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3,019 Hebrew words and phrases in 79 subjects. Page version 2026-11-09_1333.

Verbs: Past Nifal

Grammar Notes

The structure of the past tense of ni'fal verbs is as follows:

Distribution of Vowels & Consonants Example:
niXXaX

Add to this the endings that we covered in Verbs: Past:

Pronoun Ending
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

Lessons

Lesson 1

  • – enjoyed
  • – ended
  • – was heard
  • – looked
  • – entered
  • – failed

Lesson 2

  • – was written
  • – was closed
  • – was caused
  • – was eaten
  • – was opened
  • – was read

Lesson 3

  • – was asked
  • – was done
  • – was given
  • – met
  • – disappeared
  • – was lost

Lesson 4

  • – stayed
  • – was said
  • – separated
  • – was burnt
  • – was sent
  • – got hurt
  • – remembered
📋 From my grammar sheet tables · exercises

The nif'al pattern on the root פ־ע־ל.

nif'al (נִפְעַל) · present

m. singularf. singularm. pluralf. plural

nif'al (נִפְעַל) · past

Personpast
I
you (m)
you (f)
he
she
we
you (m pl)
you (f pl)
they (m)
they (f)

Exercises

📖 Story: The lost key 7 sentences · 3 questions

The lost key

  1. Yesterday we met at the café by the sea.
  2. We enjoyed it a lot, and the evening ended late.
  3. When I wanted to drive home, the car key disappeared.
  4. I went back to the café, but it had already closed.
  5. I stayed in the street and didn't know what to do.
  6. Suddenly I remembered: the key is in my pocket!
  7. It wasn't lost at all.

Questions

Where did they meet?

Why couldn't the narrator look in the café?

Where was the key?

Practice

The rule

Nif'al verbs are often passive or "happened by itself". The past starts with נִ־: (was closed), (ended).

hesheIthey

Each sentence shows the rule. Listen, say it after the voice, then tap the grey bar for the meaning and a note on the rule. The pattern quiz blanks out the key form.

Sentences

  • – The movie ended · he/it → base form
  • – The store closed early · fem. noun → −ה
  • – I enjoyed it very much · I → −תי
  • – They met at the café · they → −ו
  • – The key disappeared · masc. → base form
  • – The door opened · דלת is fem. → −ה
  • – The book was written a hundred years ago · was written
  • – We stayed at home · we → −נו

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