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Hebrew Verbs and Verbals

Binyan Perfect Imperfect Impera0ve Inni0ve Par0ciple

con bbb act bbWb
Qal (ac0ve) bbb bbb5P3 bbb abs bWbb pas bObb
CausaEve | ResultaEve | Simple

con bbB2h3
Nifal (passive/ bbbn# bbB2P3 bbB2h3 abs bbB2h3 bb2bn#
reexive)
3 bbbn#
Piel (ac0ve) bBb3 bBb1P5 bBb1 bBb1 bBb1m5
Pual (passive) bBb7 bBb7P5 - bBb7 bBb7m5
Hitpael bBbt5h3 bBbt5P3 bBbt5h3 bBbt5h3 bBbt5m3
(reexive)

con byb3bh1
Hil (ac0ve) bbbh3 byb3bP1 bb4bh1 abs bb4bh1 byb3bm1
Hofal (passive) bbbh7 bbbP7 - bbbh7 bbbm7
Vowels under red le/ers represent their class (b2 a-class, b4 i-class, bo u-class)
Jussive: same as Imperfect (but 4at R2 in Hil) a i(e) u(o)
CohortaEve (1CS, 1CP): same as Imperfect with added h 2sux long b2 b4 bo
ImperaEve (2S, 2P): same as Imperfect without prex (but 4at R2 in Hil)
- passive binyanim (Pual, Hofal) do not have imperaEves short b1 b3 b7
InniEve: same as 2MS ImperaEve (no axes) (but y 3 at R2 in Hil construct)
ParEciples: follow Imperfect & use noun/adjecEve construct & absolute endings short b6 b2
Jerrell Hein 11/1/2012
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Hebrew Verb and Noun Axes
Pronomial Suxes

Qal Perfect Endings Qal Imperfect Endings Type 1 Type 2

Person/ English English Hebrew Person/ English English Hebrew English Hebrew English Hebrew
Num. Pron. Ending Ending Num. Pron. Ending Ending Ending Ending Ending Ending
3MS he - - 3MS he yi y3 o/hu W/Oh ayv wy 2
3FS she ah h 2 3FS she 0 T3 ah H 2/h2 eyah h2y 6i
2MS you ta T2 2MS you 0 T3 ka ]2 eyka ]2y 6i
2FS you te T5 2FS you 0_iy y 3_ T3 ke \ ayik \y# 1i
1CS I 0 yT3 1CS I e a6 iy/niy y 3/yn3 ay y 1
3CP they u O 3MP they yi_u O_ y3 hem/am .h6/. 2 eyhem .h6y 4
2MP you tem .T6 3FP they 0_nah hn2_ T3 hen/an ,h6/, 2 eyhen ,h6y 4
2FP you ten ,T6 2MP you 0_u O_ T3 kem .k6 eykem .k6y 4
1CP we nu On 2FP you 0_nah hn2_ T3 ken ,k6 eyken ,k6y 4
Vav ConsecuEve: w% before verb changes 1CP we ni n# nu On eynu Ony 4i
aspect of verb or marks subordinate clause
Red suxes used Type 1: sing. nouns & some preps. & verbs
in imperaEve. Type 2: plural nouns & some preposiEons
Noun (includes Dual)/Adjec0ve/Par0ciple Endings

Absolute Construct Other Notes:

1. BeGaDKeFaT le/ers take dagesh qal
Gend Sing Plur Dual Sing Plur Dual 2. Gu/erals: e a h j + (r) cannot take dagesh chazaq
3. Vowel Le/ers: h 2 y 4 y 3 W O
Masc - .y 3 .y# 1 - y 4 y 4 4. Qamets Chatuf (long o): only for closed, unstressed syllables
Fem h 2* tW .y#t1i 2 t 1 * tW yt4 5
* t 6 alternate ending for parEciples
Jerrell Hein 11/25/2012
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Hebrew GuXural and Weak Verbs

GuXural Verbs (a, h, j, e, (r)) I-Vav/Yod Weak Verbs (R3R2w or R3R2y)

