Verbs: Present
Grammar Notes
Pa'al Verbs
Hebrew verbs are classified into binyanim based on whether they are passive or active, transitive or intransitive or even reflexive. Don't worry about what all that means right now, as we'll get through the rest of the binyanim later.
The pa'al verbs are the most common verbs in Hebrew, and are also the most regular. The conjugation of these verbs is also incredibly simple, as shown here with the verb "to include", :
| Masculine | Feminine | |
|---|---|---|
| Singular | ||
| Plural |
This seems simple enough: drop the at the front (and any at the end, replacing it with a silent letter) make the the second letter of the word, then add the appropriate endings. There are a couple of exceptions, but this covers 80% of the verbs in this skill. All that changes are the consonants; the vowels will stay the same.
A handful of verbs have only three letter infinitives, and these are slightly different. We've already seen this before with in Letters 1. They will drop the vowel in their infinitive and then add the usual endings.
Another set of slightly irregular pa'al verbs are the ones whose conjugations end in (like , "to buy"). We've already seen these before multiple times, so we won't waste a lot of time on them.
Prepositions
Hebrew attaches prepositions to the words they modify, so to say "in" or "on" something, add to the beginning of the word. If you would also add to say "in the" whatever, leave out the . "To" is handled in same way, except the letter is .
To Know or To Know
Hebrew has two verbs for "to know". is specifically used for facts or knowledge, while is a little closer in meaning to "to be familiar with". Both are also irregular, so their conjugations need to be memorized.
Lessons
Note: all verbs from here on out will be in their infinitive form.
Lesson 1
Lesson 2
Lesson 3
Lesson 4
- ↗ – to think
- ↗ – to return
- ↗ – to call, to read
- ↗ – to keep
- ↗ – to learn
- ↗ – to be angry
- ↗ – to walk
Lesson 5
Lesson 6
Lesson 7
- ↗ – to create
- ↗ – to stand
- ↗ – to cut
- ↗ – to sit
- ↗ – to forget
- ↗ – to grow (irregular: )
- ↗ – to rent
Lesson 8
Lesson 9
📋 From my grammar sheet tables · exercises
Present tense has four forms (m/f, singular/plural). להיות has no present tense: “I am a boy” is just אני ילד.
Present tense
| Verb | m. singular | f. singular | m. plural | f. plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| to find | ||||
| to drink |
pa'al (פָּעַל) · present
| m. singular | f. singular | m. plural | f. plural |
|---|---|---|---|
pa'al (פָּעַל) · past and future
| Person | past | future |
|---|---|---|
| I | ||
| you (m) | ||
| you (f) | ||
| he | ||
| she | ||
| we | ||
| you (m pl) | ||
| you (f pl) | ||
| they (m) | ||
| they (f) |
Many pa'al verbs have -o- in the future instead: אֶכְתּוֹב, תִּכְתּוֹב, יִכְתּוֹב (to write).
Exercises
📖 Story: The red book 7 sentences · 3 questions
The red book
- I sell books.
- A girl comes and says: "I want a book."
- "What is the name of the book?"
- "I don't remember. It's big and red."
- I think and think.
- I find a big red book and give it to her.
- "Yes, that's the book!" She buys the book and runs home.
Questions
What does the narrator do?
What does the girl remember about the book?
What does the girl do at the end?
Practice
The rule
Present-tense verbs have only four forms, by gender and number. The person comes from the pronoun.
| masc. | fem. | |
|---|---|---|
| singular | ||
| plural |
Verbs ending in ה: / / / .
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
- – I am writing a letter (masc.) · masc. singular
- – She works every day · fem. singular → −ת
- – We are learning Hebrew · plural masc. → −ים
- – They (fem.) are singing a song · plural fem. → −ות
- – He buys bread · verbs in ה: masc. – fem. in writing
- – They run in the park · plural masc.
- – Do you (fem.) remember the song? · fem. singular
- – I don't know (masc.) · לא before the verb – not