Hebrew

Noun

זְמָן • ‎(z'mán) m ‎(plural indefinite זְמַנִּים, singular construct זְמַן־, plural construct זְמָנֵי־)

1. (uncountable) time (inevitable passing of events)

   הזמן עובר מהר כשנהנים.‎ ― haz'mán 'ovér mahér k'shenehením. ― Time passes fast when [you're] having fun.

2. (countable) a time (duration of time)

   הגעת בזמן רע, אני עסוק.‎ ― higa't(/a) biz'mán ra', aní 'asúk. ― You arrived(f/m) at a bad time, I'm busy.

   הקיץ זה זמן מצוין לצאת לחופשה.‎ ― Summer is an excellent time to go on a vacation.

3. (by extension) a time (measurement of a quantity of time)

   הרצה קבעה זמן מצוין.‎ ― haratsá kav'á z'mán m'tsuyán. ― The runner set an excellent time.

4. (grammar) a tense (verb form distinguishing time)

   כתבתי זה פועל בזמן עבר.‎

   katavtí ze po'ál bez'mán 'avár

   כתבתי ‎(katavtí, “I wrote”) is a verb in the past tense.

5. (usually in the plural) a era, times

   זמנים קשים.‎ ― z'maním kashím ― Hard times.

Usage notes

• The lemma form is also spelled with a pataḥ under the mem i.e. זְמַן ‎(z'mán).
• Unlike English time, זְמָן ‎(z'mán) is not used with the sense an instant of time instead the word שָׁעָה ‎(sha'á) is used. For example one would say מה השעה? ‎(ma ha'sha'á, “What time is it?”, literally “What's the hour?”).

Declension

Synonyms

• (a time): עֵת ‎(et)

Derived terms

• זְמַנִּי ‎(“temporary”)