Lesson 23: Parts of the Body

Naming the body is core beginner vocabulary — and it introduces a charming Hebrew quirk: a special dual form for things that come in pairs.

My body

זֶה הַגּוּף שֶׁלִּי.

ze haguf sheli.

This is my body.

יֵשׁ לִי שְׁתֵּי עֵינַיִם וְאַף אֶחָד.

yesh li shtei einayim ve’af echad.

I have two eyes and one nose.

בַּפֶּה יֵשׁ שִׁנַּיִם, וְעַל הָרֹאשׁ יֵשׁ שֵׂעָר.

bape yesh shinayim, ve’al harosh yesh sear.

In the mouth there are teeth, and on the head there’s hair.

אֲנִי שׁוֹמֵעַ בָּאָזְנַיִם וְרוֹאֶה בָּעֵינַיִם.

ani shomea ba’oznayim ve’ro’e ba’einayim.

I hear with my ears and see with my eyes.

Body parts that come in pairs take a special ending, ־ַיִם (-ayim) — the “dual”, neither singular nor plural:

You’ve already met this ending in מִכְנָסַיִם (trousers) and נַעֲלַיִם (shoes) — also natural pairs.

Tip: שִׁנַּיִם (shinayim, “teeth”) is dual too, from שֵׁן (shen, “tooth”).