶּת (queen), not typically from masculine strong roots.
־וֹת (Holem + Tav) is the universal feminine plural ending.
־ַיִם is the dual marker (used less often for animals, more for body parts or natural pairs).
Construct dual typically uses ־ֵי.
אֶרֶץ (earth/land) is a feminine noun with an irregular morphology; it does not follow the standard ־ָה ending in the singular. However, it still behaves grammatically as feminine and uses standard plural/construct endings.
Number | State | Ending | Hebrew Form | Meaning
Singular Absolute (none – irregular) אֶרֶץ earth/land
Construct (form reduction) אֶרֶץ (unchanged) earth/land of...
Singular Definite הָ־ prefix, qamets הָאָרֶץ the earth, land
Plural Absolute ־וֹת אֲרָצוֹת lands
Construct ־וֹת אֲרְצוֹת lands of...
Singular: No ־ָה feminine marker; instead, the form is lexical.
Definite form: Adds the article הָ־ with compensatory qamets due to the initial Aleph (a guttural) refusing the daghesh forte: הָ + אָ (not הַ).
Plural absolute: Regular feminine plural ending ־וֹת with vowel shift to אֲרָצוֹת (note the vowel change from ֶ to ָ ). e.g. Jeremiah 23:3.
וַאֲנִ֤י אֶקָּבֵץ֙ אֶת־שְׁאֵרִ֣ית צֹאנִ֔י מִכֹּל הָאֲרָצוֹת֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הֲדִֽירוּ־נָ֔א לָשׁוֹב אִתָּ֖ם וְהֵשִׁ֥יב יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃
“But I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the lands (אֲרָצוֹת) where they have been driven...”
Plural construct: Maintains ־וֹת but shifts vowels again: אֲרְצוֹת (shorter vowel in the first syllable). e.g. Ezekiel 39:27.
וְהֵבֵאתִ֤י אֶת‑שְׁאֵרִי֙ מִכָּל־אֶ֣רֶץ וְקִבַּצְתִּ֣י אֹתָ֔ם מִכָּל־אַרְצוֹת֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נִפְּצֻ֔הוּ אָז֙ יִהְיֶ֣וּ לְעַמִּ֔י וְיָדַעֲתִ֖י כִּֽי־אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה׃
“And I will bring back the remnant of my people from all the lands (אַרְצוֹת־) to which they were scattered... So they shall know that I am the LORD.”