Modern Hebrew verbs

Main article: Modern Hebrew grammar

In Modern Hebrew, verbs are conjugated to reflect their tense and mood, derived stems, as well as to agree with their subjects in gender, number, and person. Each verb has an inherent voice, though a verb in one voice typically has counterparts in other voices.

Classification of roots

A root that contains at least one of the weak letters, Template:Hebrew alef, Template:Hebrew hei, Template:Hebrew het, Template:Hebrew yod, Template:Hebrew nun, and Template:Hebrew ayin, is called a weak root. Each pairing of a weak letter with a position results in a slightly different conjugation pattern. The largest group of these are the ones that end with Template:Hebrew hei. Examples of weak roots: Template:Hebrew /ʃaˈta/ (drank), Template:Hebrew /ʕaˈla/(went up), Template:Hebrew /jaˈʁad/ (went down), Template:Hebrew /naˈfal/ (fell).

A root that contains a Template:Hebrew vav or a Template:Hebrew yod as the second letter is called a hollow root. The Template:Hebrew vav and the Template:Hebrew yod are written as part of the root, even though they are absent from many of the conjugated forms. Examples of hollow roots are the following: Template:Hebrew /ˈʃaʁ/ (sang), Template:Hebrew /ˈɡaʁ/ (lived), Template:Hebrew /ˈdan/ (discussed), Template:Hebrew /ˈdaɡ/ (fished).

Roots without weak letters are called strong or complete roots.

The binyanim

Hebrew verbs are conjugated according to specific patterns called בִּנְיָנִים (binyanim - "constructions") where vowels and affixes are slotted into the (mostly) three-letter שורשים (shorashim - roots) from which the majority of Hebrew words are built.

There are seven basic binyanim. The traditional demonstration root is Template:Hebrew which has the basic meaning of "action" or "doing":

root :               Template:Hebrew
active			reflexive	passive
Template:Hebrew pa'al	Template:Hebrew pi'el	Template:Hebrew hif'il	Template:Hebrew hitpa'el	Template:Hebrew huf'al	Template:Hebrew pu'al	Template:Hebrew nif'al
			causative
		intensive
	simple

This chart's menorah-like shape is sometimes invoked in teaching the binyanim to help students remember which binyanim are active voice (left side) vs. passive voice (right side) and which binyanim are simple (outer-most menorah branches), intensive (second-outer-most) and causative (third-outer-most), and which binyan is reflexive (center).

Present tense

A verb in the present tense (Template:Hebrew, hove) agrees with its subject in gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural), such that each verb has four present-tense forms:

Example conjugations in the present tense.

Form	Root	Singular		Plural		Translation
		M	F	M	F
pa'al	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Guards
	sh-m-r	ʃoˈmeʁ	ʃoˈmeʁet	ʃomˈʁim	ʃomˈʁot
pi'el	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Raises, grows (something)
	g-d-l	meɡaˈdel	meɡaˈdelet	meɡadˈlim	meɡadˈlot
hif'il	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Shrinks (something)
	q-t-n	makˈtin	maktiˈna	maktiˈnim	maktiˈnot
hitpa'el	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Belittles oneself, loafs
	b-t-l	mitbaˈtel	mitbaˈtelet	mitbatˈlim	mitbatˈlot
huf'al	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Is shrunken by
	q-t-n	mukˈtan	mukˈtenet	muktaˈnim	muktaˈnot
pu'al	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Is raised
	g-d-l	meɡuˈdal	meɡuˈdelet	meɡudaˈlim	meɡudaˈlot
nif'al	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Is guarded
	sh-m-r	niʃˈmaʁ	niʃˈmeʁet	niʃmaˈʁim	niʃmaˈʁot

The present tense doesn't inflect by first, second, or third person because its use as a present tense is a relatively recent trend, as this form was originally used as the participle. The ancient language didn't have strictly defined past, present, or future tenses, but merely perfective and imperfective aspects, with past, present, or future connotation depending on context. Later the perfective and imperfective aspects were explicitly refashioned as the past and future tenses respectively, with the participle standing in as the present tense. (This also happened to the Aramaic language around the same time.) The modern present tense verb is still used as the present participle; see further down.