1. Cannot take a dagesh chazaq 1. IniEal w or y contracts with preceding vowel
2. Prefer a-class vowels 2. IniEal w or y may drop out in Qal ImperaEve
3. Usually have a compound sheva & InniEve Construct
I-Gu/ural Verbs 3. Either w or y may appear as R1 for original I-Vav verbs
No dagesh chazaq in R1 (lose Nil triangle) 4. IniEal y may assimilate in I-Yod-Tsade verbs (R3xy)
II-Gu/ural Verbs
Piel, Pual, Hitpael lose dagesh chazaq in R2 III-He Weak Verbs (hR2R1)
III-Gu/ural Verbs 1. Final h drops out with vocalic (vowel) sux
Ohen no eect 2. Final h contracts (to y 3or similar) with consonantal sux
3. Final h drops out in Past NarraEve or Jussive with no sux
I-Alef Weak Verbs (R3R2a) II-Vav/Yod Weak Verbs (R3wR1 or R3yR1)
1. Most I-Alef verbs behave as I-Gu/ural verbs 1. Middle w or y may drop out
2. Five I-Alef roots: He said: I am willing to eat 2. Middle w or y may contract with a preceding or following vowel
what I bake even if I perish! (no longer a consonant)
3. IniEal a loses its consonantal status 3. Linking vowels (W,y 6) connect the root to consonantal suxes
(does not carry a vowel beneath it)
II-III Weak Verbs (R3R2R1 where R3=R2)
4. IniEal a drops out in 1CS Imperfect
1. R2 assimilates into R3 or R1 usually with dagesh chazaq added
III-Alef Weak Verbs (aR2R1) 2. Instead of Piel, Pual, Hitpael, most have Po`el, Po`al, Hitpo`el
1. Final a loses its consonantal status
Doubly Weak Verbs
(does not carry a vowel beneath it)
1. Common Types: hR2a, hR2y, aR2y, aR2n, hR2n, ayR1, hyR1
2. The vowel preceding the nal a lengthens
(w y interchangable)
I-Nun Weak Verbs (R3R2n) 2. Weak Consonants That Drop Out: h (R3 only) w y
1. IniEal n may assimilate (drop out with dagesh 3. Weak Consonant That Assimilates: n (R1 only except ,tn)
chazaq added to R2) 4. Three Step Process to Determine Verb Root:
2. IniEal n may drop out (Qal ImperaEve & InniEve) a. Remove inecEonal axes to isolate remainder of root.
3. jq1l2 also acts like I-Nun weak verb b. IdenEfy possible weak consonants that could have been dropped.
4. Final , in ,t1n2 may assimilate into following sux c. Use lexicon to nd which possible roots actually exist.
5. Qal InniEve Construct of ,t1n2 is tT4 5. Very common doubly weak verb: \Y!w! - HI smite, strike

Jerrell Hein 3/14/2012

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Hebrew Vowel Rules
1. An accented syllable must have a full vowel.
2. An open unaccented syllable vowel is long or reduced, never short.
3. A closed unaccented syllable vowel is short.
4. An open pretonic syllable vowel is usually long.
5. An open distant syllable vowel usually reduces to a shewa or reduced/composite shewa half vowel.
6. An open distant syllable with an unchangeable long vowel will not reduce.
7. If the distant syllable vowel will not reduce, then an open pretonic syllable vowel may reduce.
8. Gu/erals (a, h, j, e) and resh (r) will not double. When a gu/eral or resh ought to double, the preceeding vowel is ohen lengthened to
compensate for the lost doubling, called compensatory lengthening. A vowel made long by compensatory lengthening
is an unchangeable long vowel.
9. SomeEmes aleph (a) will quiesce the aleph will have no vowel and the preceeding vowel will be lengthened. The vowel
before a quiescent aleph is an unchangeable long vowel.
10. Hebrew has two vowel combinaEons that readily contract to single vowels.
ContracEon occurs when the vowels lose their accents. Vowel Class
First case: ,y#e1i => ,ye4
Second case: tw^m2i1 => tWm Type a i(e) i u(o) u
b2 b4 y 3 bo O
Long qamets tsere chireq- cholem shureq
yod

b1 b6 b3 b2 b7
Deni0ons Short patach segol chireq qamets qibbuts
-chatuf
Open syllable syllable ending in a vowel
Closed syllable syllable ending in a consonant
Pretonic syllable syllable preceding accented syllable Reduced b8 b0 bu
(Composite chatef chatef chatef
Distant syllable syllable(s) preceding pretonic syllable patach segol
Full vowel short or long type vowel Shewa) qamets
Half vowel reduced/composite shewa type vowel
Unchangeable long vowel vowel le/er, vowel long due Long h 2 y 4 W
(Vowel qamets tsere- cholem
to compensatory lengthening or quiescent aleph
Le/ers) -he yod -vav

Jerrell Hein 9/28/2012