Past tense (Perfect)

A verb in the past tense (Template:Hebrew 'avar) agrees with its subject in person (first, second, or third) and number, and in the second-person singular and plural and third-person singular, gender.

Note that the past/perfect and the present/participle inflections of the third-person singular nif'al were historically pronounced with different vowels in the final syllable—the past/perfect with a paˈtaħ ( Template:Hebrew  = /ɐː/), and the present/participle with a kaˈmat͡s ɡaˈdol ( Template:Hebrew  = /ɔː/). In Modern Hebrew, both of these vowels have merged to /a/, and the two verb forms now are pronounced the same. For example, the past tense Template:Hebrew niʃˈmaʁ means "he was guarded" (or in old-fashioned perfective "he is/was guarded"), whereas the present tense Template:Hebrew niʃˈmaʁ means "he is being guarded".

Example conjugations in the past tense.

Form	Root	Singular					Plural
		He	She	Thou (or You in Modern English)		I	They	Ye (or You in Modern English)		We
				M	F			M	F
pa'al	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew
	sh-m-r	ʃaˈmaʁ	ʃamˈʁa	ʃaˈmaʁta	ʃaˈmaʁt	ʃaˈmaʁti	ʃamˈʁu	ʃmaʁˈtem	ʃmaʁˈten	ʃaˈmaʁnu
pi'el	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew
	g-d-l	ɡiˈdel	ɡidˈla	ɡiˈdalta	ɡiˈdalt	ɡiˈdalti	ɡidˈlu	ɡidalˈtem	ɡidalˈten	ɡiˈdalnu
hif'il	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew
	q-t-n	hikˈtin	hiktiˈna	hikˈtanta	hikˈtant	hikˈtanti	hikˈtinu	hiktanˈtem	hiktanˈten	hikˈtanu
hitpa'el	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew
	b-t-l	hitbaˈtel	hitbatˈla	hitbaˈtalta	hitbaˈtalt	hitbaˈtalti	hitbatˈlu	hitbatalˈtem	hitbatalˈten	hitbaˈtalnu
huf'al	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew
	q-t-n	hukˈtan	hukteˈna	hukˈtanta	hukˈtant	hukˈtanti	hukteˈnu	huktanˈtem	huktanˈten	hukˈtanu
pu'al	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew
	g-d-l	ɡuˈdal	ɡudˈla	ɡuˈdalta	ɡuˈdalt	ɡuˈdalti	ɡudˈlu	ɡudalˈtem	ɡudalˈten	ɡuˈdalnu
nif'al	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew
	sh-m-r	niʃˈmaʁ	niʃmeˈʁa	niʃˈmaʁta	niʃˈmaʁt	niʃˈmaʁti	niʃmeˈʁu	niʃmaʁˈtem	niʃmaʁˈten	niʃˈmaʁnu

Future Tense (Imperfect)

A verb in the future tense (Template:Hebrew 'atid) agrees with its subject in person and number, and in the second- and third-person singular, gender. The second-person singular masculine and third-person singular feminine forms are identical for all verbs in the future tense. Historically, there have been separate feminine forms for the second- and third-person plural (shown in parentheses on the table). These are still occasionally used today (most often in formal settings), and could be seen as the 'correct' forms. However, in everyday speech, most Israelis use the historically male form for both genders.

Example conjugations in the future tense.

Form	Root	Singular					Plural
		He	She	You		I	They		You		We
				M	F		M	(F)	M	(F)
pa'al	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew
	sh-m-r	jiʃˈmoʁ	tiʃˈmoʁ	tiʃˈmoʁ	tiʃmeˈʁi	eʃˈmoʁ	jiʃmeˈʁu	tiʃˈmoʁna	tiʃˈmeʁu	tiʃˈmoʁna	niʃˈmoʁ
pi'el	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew
	g-d-l	jeɡaˈdel	teɡaˈdel	teɡaˈdel	teɡadˈli	aɡaˈdel	jeɡadˈlu	teɡaˈdelna	teɡadˈlu	teɡaˈdelna	neɡaˈdel
hif'il	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew
	q-t-n	jakˈtin	takˈtin	takˈtin	takˈtini	akˈtin	jakˈtinu	takˈtejna	takˈtinu	takˈtejna	nakˈtin
hitpa'el	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew
	b-t-l	jitbaˈtel	titbaˈtel	titbaˈtel	titbatˈli	etbaˈtel	jitbatˈlu	titbaˈtelna	titbatˈlu	titbaˈtelna	nitbaˈtel
huf'al	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew
	q-t-n	jukˈtan	tukˈtan	tukˈtan	tukteˈni	ukˈtan	jukteˈnu	tukˈtana	tukteˈnu	tukˈtana	nukˈtan
pu'al	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew
	g-d-l	jeɡuˈdal	teɡuˈdal	teɡuˈdal	teɡudˈli	aɡuˈdal	jeɡudˈlu	teɡuˈdalna	teɡudˈlu	teɡuˈdalna	neɡuˈdal
nif'al	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew	Template:Hebrew
	sh-m-r	jiʃaˈmeʁ	tiʃaˈmeʁ	tiʃaˈmeʁ	tiʃamˈʁi	eʃaˈmeʁ	jiʃamˈʁu	tiʃaˈmeʁna	tiʃamˈʁu	tiʃaˈmeʁna	niʃaˈmeʁ

As in the past tense, personal pronouns are not strictly necessary in the future tense, as the verb forms are sufficient to identify the subject, but they are frequently used.

Imperative

Except for the strictly passive binyaním (pu'al and huf'al), each binyan has distinct imperative forms in the second person. This imperative form is only used for affirmative commands. The pa'al, nif'al, pi'el and hif'il form their imperatives by dropping the initial ת tav of the future-tense form (e.g., Template:Hebrew /tifˈtaħ/ (singular, masc.) → Template:Hebrew /ˈptaħ/ "open!", Template:Hebrew /tiʃmeˈʁi/ (singular, fem.) → Template:Hebrew /ʃimˈʁi/ "guard!"); the fifth, hitpa'el, forms its imperative by replacing this initial Template:Hebrew with Template:Hebrew (/titbaˈtel/ → /hitbaˈtel/ "do nothing!"). (Note that the dropping of the initial ת often results in a change in vocalization, as can be seen in the instance of /tiʃmeˈʁi/ vs. /ʃimˈʁi/).

Negative commands use the particle Template:Hebrew /ˈal/ followed by the future-tense form. For example, Template:Hebrew /ˈal tidˈaɡ/ means "don't worry" (masculine, singular).

In informal speech, the future tense is commonly used for affirmative commands when making requests. Thus for example, Template:Hebrew /tifˈtaħ/ can mean either "you will open" or "would you open" (masculine, singular). (Similarly in English one might say "would you open" or "could you open" in lieu of simply "open".) In Hebrew, as in English, the more formal way to avoid the implication of commanding is to use the word "please" (Template:Hebrew /be-vakaʃa/) with the imperative.

The infinitive can be used as a "general imperative" when addressing nobody in particular (e.g., on signs, or when giving general instructions to children or large groups), so that for example, Template:Hebrew /ˈna ˈlo lifˈtoaħ/ means "please do not open". This might be more literally be rendered as "it is requested that [this] not be opened", avoiding the question of address by using a passive voice.

Participles

Present participles are identical to present tense forms (the modern present tense actually having been derived from the ancient present participle): Template:Hebrew /neˈʁot boʕaˈʁim/ (burning candles), Template:Hebrew /jalˈda maksiˈma/ (charming girl).

Only the pa'al binyan has a true past participle: from Template:Hebrew k-t-b we have Template:Hebrew /kaˈtuv/, (writ, written). For verbs that have a pa'al form and a nif'al form serving as its passive, this provides a means to distinguish between a completed and a continuing action. The pa'al past participle indicates completion:

• Template:Hebrew /ha-sfaˈʁim ktuˈvim/ (the books have been written)

while the present tense of nif'al indicates that the action continues:

• Template:Hebrew /ha-sfaˈʁim niχtaˈvim/ (the books are being written)

The passive participle is commonly used as an adjective, as in Template:Hebrew /ha-pkuˈda ha-ktuˈva/ (the written order).

The present tense of the pu'al and huf'al are used as passive participles for the pi'el and hif'il respectively. For example, from hif'il Template:Hebrew /heˈiʁ/ (lit) we get Template:Hebrew /ˈħedeʁ muˈaʁ/ (lit room).

Infinitives (Prospectives)

Infinitives (ˈʃmot ha-poˈʕal) in Hebrew are primarily formed by adding the letter lamed (ל) to the front of the base form (t͡suˈʁat ha-maˈkoʁ). The vowels change systematically according to the binyan.

• Template:Hebrew /kaˈtav/ (wrote, pa'al) → Template:Hebrew /liχˈtov/ (to write)
• Template:Hebrew /medaˈbeʁ/ (speak, pi'el) → Template:Hebrew /ledaˈbeʁ/ (to speak)
• Template:Hebrew /hitˈħil/ (started, hif'il) → Template:Hebrew /lehatˈħil/ (to start)
• Template:Hebrew /hitpaˈlel/ (prayed, hitpa'el) → Template:Hebrew /lehitpaˈlel/ (to pray)
• Template:Hebrew /nifˈɡaʃ/ (met with, nif'al) → Template:Hebrew /lehipaˈɡeʃ/ (to meet with)

Note that pu'al and huf'al verbs do not have infinitives.

Gerunds

Gerunds (ˈʃmot peʕuˈla) are nouns expressing an action. Gerunds are created in Hebrew by putting the root of a verb into a miʃˈkal, a noun pattern (see Modern Hebrew grammar#Noun derivation). Five of the binyanim have gerunds: pa'al, pi'el, hif'il, hitpa'el, and nif'al. For example:

• Template:Hebrew /ʃaˈmaʁ/ (guarded — pa'al) → Template:Hebrew /ʃmiˈʁa/ (guarding)
  • Template:Hebrew /ˈʃav/ (returned — hollow pa'al) → Template:Hebrew /ʃiˈva/ (returning, a return)
  • Template:Hebrew /ʃaˈta/ (drank — weak pa'al) → Template:Hebrew /ʃtiˈja/ (drinking, a drink)
• Template:Hebrew /niχˈnas/ (enter — nif'al) → Template:Hebrew /hikanˈsut/ (entering)
• Template:Hebrew /biˈkeʁ/ (visited — pi'el) → Template:Hebrew /biˈkuʁ/ (visiting, a visit)
• Template:Hebrew /hifˈtiaʕ/ (surprised — hif'il) → Template:Hebrew /hafteˈʕa/ (surprising, a surprise)
• Template:Hebrew /hitħaˈmem/ (warmed — hitpa'el) → Template:Hebrew /hitħameˈmut/ (warming)

Note that unlike in English (where gerunds and present participles share the same form but different etymology), Hebrew gerunds cannot be used as adjectives.

Conditional

Modern Hebrew has an analytic conditional~past-habitual mood expressed with the auxiliary /haˈja/:

"לו היה לי זמן, הייתי הולך." lu haˈja ˈli ˈzman, haˈjiti hoˈleχ. if was me time, I-was go. If I had the time, I would go.

"לו מישהו היה טורח לספר לי, הייתי יודע." lu ˈmiʃehu haˈja toˈʁeaħ lesaˈpeʁ ˈli, haˈjiti joˈdeaʕ. if someone was bother to-tell me, I-was know. If someone had bothered to tell me, I'd have known.

"פעם הייתי הולך המון לקולנוע." ˈpaʕam haˈjiti hoˈleχ haˈmon lakolˈnoaʕ. once I-was go a-lot to-the-cinema. I used to go a lot to the cinema.

See also

• Hebrew grammar
• Prefixes and suffixes in Hebrew
• Waw-consecutive

Bibliography

• Academy Decisions: Grammar, chapter 3 - for The Academy of the Hebrew Language's decisions on the conjugations of less common verb patterns
•  Gesenius' Hebrew Grammar, §38 ff.
• Ornan, Uzzi (2003). The Final Word: Mechanism for Hebrew Word Generation (in Hebrew). Haifa University.

External links

• Hebrew Verbs Conjugation Tool - Online Hebrew Verb Learning Tool (Hebrew/English)
• hspell - המאיית העברי החופשי - טופס הטיית פעלים - Online Hebrew verb conjugator, based on hspell, the Free Hebrew spelling engine (in Ktiv male)